Hart of Dixie is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The CW from September 26, 2011 to March 27, 2015. The series, created by Leila Gerstein, stars Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, a New Yorker who, after her dreams of becoming a heart surgeon fall apart, accepts an offer to work as a general practitioner in the fictional Gulf Coast town of Bluebell, Alabama.
On September 26, 2011, Hart of Dixie premiered, and on April 26, 2013, it was renewed for a third season. The show was scheduled to move back to Mondays in the fall for its third season having been paired with Beauty & the Beast. The show's third season premiered on October 7, 2013.
On May 8, 2014, the CW renewed the show for its fourth season. On July 18, 2014, CW president Mark Pedowitz announced that Hart of Dixie would have ten episodes for its fourth season, which premiered on December 15, 2014. On March 14, 2015, Leila Gerstein revealed that season four of Hart of Dixie would be its last. On May 7, 2015, the CW officially cancelled the show.
Season 1
Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out—after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has died and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will.
She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn't always so hospitable—the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe's only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker – who just happens to be Lemon's fiancé. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe's decision to stay in Bluebell for a while; she soon discovers the charm of small-town life and a side of herself she didn't know was there.
Season 2
The second season opens with Zoe confused over her conflicting feelings for both George and Wade. Having just slept with Wade, Zoe decides that George is not ready for a relationship and tells him to date other people as she doesn't want to be his rebound. Following this, Zoe starts a casual relationship with Wade before they both agree to become an official couple. Later on in the season Wade has a drunken one night stand causing Zoe to end their relationship. After spending time mourning this, Zoe realises she still has feelings for George who turns her away as he is now happily in a relationship with Tansy. In the finale Zoe has a one night stand with Wade, after which Wade declares his love for her, but she decides to spend the summer in New York to get some distance from her life. George decides to leave Bluebell and goes on the road with Lily Anne and her band.
Other storylines include Lemon re-entering the dating world and trying to prove herself as an independent woman without George or her father, Brick's relationship with the much younger Shelby, Lavon's election battle against Ruby and their subsequent relationship and George's unexpected relationship with Wade's ex-wife Tansy. In the final part of the season Lemon and Wade become the co-owners of the Rammer Jammer and constantly collide over decisions and how to run the bar.
Season 3
After spending the summer in New York, Zoe makes the decision to return to Bluebell with her new boyfriend Joel (Josh Cooke) although it's clear she still has unresolved feelings for Wade, a situation which is made more uncomfortable as Wade and Joel become good friends. Brick refuses to give Zoe half of the practice back so she must settle for being his employee. Zoe also reaches out to the family of her late father, Harley Wilkes. Although initially turned away she becomes close to her cousin Vivian who, in turn, starts a relationship with Wade. By the end of the season both Zoe and Joel's and Wade and Vivian's relationships have broken down and Zoe declares her love for Wade. Wade is cautious to get involved with Zoe again, believing they do not have a future together after all they've been through. Zoe vows to prove Wade wrong.
Lemon starts to realize that she wants more from her life than just the Rammer Jammer, so she decides to leave the business and look for something else. After tension between herself and Cricket she also decides to leave the Belles and re-assess her life. She has several short term flings during this time and before becoming the owner of Fancie's.
Lavon and Annabeth's relationship is tested as Annabeth longs for a stronger commitment. They must also deal with a house guest in shape of Lavon's cousin, Lynly. Lynly begins a relationship with George but after realising there is still a spark between him and his ex Tansy she leaves Bluebell.
Annabeth begins to want more commitment from Lavon but when he is unable to give it to her they break up. During their separation Annabeth begins dating a new man but turns down his proposal when she realises she still has feelings for Lavon; however, at the same time both Lavon and George race to declare their reignited feelings for Lemon.
Lavon must also deal with rising pressure as a neighboring town tries to force a merger with Bluebell in order to take over and re-build over the area.
Season 4
The season starts off with Zoe trying to win Wade back. George and Lavon find out they are both in love with Lemon, who is on a single's cruise. Zoe and Wade sleep together, but Wade decides he doesn't want to be with Zoe. When they finally go on a date, Zoe runs away then later tells Wade she is pregnant with Wade's baby. Past the initial shock, Wade finally tells Zoe that she's the love of his life. After Crickett came out as a lesbian and get the divorce, she starts dating Jaysene a firewoman. George and Annabeth find themselves developing feelings for each other after moving on from their past loves. Lavon and Lemon finally come back together. The series ends with Zoe and Wade getting married just minutes before their baby boy is born. George and Annabeth confess their love and moving in together in Nashville; Lavon and Lemon also get married.
Main cast and characters
Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart; Zoe aspired to become a heart surgeon like her father, however after four years of residency at a New York hospital she is refused a position at the hospital and told she needs more experience dealing with patients and their families. Zoe moves to Bluebell, Alabama after learning her biological father was really a respected doctor in the small town. She inherits his half of a general medical practice, and constantly butts heads with the co-owner of the practice, Dr. Brick Breeland. However, she becomes a regular in helping the town through its never ending dilemmas. In Season 2, she begins dating Wade. However, he ends up cheating on her when he loses Battle of the Bands, and she ends their relationship. In the Season 2 finale, Zoe sleeps with Wade, and she decides to go back to New York to get over everything. In the Season 3 premiere six months have passed and Zoe returns to Bluebell with her new boyfriend Joel, who is a writer and moves with her to Bluebell. For the rest of season 3, she remains in a relationship with Joel until one of his books is made into a movie and he moves to Los Angeles, California to assist with the production of the film. In the season 3 finale, Zoe realizes she is still in love with Wade, and tells him that she is going to do everything she can to win him back. In the Season 4 premiere, Zoe is still trying to prove to Wade that they should be together, and she seduces him, resulting in her getting pregnant. They eventually get back together and get married in the series finale as Zoe is giving birth to their son.
Jaime King as Lemon Breeland; The daughter of town doctor Brick Breeland. She was engaged to George Tucker, but had a relationship with Lavon while George was living in New York. Prideful, conservative and somewhat uptight, Lemon begins a deep rivalry with Zoe when they first meet, because she feels that Zoe is interfering in her "perfect" life, and they often clash, owing to their different ways of thinking. Over the course of seasons 2–4, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she does seem to come around to being civil with Zoe. During Season 2, she becomes co-owner of Rammer Jammer with Wade. She later becomes the owner of Fancie's, the town's "best" dinner restaurant. Lemon has a reputation of being persistent and somewhat scheming when it comes to getting what she wants. After her wedding to George is called off, she finds herself without a true profession and a place to live. At one point, in order to move out of her father's house, she accepts the opportunity to live on AnnaBeth's house boat, only to discover she suffers from sea sickness. She eventually trades living arrangements with her former fiance, George, trading him living on the house boat, for living in what was once his apartment in town. Throughout the whole series, Lemon has had issues with her mother abandoning her and her sister Magnolia (her very much younger sister, whom she raised like a daughter, rather than a sister), however, in Season 4, she finally confronts her mother, with whom she remains hostile, but she does come around to accept that she has a little maternal half sister, Scarlett, and makes extra efforts to come to know her.
Cress Williams as Lavon Hayes; Mayor of Bluebell and a former linebacker for ten years in the NFL; he has a pet alligator named Burt Reynolds. It is revealed in season 1 that Lavon had an intimate relationship with Lemon, who was engaged to George. Lavon develops a close friendship with Zoe, and often gives her meaningful advice on the town's traits. During Seasons 2–3, he has relationships with his former high school sweetheart, Ruby, and with AnnaBeth, although during each of these, he still has true feelings for Lemon. His main trait throughout the whole of the show's series, is making the statement "No! No! No! No!" at least once an episode. He has close friendships with Wade and George, although at times his and George's relationship is strained due to his love for George's former fiance, Lemon. Lavon is a big fan of the television personality, Don Todd, and eventually gets to closely know him. The knowing of Don Todd, helps him later on when it comes to negotiations with rival Fillmore Mayor, Todd Gainey, Sr.
Wilson Bethel as Wade Kinsella; A bartender and Zoe's neighbor. He has an eccentric personality. Initially, he appears to be an immature, unambitious, womanizing and sarcastic bartender who doesn’t care about anyone but himself. But slowly it is revealed that he cares deeply about the people around him (though he always puts his best efforts to hide his feelings). He falls deeply in love with Zoe, and tries to change his lifestyle and ambitions for her. For the most of Season 2, he is in a monogamous relationship with Zoe until he is caught cheating on her. Wade has always dreamed of owning his own bar, and eventually gets that chance, by becoming co-owner of the local Rammer Jammer, with Lemon Breeland. During Season 3, he has a serious relationship with Vivian Wilkes, Zoe's cousin, who finally breaks his heart by reconciling and moving away with her estranged husband. At the beginning of Season 4, he sleeps with Zoe, which leads to her becoming pregnant, causing him to finally come around and do his best to mend his "flirtatious" ways and grow up, in preparation of his new role as family man with Zoe. In episode 10 Zoe goes into labor and at the hospital her and Wade get married before their baby is born. Eventually Zoe gives birth to a baby boy in the series finale.
Tim Matheson as Dr. Bertram "Brick" Breeland (recurring, episodes 1–14; starring, episode 15–present); Magnolia and Lemon's father, who is also a doctor, and shares half of the local Bluebell practice with Zoe. He is often very critical of Zoe's medical diagnoses and inexperience of Southern hospitality. Also, he is portrayed as an antagonist when he attempts to buy out Zoe's share of the business. Brick eventually has a close on again, off again, on again, relationship, with local talent personality, Shelby, who at one time, actually dated his daughter's former fiance, George. One of Brick's main goals is to be voted as "Man of The Year (MOTY), an honor bestowed upon outstanding male town personalities, by the local Fraternal Order of The Owl. Brick is also well known as the repeated winner of the annual town Gumbo competition.
Scott Porter as George Tucker; A local lawyer in Bluebell that starts out engaged to Lemon Breeland (season 1) but calls off their wedding after learning about Lemon's affair with Lavon, combined with his own romantic feelings for Zoe. Zoe turns him down, and George starts to date other women, and ends up with Wade's ex-wife Tansy in Season 2. In Season 3, he begins dating Lavon's cousin Lynly. George goes into partnership with his former fiance, Lemon, by helping her invest in Fancie's Restaurant, but eventually pulls out his part of the restaurant when it burns down. Although he is the town lawyer, George seems to have a lot of time to experience in other opportunities, such as touring for a summer, as a singer with Lily Ann, and becoming the Talent Manager for both The Truitt Brothers and Meatball. George lives on a house boat owned by AnnaBeth, who he finally starts dating during Season 4. George has parents that tend to meddle in his life when they come for the occasional visit.
Kaitlyn Black as Annabeth Nass (Seasons 3-4; recurring, seasons 1–2); a member of the Belles and best friends with Lemon. She is occasionally nicknamed "A.B." as an abbreviation of her first name. In season 2, she develops feelings for Lavon, but decides not to pursue a relationship with him because of Lemon. Lemon gives her blessing, so Annabeth and Lavon start dating. She is also a good friend to Zoe. During Season 3, she dates the nephew, of the rival town's mayor, Davis, who proposes to her, but she declines, telling Lemon she did so, because she is still in love with Lavon. During Season 4, she realizes she no longer loves Lavon, and starts dating George Tucker. In Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4, she becomes the receptionist, to Brick's and Zoe's medical practice, which eventually leads to her wish to go to nursing school.
Recurring cast and characters
Claudia Lee as Magnolia Breeland; Lemon's teenage sister and Brick's youngest daughter. She is first introduced in the episode "The Undead & The Unsaid" as being very troublesome and wanting attention from her family. She is sometimes rivals with Rose. She shows a softer side by consoling Lemon after George ends their engagement.
McKaley Miller as Rose Hattenbarger; a local teenage girl who admires Zoe very much. Due to her intellect, she considers herself an outsider in regard to both her peers and her parents.
Mircea Monroe as Tansy Truitt (formerly Kinsella); Wade's ex-wife and George's girlfriend in Season 2.
Ross Philips as Tom Long; a nerdy young man who used to have a crush on Zoe. He begins dating, then later marries Wanda. In season 4 they welcome a Baby Girl called Froda
Mallory Moye as Wanda Long; Tom's girlfriend turned wife and waitress at the Rammer Jammer. In Season 4, she and Tom welcome a Daughter called Froda
Josh Cooke as Joel Stephens; a New Yorker who finds himself a fish out of water in Bluebell. He is Zoe's boyfriend in Season 3.
Brandi Burkhardt as Crickett Watts; a member of the Belles, she was married to flamboyant Stanley and has recently come out as gay.
Carla Renata as Susie
Reginald VelJohnson as Dash DeWitt; the head reporter of the local newspaper.
Armelia McQueen as Shula Whitaker; a resident of Bluebell known for her odd antics.
Travis Van Winkle as Jonah Breeland; doctor, the nephew of Brick Breeland and cousin to Lemon and Magnolia Breeland.
Golden Brooks as Ruby Jeffries; Lavon's ex-girlfriend from high school, who runs against him for mayor. She is good friends with Zoe and a rival of Lemon's in Season 2.
Laura Bell Bundy as Shelby; Brick's girlfriend turned fiancee and also briefly George's ex-girlfriend in Season 2.
Lauren Bittner as Vivian Wilkes; Zoe's cousin and Wade's love interest in Season 3.
Cole Sand as Little Harley Wilkes; Vivian's son.
Barry Watson as Davis Polk; AnnaBeth's former love interest in Season 3.
Ian Anthony Dale as Henry Dalton; a rich and connected doctor introduced in Season 4.
Other characters
John Eric Bentley as Bill; the sheriff of Bluebell.
Matt Lowe as Meatball; Wade's friend and bandmate. He was in an affair with Lemon in Season 3.
Steven M. Porter as Frank; the owner of the Dixie Stop, a convenience store. He is also Bluebell's private detective.
Peter Mackenzie as Reverend Peter Mayfair; the town reverend.
Christopher Curry as Earl Kinsella; Wade's alcoholic father. He is known to the town as "Crazy Earl." He has had a rough relationship with his son, though he cares about Wade deeply.
JoBeth Williams as Candice Hart; Zoe's mother, who would rather have her move back home to New York than settle down in Bluebell.
John Marshall Jones as Wally Maynard; the former owner of the Rammer Jammer. In Season 2, he sells the Rammer Jammer to Wade and Lemon in order to spend more time with his family.
Kim Robillard as Sal Nutter
Amy Ferguson as Lily Anne Lonergan; Wade's ex-girlfriend who is still bitter about their breakup. As a singer, she has written multiple songs about him.
Karla Mosley as Elodie; a member of the Bluebell Belles.
McKayla Maroney as Tonya; Rose's best friend.
Dawn Didawick as Eugenia
Antoinette Robertson as Lynly Hayes; Lavon's younger cousin who found herself in a relationship with George shortly after coming to town. She has since left Bluebell in season 3.
Meredith Monroe as Alice Kincaid, Lemon and Magnolia's mother, who abandoned the family when Magnolia was very young. She showed up in Bluebell in season 4, to the Breelands' shock. She is also the mother of Scarlett, whom she had with her current husband, Jim.
Talitha Bateman as Scarlett Kincaid, Lemon and Magnolia's maternal half-sister.
Mary Page Keller as Emily Chase; Brick's brief girlfriend in Season 2.
Anne Ramsay as Aunt Winifred
Kelen Coleman as Presley; George's short-term girlfriend in episodes 5 and 6 of Season 2.
Wes Brown as Dr. Judson Lyons; Judson is Bluebell's local veterinarian. He has shown much romantic interest in Zoe, despite once sleeping with Gigi, Zoe's best friend from New York in Season 1.
Eisa Davis as Addy Pickett; the receptionist at the local practice. She often gives Zoe advice in Season 1.
Deborah S. Craig as Shelley Ng; a waitress at the local restaurant the "Rammer Jammer", where Wade also works in Season 1.
Nadine Velazquez as Didi Ruano; originally the receptionist at the local practice, she was later replaced by Addie. She then gets a job working as George's secretary. She has had in an on-and-off relationship with Lavon. She is known to be very ditzy and talkative in Season 1.
Rich McDonald as Walt Blodgett
Ann Cusack as Annie Hattenbarger, Rose's mother in episodes 20 and 21 of Season 1.
Maree Cheatham as Bettie Breeland, Brick's mother and grandmother to Lemon & Magnolia Breeland. Overbearing and conservative, she often meddles in both Brick and Lemon's lives for her own objectives.
Mary Gross as Old Lady #3 in episodes 2 and 3 of Season 1.
Megan Ferguson as Daisy
Nicolette Robinson as Tara Jane
Lindsey Van Horn as Amy-Rose
Susan Diol as Carolee O'Connell
Saundra McClain as Babs Foster
Bayne Gibby as Shanetta Curran
Jennifer Marsala as Winnie Wilkes
Nicole J. Bulter as Prizzi Pritchett
Nakia Burrise as Patty Pritchett
Tony Cavalero as Stanley
Aynsley Bubbico as Sadie
Alan Autry as Mayor Todd Gainey Sr. of rival town Fillmore, AL
Peter Mackenzie as Reverend Peter Mayfair
Valerie Mahaffey as Mae Ellen Waterloo
Development and production
On February 1, 2011, it was announced that The CW had ordered a pilot for Hart of Dixie. On May 17, 2011, the network officially picked up Hart of Dixie to series, set to air in fall 2011. The series marks the second time executive producer, Josh Schwartz, and series star, Rachel Bilson, have worked together on television. The first time the duo worked together was on the Fox teen drama The O.C., created by Schwartz. The show's executive producer, Josh Schwartz, compared the show to The WB classics such as Felicity, Everwood, and Gilmore Girls.
With the reveal of The CW's fall 2011 schedule, it was announced that Hart of Dixie would air on Monday at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central, following Gossip Girl. It premiered on Monday, September 26, 2011. On October 12, 2011 the series was picked up for a full season, which will consist of twenty-two episodes. Along with pick-up for all other CW dramas, Mark Pedowitz said "We believe in the creative strength of these dramas, and by giving them back nine orders we can give our audience the chance to enjoy complete seasons of all three of them." On May 11, 2012, The CW renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on October 2, 2012. The CW renewed the show for a third season on April 26, 2013.
Casting
On February 8, 2011, TVLine reported that Rachel Bilson was nearing a deal to star in the series. Her role was later confirmed by The CW in a press release. Soon after, Wilson Bethel joined the cast as Wade Kinsella, Zoe's "gorgeous bad-boy" neighbor. Scott Porter was later cast as good-looking lawyer George Tucker, a potential love-interest for Bilson's character.
On May 20, 2011, it was announced that Nancy Travis would not continue with the series due to her commitments with the 20th Century Fox-produced ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. Travis was written out after the first two episodes. Meredith Monroe appeared in one episode as Lemon's estranged mother. JoBeth Williams appeared in three episodes as Candice Hart, the mother of Bilson's character. On July 26, 2013, it was announced that Kaitlyn Black was upgraded to series regular status for season three.
Critical reception
Hart of Dixie's first season has received mixed reviews, scoring a 43 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic.
TVGuide.com described the show as "Southern Exposure" and, in a later review, stated that the actors are better than the "cutesy" material, although Bilson is not convincing as a heart surgeon. Both TVGuide.com and Robert Bianco of USA Today stated that the show is potentially offensive to the South. Bianco also wrote that the show is shallow and far-fetched, with Bilson giving an unconvincing performance, such as acting surprised when calling herself a doctor. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter stated that the series is predictable and superficial, but "surprisingly touching". Goodman and Brian Lowry of Variety stated that Bilson does not look like a doctor, with Goodman writing that she looked too much "like a high-priced call girl" and Lowry writing that she looked like she belonged in "Barbie's medical dream house."
Writing for The New York Times, critic Neil Genzlinger wrote, "...the premiere, at least, doesn’t find a convincing way to balance the clashing strands: the city-mouse disorientation, the medical emergencies, the girlfights, the daddy issues, the young-pretty-and-available stuff." Los Angeles Times reviewer Mary McNamara described the show as, "a stack of familiar scenarios stitched together to form a pretty if not terribly substantial quilt." TVLine described the show as "Everwood-esque". TVLine later said: "Beautifully filmed with warm, cozy tones, the Southern setting utterly envelops the glowing Bilson", adding that Porter's appearance "wins us over and makes you forget that clunky intro" and despite the "rom-coms clichés, the pilot is super-efficient at introducing us to those who will be the key players in Zoe’s story, laying the framework for storytelling places to go." Tv Times magazine gave Hart of Dixie its lowest score of 2011–2012: 12 out of 100.
