Our prayers are finally heard because Kate and Tully’s unknown conflict is finally coming to an end. Firefly Lane season 2, directed by Maggie Friedman and starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, just dropped, leaving people yearning for more.
As only part 1 of the second season was released, the remaining 7 episodes are highly anticipated. But why? Without much ado, read on and check whether the series is worth the hype.
The official Netflix description reads: Best friends Tully and Kate support each other through good times and bad with an unbreakable bond that carries them from their teens to their 40s.
-Firefly Lane Season 2 Review Contains No Spoilers-
The very first scene of the first episode is enough to scream that Katherine Heigl is an acting queen! The moment she takes a heavy breath while remembering her past trauma and how she brightly smiles on camera for the viewers made me go, “wow.” Our 27 Dresses actress has come a long way, and she surely is one of the most genuine actresses in Hollywood.
Moving on, we are then slowly shown our other favourite, Sarah Chalke, who acts as Kate Mularkey, giving the best grown-up “nerd” version spotlessly. I loved how her specs, her hairstyles, and her clumsiness added to her shyness. Additionally, the other characters—Marah, Sean, and Johnny—all caved in at the right time, which increased my curiosity to know what the h*ll happened between Kate and Tully.
Part 1 of season 2 gives us perfect clarity on why Kate and Tully fought, how their personal lives flipped, what truths were found, and what can be expected in part 2. I personally loved all nine episodes, and there were so many concepts that I loved. To give you a clear picture of how the series is binge-worthy, let’s break down the series’ aspects.
Also Read: Firefly Lane Season 2 is Coming! Here’s a Recap of Season 1 to Refresh Your Memory
Firefly Lane Editors Need a Raise
As the episodes progressed, the editors did a splendid job by showing 4 versions of Kate and Tully. The editing team definitely needs to be appreciated for the colour grading techniques. You can expect to see Kate and Tully’s teenage years, their 20s, their 30s and the present 40s, all shown exceptionally with colours.
The scenes are yellow-hued and vintage-y when young Kate and Tully are shown. When the 20s are delivered, the hue is brightened just a little bit, but the vintage aspect still lurks. Their 90s hairstyles, costumes, and makeup added to the scenes that showed 25-year-old Kate and Tully. However, the editing team colour-graded it so well that it looked like you were watching a 90s sitcom.
Moving on to the 30s of Kate and Tully, the colours and clarity have more details, making it look like the beginning of smartphones—just saying. Their dressing styles are completely changed as if Tully and Kate are finally settling into the modern era. Finally, Kate and Tully’s current 40s are available in 4K HD clarity. Dang! The editing is very powerful.
The reason why I keenly looked at the editing is that, in every episode, there will be a constant shift between the teenage years, the 20s, 30s, and 40s to show how the past and present are intertwined. The amazing scenes were smoothly cut and merged along with the colour differentiation, helping me figure out the time period of the best friends accurately. Even the TV and the screens were designed excellently to show which era we are in.
Firefly Lane Season 2: New and Supporting Characters
You can expect a huge number of new characters in season 2, all playing important roles in the plot. Oh, and annoying characters will be arriving, so be prepared. I loved how, at each stage of Katy and Tully’s friendship, someone new kept coming in, adding weight to their personal history.
During the teenage years, we can see various boys and girls who impacted their friendship. From boys who liked Tully and Kate to boys who made their lives terrible, it all slowly built up the lead actors’ personalities. It shows why Kate becomes a person who loves to be with a family, while Tully finds it very hard to love a man or have a family.
Even after Kate divorces her husband, Johnny, various characters enter their lives to teach them the meaning of true love. On the other hand, in the life of Tully, a lot of truth gets exposed, making her reunite with her drug-addicted mother. It was wonderfully shown with the help of supporting characters like the Governor (you’ll know why once you watch the show).
Also read: Darby and the Dead Review: Teen Comedy That Never Really Gets Going
LGBT+ Aspect
One of the interesting aspects of this show is Sean and Marah’s sexuality. As we all know, Sean is openly gay, and in this season, we will get to see how he struggled back when he was a teenager. Sean’s teenage years are also explored, showing his past relationships and the surprising bond he shares with Tully. In the present, we will also be shown how Sean finally ends his forced marriage with a woman and decides to be honest with himself.
Then there is Marah, Johnny and Kate’s daughter, who is shown exploring her sexuality. The creators clearly showed how Kate, Johnny, Sean, and Tully helped Marah love herself for who she is. Additionally, there is a beautiful connection between Tully and Marah that is wonderfully shown. But sadly, that also leads to the reason behind Kate and Tully’s split.
Truly Aesthetic
I already explained how the editing team played with colours to depict Kate and Tully’s lives. Notably, the aesthetics of the show have to be spoken about too. Kate and Tully’s 1970s costumes, hairstyles, home decor, and television sets—were wholesome. Most importantly, the connection between Kate and Tully’s friendship and fireworks was beautifully portrayed, backed by a song that brings back their good old memories. A tear did fall because that scene was just so, so beautiful.
It’s Humorous
Ah yes, I had a good laugh while watching the show. The directors did not force any jokes, but just the normal lives of these two ladies themselves felt funny at times. Also, Kate’s dance when she tries on dresses was cutely funny. The cringe-worthy scenes between Kate and Johnny in their 20s also made me crack. Oh, and our iconic Tully’s sass and savage dialogue also put a smile on my face.
Sex and Drugs
Firefly Lane is definitely not a show to be watched by kids, even if it explores childhood. There are going to be a lot of scenes showing obscene and explicit content, but that’s reality. Since their childhood, Kate and Tully have been exposed to abuse, sex and drugs, so as they grow up, we can see how it becomes a part of their lives, but with boundaries.
While Kate is a person who has a perverted mind (she herself points that out), she finds it hard to connect with men. Tully is cool with sex and drugs but can’t trust anyone for a long time. The polar opposite personalities of these two friends are what that help their bond stay strong. As adulthood is shown, sex and drugs play an important role, even becoming the reason why Tully messes up while she actually tries to save “someone.” When watching the series, keep an eye out for who.
The Sacrifices and Mistakes of the Characters
Another fantastic theme that was well presented is how people are imperfect. Part one of season 2 showed the sad story of Tully’s drug-addict mother, why she turned as such, her abusive childhood, how she struggled to hide the truth, etc. Then we get to see Tully’s mistakes, her pursuit of finding her father, her secrets, and more. We also see Kate’s weak parenting, hasty decisions, anger issues, Johnny’s trauma, Marah’s irresponsibility, Kate’s parents being too stereotypical, and more, that clearly state that people have flaws.
Additionally, we also see how Kate and Tully often have fights and hurt each other but, at the end of the day, stick together. The series clearly depicted that life can get hard and people make mistakes. The show didn’t present two best friends being all lovey-dovey. Nope, they are two best friends who go through turmoil, sacrifice for each other, and also mess up their responsibilities. This aspect is why the friendship actually felt real and honest.
Also Read: Sr Review: Tender Personal Take of the Downey Family Generations
What’s Going to Happen Next?
Towards the end, we are left with a cliffhanger, and that’s perfectly fine. That raises Part 2’s anticipation, and many questions pitch into our thoughts as well. Now that people finally understand the reason behind the best friend’s conflict, part 2 will explain whether the friends will join and whether their upcoming lives will get any better after all the struggles.
In the end, we also come across Kate facing an extreme problem, so part 2 will probably show how she is going to overcome it with Tully by her side. We’ll also see the lives of Marah, Johnny, Cloud, and Danny, as these four impact and are impacted majorly by Kate and Tully.
The Show Isn’t Utmost Perfect
Drug addict mothers, sexual harassment, heartbreaks—all of this has happened before. Many series and movies have shown how toxic parents get their children’s forgiveness as soon as the child grows. This is exactly what happens in Firefly Lane as well. While friendship is the iconic theme, the factors that build the characters aren’t too unique. From high school traumas to adult maturity, it feels repetitive.
In almost half of the shows, we can see how sexual harassment and bad parenting traumatize someone. The thing is, this isn’t the only reason why a child grows up having a hard time. Also, how can you date someone who likes your best friend? Uh-oh, that’s not really a good thing. It feels like they’re normalizing it—that’s just my opinion. Maybe it can be seen from another perspective, showing how friends choose friendship over a guy, but, um, still.
Firefly Lane Season 2: Final Verdict
I am craving more! I personally relate to this story under various aspects, and many of us would truly find it relatable. There isn’t any exaggeration of friendship, family, or relationships, but it isn’t too accurate either. The series definitely feels real due to the current trends being portrayed in it.
Is it worth the hype? Yes. You can watch it because every episode’s ending has something to be unraveled. We still don’t know the conclusion, which can only be revealed in Part 2. Thus, to watch two girls stay strong through barriers and find out what’s going to happen to each of them, the series is surely a good choice to kill time.
Are you ready to see what happened to Kate and Tully and what’s going to mess up their hearts? Stream it now on Netflix.
Also Read: Lady Chatterley’s Lover Ending Explained: Torrid Love Affair Discussions!