Firefly Lane season 1 ends with a cliffhanger, which is a perfect setup for season 2. Firefly Lane stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as best friends who work through personal and professional issues in three different timelines. The entire first season focuses on their unbreakable bond, yet the final episode implies that there will be major drama to address in Firefly Lane season 2.
Based on Kristin Hannah's eponymous 2008 novel, Firefly Lane season 1 primarily focuses on talk show host Tully Hart (Heigl) and her closest friend, Kate Mularkey (Chalke). The characters initially meet in the 1970s while attending Reeves Junior High School and become even closer while pursuing professional leads in '80s Seattle. Each episode of Firefly Lane season 1 goes back and forth through time, which provides the appropriate context for what Tully and Kate grapple with in the primary 2003 setting. The Netflix show co-stars Ali Skovbye as Young Tully and Roan Curtis as Young Kate, with Ben Lawson and Jon-Michael Ecker portraying the protagonists' main love interests as adults.
During the final episodes of Firefly Lane season 1, Tully develops her relationship with Max Brody (Ecker); however, a tragedy changes the entire dynamic of their romance. Meanwhile, Kate can't decide if she wants to reunite with Johnny (Lawson), or if she should pursue something new with her "PTA crush," Travis (Brandon Jay McLaren). From beginning to end, Firefly Lane season 1 appears to foreshadow big reveals involving major characters but often uses misdirection to set up potential storylines for season 2.
Updated by Sarah Milner, Saturday 5 June, 2021: The second season of Firefly Lane has been confirmed. This article has been updated to cover the renewal and new information from the cast.
Firefly Lane Season 2 Renewal
Fans can rejoice: Netflix has renewed Firefly Lane for season 2. The show's stars Heigl and Chalke made the announcement themselves in a Zoom Q&A, which Netflix uploaded to YouTube on May 26, 2021. In the statement, Hiegl and Chalke answered fan questions (as best they could without giving away spoilers), suggesting that the season will continue from the Firefly Lane season 1 ending cliffhanger — without specifying what Tully did to cause the rift (or if Johnny is still alive). The first ten episodes don't fully cover the events depicted in Hannah's book, and the author even released a sequel, Fly Away, in 2014. So, there's plenty of existing material to adapt for Firefly Lane season 2 — and beyond.
Firefly Lane Season 2 Release Date Info
Although Chalke and Hiegl's Firefly Lane announcement didn't include specific release information, the most likely release date for season 2 would be early 2022. Since production seems to be in the early stages — in a March interview with Variety, Chalke still was unsure whether or not another season would be ordered — Netflix will need time to coordinate filming. Variety is reporting early 2022 as the official release date, but this has yet to be confirmed by Netflix.
Firefly Lane Season 2 Story Details
Firefly Lane season 1 continuously teases a major character's death, and often makes it seem like Kate and her daughter Marah are about to attend Tully's funeral. Ultimately, the Firefly Lane season 1 finale reveals that it's actually Kate's father, Bud, who passed away, and that something happened between Kate and Tully to affect their friendship in the present timeline — though the Netflix series doesn't clarify the specifics.
Based on what happens in the Firefly Lane book and the sequel, Fly Away, it's safe to assume Tully and Kate's unresolved issues stem from their professional collaboration that is teased at the end of season 1. Then again, the series may stray from the books to incorporate some drama involving the various side characters. The Firefly Lane season 1 finale suggests Johnny may have been killed overseas, evidenced by an explosion sequence, but he may ultimately return for season 2 and be a mediator for Kate and Tully. What's known for sure though, is that Johnny is not the source of the rift — something Chalke and Hiegl have reiterated repeatedly in interviews. The announcement suggests that a "family" issue is at the core of Tully and Kate's falling out. In Firefly Lane season 2, the writers will presumably once again use narrative misdirection to set up climactic reveals, whether it's involving Tully's mother Cloud or Kate's daughter Marah.