'Firefly Lane' Season 2 Will Be Its Last! Here's What We Know So Far About Part of the Final Season
Firefly Lane season 2 will be its last!
If you're like us, you binged Firefly Lane season 1 the moment it dropped on Netflix—and ended with a monumental cliffhanger!
We've been dying to know when Firefly Lane would return for season 2. Kristin Hannah definitely has enough source material in her bestselling novel of the same name and its sequel to fill out more than two seasons, but Netflix will likely only use part of it. The streamer announced today that season 2 would the show's last.
You've got questions, we've got answers. So let's get started...
*Spoiler alert: We can't talk about season 2 without giving away details from Firefly Lane season 1. If you don't want to know what happens, stop reading now!
When does Firefly Lane season 2 premiere?
Firefly Lane season 2, part 1 will premiere on Dec. 2, 2022. Season 2, part 2 will premiere later in 2023. Part 1 will be comprised of nine episodes, leaving a 7-episode part 2.
In August 2021, Katherine Heigl tweeted that the premiere "will be in 2022."
What happens in season 2 of Firefly Lane?
In season 2, viewers will learn what could possibly have ended the tight-knit 30-year friendship between Tully and Kate.
Before that happens, Kate must grapple with the painful aftermath of Johnny's ill-fated trip to Iraq, while Tully faces a lawsuit after walking away from her talk show, and must start her career over from the bottom. This leads her to search for answers about who she is and where she comes from— including a quest to find the father she never met, against the wishes of her secretive hippie mother, Cloud (Beau Garrett).
In the '80s, we see Kate and Johnny first fall in love, creating more than a little drama in the newsroom where they work, as Tully's career rises and she spars (and flirts!) with cocky sportscaster Danny Diaz (Ignacio Serricchio). She just might have met her match—that is, if they can stop arguing for five minutes.
While in the '70s, teenage Kate and Tully struggle to keep their friendship together as Cloud goes to jail for dealing drugs and Tully goes to live with her grandmother, far away from Firefly Lane. As the girls face the tumult of high school apart, they know the one thing they really need is each other, but will that remain true over the years?
Related: What Did Tully Do to Kate That Broke Their Friendship?
When was Firefly Lane season 2 filmed?
Filming for Firefly Lane season 2 began in Vancouver in August 2021 and continued throughout the fall. We know Katherine Heigl celebrated her birthday on set in November. The show returned from its holiday hiatus on Feb. 1. Filming wrapped in late April 2022.
Who dies in Firefly Lane season 1?
This is one place where Netflix takes a bit of creative liberty from the book. **major spoiler** here! If you've read the book, you know that Kate dies at the end of the novel Firefly Lane. But At the end of season 1 of the Netflix series, Kate is alive and well. The funeral we see is for Kate's father, Bud Mularkey.
Who dies in Firefly Lane season 2?
We don't quite know the answer to this one yet. If the series follows the book, it's Kate who dies at the end.
Who's in the Firefly Lane cast?
Netflix hasn't announced the full cast for Firefly Lane season 2 but we can't imagine the main characters won't be back. Here's who we're expecting to see in season 2, even if only in flashbacks. (RIP Bud).
Katherine Heigl (Tully Hart)
In season 1, Tully was the ambitious host of The Girlfriend Hour, a local Seattle talk show. We're looking forward to seeing where her career takes her in season 2.
Heigl also serves as an executive producer on the series. She got her start as a child model at the age of 9 with a Cheerios commercial as her first foray in film and television. Best known for her roles on Roswell and Grey's Anatomy, Heigl has been married to singer-songwriter Josh Kelley since 2007.
Follow her on Instagram @katherineheigl and on Twitter @KatieHeigl.
Related: Katherine Heigl Reveals What She Loved Most About Making Firefly Lane and Who Her IRL Best Friend Is
Sarah Chalke (Kate Mularkey)
Kate is a writer/producer in Seattle who worked her way up the ranks with her best friend, Tully, though she later puts her career on hold to start a family. She and Tully had been best friends for more than three decades until Tully destroyed their relationship. Here's what we know about that fight.
Best known for her roles on Scrubs and as the second Becky Connor on Roseanne, Chalke also voices the character of Beth on the animated series, Rick and Morty.
Follow Sarah on Twitter and Instagram @sarahchalke.
Ali Skovbye (Young Tully)
Ali Skovbye started her acting career at the grand old age of 4 when she was scouted for a national car commercial. She followed that up with a lead supporting role in a film opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates.
Previous credits include You Me Her and The Man in the High Castle.
Follow Ali on Twitter @aliskovbye and on Instagram @ali.skovbye.
Fun fact: Skovbye is the younger sister of Tiera Skovbye, star of Nurses and the upcoming series, Ride.
Roan Curtis (Young Kate)
Roan Curtis had a recurring role on SyFy's The Magicians. She also guest-starred on Supernatural and Smallville.
Follow Roan on Twitter and Instagram @roancurtis.
Ben Lawson (Johnny Ryan)
Johnny is a producer at the local television station where Kate and Tully get their starts. He battles some personal demons and tries to maintain a professional relationship with Kate but ultimately falls in love with her.
In the present, he is now Kate's estranged husband. The two are trying to navigate their relationship as friends, but come across a few roadblocks along the way.
Aside from Firefly Lane, Australian Ben Lawson is probably best known to American audiences for his roles on Designated Survivor and 13 Reasons Why. In 2020, after fires ravaged Australia, Lawson wrote a book of poetry, To My Country, with proceeds going to The Koala Hospital.
Follow Ben on Instagram @bennyvegas and on Twitter @imbenlawson.
Beau Garrett (Cloud)
Cloud is Tully's mother who lives a carefree life. So carefree, she forgets to be a mom most days and it's Tully who has to play the parent in the relationship. Unlike Absolutely Fabulous, there's anything but laughs in this mother-daughter relationship.
Garrett got her start as a model at the age of 14 before turning to acting. She is best known for her roles on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce and The Good Doctor.
Follow Beau on Instagram @blackdogtravels and on Twitter @beaujgarrett.
Related: 15 New Shows Coming to Netflix in 2021
Chelah Horsdal (Margie Mularkey)
Margie is Kate's stereotypical suburban mom. The TV version is much edgier than Kristin Hannah's conservative book version.
Horsdal is best known for her roles on The Man in the High Castle and Star Trek: Discovery.
Fun fact: Horsdal and the Quinn Lord, the actor who plays teen-aged Sean Mularkey also played mother-son in The Man in the High Castle.
Paul McGillion (Bud Mularkey)
Bud is Kate's dutiful father. He appears mostly in flashbacks to the '70s and '80s. In a wide divergence from the book, Bud dies in the season 1 finale. If we see him in season 2, it will be in flashbacks.
McGillion is best known for his role as Dr. Carson Beckett on Stargate: Atlantis.
Related: Sarah Chalke on the Challenges of Going Back to Her 20s
New additions to the Firefly Lane cast for season 2
Chris McNally (Mr. Waverly)
According to Deadline, McNally joins the cast as a charismatic English teacher, Mr. Waverly, who pushes Kate and Tully out of their comfort zones and inspires them to reach new heights. He also joins the cast of the upcoming series, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies that will premiere on Paramount+. There, he will also play a teacher, Mr. Daniels, who appears to be a young, cool teacher, but in reality he's a bad guy, gaslighting a 16-year-old student that he had come on to and then throws her under the bus to save himself.
Chris McNally currently stars on Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart as saloon owner and entrepreneur Lucas Bouchard.
Follow Chris on Twitter @chrismcnally_ and on Instagram @chrismcnally.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Season 9 of When Calls the Heart
Ignacio Serricchio (Danny Diaz)
Ignacio Serricchio joins the cast as Danny, a cocky sportscaster/reporter and is a potential love interest for Tully. The sexy and brash Danny continually trades barbs with Tully but beneath the smug exterior lies a vulnerable and passionate man.
Serricchio's previous credits includes General Hospital, Bones and Netflix's reboot of Lost in Space.
Follow him on Instagram @ignacioserrichio.
Greg Germann
Greg Germann joins in the cast in the recurring role of Benedict Binswanger. The heir of a powerful logging family, Binswanger risks his successful business in a run for governor in the '80s. Though he appears confident, he is concerned for his family's reputation as well as his own. He is determined to maintain the Binswangers' good name by ensuring the family skeletons remain in the closet.
Germann recently finished a multi-season run as Dr. Tom Koracick on Grey's Anatomy. His previous credits include Ned & Stacey, Chasing Life and Once Upon a Time.
Follow Germann on Instagram @greg.germann.
India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort joins Firefly Lane as Charlotte, an aspiring-but-shy journalist in the mid-1980s with a crush on Johnny Ryan. As we revisit her over the years, she has evolved into a confident, world-renowned reporter who knows what she wants and is willing to go after it.
The British actress-singer had a recurring role on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. She previously appeared in episodes of Chuck, Modern Family and Veep.
Follow de Beaufort on Twitter and Instagram @indiadebeaufort.
Jolene Purdy
Jolene Purdy plays Justine Jordan, an effervescent talent agent who always has a plan. Tully is interested in getting Jordan into her corner as the up and comer is no-nonsense but always upbeat.
Purdy previously appeared on The White Lotus, WandaVision and Superstore.
Follow Purdy on Twitter and Instagram @jojopurdy.
What book comes after Firefly Lane?
Fly Away is the second book in the Kristin Hannah series. It delves deeper into Tully's backstory and her turbulent relationship with her mother.
Related: Here's Everything You Need to Know About Fly Away, the Firefly Lane Sequel
Did Kristin Hannah write enough material for a Firefly Lane season 2?
Absolutely! The first season of Firefly Lane covers only the high points of Kristin Hannah's novel, but it does tease major events.
"There's plenty to go, just from the first novel," Ben Lawson, who plays Kate's husband Johnny Ryan, tells OprahMag.com. "Hopefully audiences delve in and we can continue."
Plus, there's a book sequel to Firefly Lanecalled Fly Away, which focuses more on Tully. Season 2 could easily pick up where they left off in the first book and continue through the stories in Fly Away.
"One of the things I think has been exciting is that we have retained some huge moments from the book and been very loyal to those, and then there are other things that we’ve done that are new,” showrunner Maggie Friedman told Entertainment Weekly.
Does Johnny die in Firefly Lane?
The book and the series take slightly different approaches to Johnny's time in Iraq. In the book, Johnny Ryan is gravely injured but survives a bombing. In the series, we know Johnny is in Iraq but we don't know whether or not Johnny died in season 1. We expect to learn even more about Johnny and his condition in season 2.
Related: Does Tully Have a Baby in Firefly Lane?
Take a first look at season 2 of Firefly Lane
Is there a trailer for Firefly Lane?
Yes, there is! The first official trailer for Firefly Lane recently dropped. Check it out below!
Where was Firefly Lane filmed?
While we all may dream of growing up or raising our kids on a road like Firefly Lane, it won't be in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. The street where Tully and Kate lived in the Kristin Hannah novel is fictional. Season 1 of Firefly Lane was filmed in British Columbia from September 2019 to January 2020, and the series premiered in early February. BTW, it's the same stunning location where Netflix hit Virgin River was also filmed.
As of late August 2021, Firefly Lane season 2 is filming in Vancouver, British Columbia.
What Firefly Lane locations can you visit in real-life?
"Since I went to the University of Washington, I remember a lot of locations used in the book," Kristin Hannah writes on her website. "Anyone interested in a Firefly Lane memory lane tour should try: The Last Exit coffee house (is it even still there?), Kels pub in Pioneer Square, which is still a great time, Starbucks in the Public Market, a ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, Goldies tavern in the U District, Greek row at the University of Washington (I’m sure you can still find a ton of parties happening there on Saturday nights), and the view of Seattle at night from Rockaway Beach."
Who is Bud in Firefly Lane?
In Firefly Lane, Bud is Kate's dutiful dad, played by Scottish actor Paul McGillion. Bud's role in the Netflix version of Firefly Lane is much different than his role in the Kristin Hannah novel where we learn very little about him. In the Netflix version, Bud appears mostly in flashbacks to the '70s when Tully and Kate are teenagers. His main storyline is the fact that Kate's mother, Margie, is having an affair. (There's no affair in the novel.) In the season 1 finale, the entire family is attending a funeral that we ultimately learn is that of Kate's father, Bud. This is also a major change from the novel, in which Kate dies at the end.
Related: What Is the Sequel to Firefly Lane?
How many episodes are in Firefly Lane season 2?
Firefly Lane season 2 will be super-sized 16 episodes—divided into two mini seasons. These are the episode titles that have been released so far.
—Episode 1 – Wish You Were Here
—Episode 2 – On The Road
—Episode 3 – I’m Coming Out
—Episode 4 – Papa Don’t Preach
—Episode 5 – Simple Twist of Fate
—Episode 6 – Reborn on the Fourth of July
—Episode 7 – Good Riddance/Time of Your Life
—Episode 8 – All Apologies
—Episode 9 – Hart Shaped Box
Where can I watch the first season of Firefly Lane?
All 10 episodes of Firefly Lane season 1 are available to stream with your subscription to Netflix.
Next, Everything You Need to Know About Firefly Lane Season 1