With several questions left unanswered in the first season, “Firefly Lane” Season 2 returned with the promise to clear all doubts, particularly the most important one: what caused the rift between Tully Hurt and Kate Mularkey? The series revolves around the three-decade-long friendship between Tully and Kate. While the duo managed to overcome the toughest obstacles, there happens to be something that almost seems unresolvable to Kate. “Firefly Lane” Season 2 also delves into the politics of being a woman in the 70s and 80s. With vastly different personality traits, Kate and Tully provide the audience with different perspectives on life, love, and living through a time when women in journalism were rare and often not taken seriously.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Firefly Lane’ Season 2, Part 1: Plot Summary – What Happens In The Second Season?
One of the most pertinent questions by the end of last season was, “Will Johnny survive the explosion?” As it turned out, he did manage to live through it, but he suffered immense mental and physical damage. Even though they were recently divorced, Kate and Johnny were inseparable. She wondered why they decided to separate when they were clearly in love, and now that he needed his family by his side, she could not even call herself his wife anymore. With Tully’s help and popularity, she managed to reach Germany and meet Johnny at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Tully faces a lawsuit for breaching her contract. She is barred from appearing on television, and a hefty amount is demanded to compensate for her actions. Tully was devastated; even though she had her fair share of reasons to leave the show, she had not thought over the implications of her decision. Tully was not raised to bow down; her life had been tough enough to teach her not to apologize for something that was not her fault. Luckily, she was contacted by an agent, Justine Jordan, who was determined to save her from the mess. She had a three-point plan in mind, and Tully was relieved to have someone on her team. While Tully could not appear on television, she sure could connect with her audience through the internet. It is the early 2000s, and the internet is not quite the world’s go-to place yet, but it surely is gaining popularity. Justine wanted Tully to use the rise of the new medium to leverage her career. As her website got famous, it was time to launch a docu-special, as Justine had described, “hard-hitting but heartwarming.” Tully decides to center the docu-special around her quest to find her father, whom she never met in life. Meanwhile, with her sheer confidence, Tully managed to convince Wilson King that she had testimonies of women he had sexually assaulted. King immediately dropped the lawsuit, and she walked out free.
Season 2 of “Firefly Lane” explores Kate and Johnny’s relationship. While they were surely in love, they had secrets and complexities that they needed to deal with before committing to each other once again. The series also indicates that an accident will occur, and we are left to wonder if it is the accident that will affect Tully and Kate’s friendship. Tully’s journey to find her father will be an emotional one. Will she find peace after finding out the truth about her father? This season, we also get to understand Cloud’s past and how life was never easy for her.
Did Tully Find Her Father?
Tully had always wondered who her father was. When her mother was sent to prison for selling drugs, she went through her mother’s belongings and found a picture of her with a man, and she assumed that maybe he was her father. When Cloud refused to answer who the man was, she convinced Kate to join her on her journey to find her father. After reaching the location where the picture was taken, she found the man she was looking for. When she showed him the picture, he recognized her mother and said that she had been there when she was pregnant. The man was not her father, and Tully was extremely frustrated. When the question of what her docu-special would be about arise, it was obvious for Tully to center it around her father. She believed that she had not known a part of herself all her life, and she wanted to change that. Cloud was initially not on board with her decision, but she eventually came around. She agreed that her daughter deserved to know the truth, and she would no longer deny her the knowledge.
Cloud discussed how he met the man she loved. Even though he belonged to an influential family, he was never arrogant about it. They were in love, and they decided to make out one night. Later when Cloud disclosed to him that she was pregnant, he was overjoyed. He wanted to spend his life with her, but his family did not approve of her. They tried several ways to keep the teens apart, so they decided to elope together. But on that day, she received a letter from him stating that he had decided otherwise and was not ready to live with her. Cloud could never forget the emotional turmoil she experienced that day, and this rejection, in a way, led to her addictive nature; it was her way of numbing her pain. She finally disclosed that Tully’s father’s family owned Binscorp, which meant that he was a Binswanger. Back in the days when Tully had started her journalistic journey, she had covered the election campaign of Governor Benedict Binswanger.
Benedict Binswanger was the elder brother of Tully’s father, and he was the one who decided to keep them apart. He used to pay Cloud paychecks from time to time to keep her away from his family. Tully had never liked the man; he was a misogynist who poked fun at Tully because she was a woman asking pertinent questions. Even when she did not know the truth, she was certain that the man had skeletons in his closet. She dug up his garbage and found out that he had plenty of receipts from PJ Pelican’s, located on Orcas Island. Tully had then assumed that he had a mistress with whom he went to the eatery to stay clear of the media. She followed her instinct and reached the place. She demanded to see the owner of the place, but the waiter stated that PJ preferred to stay away. After burning her hand with hot coffee, the waiter took her aside to tend to her hand. He gave her an aloe vera plant on her way out. Through the docu-special, Tully learned that her father was PJ. He chose to stay away from the family business, and the restaurant was all that he had. The documentary crew reached PJ Pelican’s hoping to capture the grand confrontation, but instead, a woman greeted them. It turns out that Tully’s father died six weeks ago. Tully laughed at her fate; by the time she tried to find her father, he had been taken away from her for life.
Tully sat down with the woman to learn more about him. The woman was his wife and had been working at the restaurant for twenty years. When Cloud mentioned how he had abandoned her when she needed him, she stated that he did not do so. He, too, received a letter from Cloud, in which she mentioned that she had changed her mind about having the baby. They concluded it must have been Benedict who orchestrated it. He must have paid Cloud’s parents to keep her away from his brother. Tully and Cloud concluded that the money that they received from their grandmother must have been the money sent by Benedict Binswanger. But the good news was that before dying, he realized that Tully was his daughter. When the news about Tully lying about her mother was published in Seattle Digest, they read the mother’s name and figured that Tully must have been his daughter. She mentioned that Tully had met him. He was the waiter who gave her the aloe plant. Even though she did not get to call him her father, she could at least live knowing that she had spent some time with him. PJ was gathering up his courage to disclose his identity to Tully, but before he could, he got a stroke and died. Tully confronted Benedict Binswanger; she slapped him for ruining her family and cursed him for his past mistakes.
Did Johnny And Kate Get Back Together?
Johnny suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving the explosion. He struggled to perform daily activities, though he was initially living in denial. When Kate suggested he consult a shrink, he ignored her suggestion. Later, he realized how important it was for him to get his life back on track. He moved to a separate apartment and started visiting a therapist. He even started working on a book with Charlie. Charlie used to be an intern at KPOC. She always had a crush on Johnny and found ways to insult Kate. She was now a prominent journalist who reported from war zones. She and Johnny met in Iraq, and she helped him familiarize himself with the situation there. When she met Kate, she discussed how happy she was to watch Johnny do what he loved instead of settling for regular life. Kate could sense the disregard Charlie had for her. Just because Kate chose to raise a family instead of pursuing a career in journalism, Charlie thought that she could belittle her.
Kate had always been insecure about herself and especially about her relationship with Johnny. She always felt that because she was the one who had first fallen in love with him, she was bound to suffer more. At times, she could not help but think about how Johnny fell in love with her after he had slept with Tully, making her wonder if Tully was his first choice and if he simply settled for her because he could not get Tully. Not only that, Kate and Johnny had different opinions on marriage and children before they got married. Kate wanted to get married and raise children. Having her own family was crucial for her. At the same time, Johnny did not believe in marriage and could not imagine raising children. Therefore, Kate wondered if Johnny had given up on his dreams to settle for a life that only she wanted. When she noticed that Charlie was at his place most of the time, she assumed that Johnny might be interested in her. She loved him, but she believed that he had moved on. Meanwhile, Johnny could never get over Kate. On his recovery journey, he realized how important Kate was in his life, but by the time he reached her house to confess his feelings, he saw her with another man.
At the Fourth of July party, Johnny and Charlie entered together, but Johnny had his eyes on Kate. After a series of misunderstandings, they finally decided to confess how they truly felt for each other. They admitted that they were in love and did not wish to part ways yet. After getting back together, they decided to be honest with each other. They realized that they often lied about their tastes just to please one another, but this time they would not repeat those mistakes. They addressed Kate’s insecurity about Johnny and how she always felt that she was more invested in their relationship than him. After overcoming major obstacles during the second term of their relationship, Johnny expressed how he wanted to marry her again. Kate thought it was a terrible idea considering that marriage could never guarantee that they would stay together till the end, and a second divorce could completely destroy Marah. But eventually, Johnny managed to convince Kate that a second marriage was not as terrible as she thought it would be. He proposed to her while decorating the Christmas tree, and she could not say no to the love of her life.
‘Firefly Lane’ Season 2, Part 1: Ending Explained – What Caused The Distance Between Kate And Tully? Why Did Kate Reach Out To Tully In The End?
To spend a night with Johnny after their reconciliation, Kate had asked Tully to look after Marah. She had mentioned that Marah was grounded, and she asked Tully not to allow her to leave the house. Tully was Marah’s loving godmother and aunt; she was the person with whom Marah shared every detail of her life. She was in love with Ashley, but after recently finding out that she had a boyfriend, Marah was completely heartbroken. At Tully’s house, Marah received a message from Ashley informing her that she had broken up with her boyfriend. She further teased Marah by mentioning how she wondered what their friendship would turn into had she not met her boyfriend. Such suggestive texts got Marah excited, and she wanted to go out to watch a film with Ashley. Tully could not allow her to do so; she knew that Kate would be upset if she found out. But Marah was persistent; she stated that she would never talk about it with Kate and that Ashley’s mother would take them to the movie hall, and she promised to return by 10 p.m. Tully could not say no; she knew how important this was for Marah. Since she was never an obedient child, Tully could not be a strict parent. She soon received a call from Marah; she was panicking. She informed Tully that after the movie, Ashley took her to a frat party, where she hooked up with her boyfriend, and they left her alone there. A college boy tried to force himself on her, but she managed to escape and lock herself in the pantry. Tully was reminded of Pat and how the sexual assault affected her entire life. Without a thought, she got into her car and drove it to the party. She rescued Marah from the pantry, and she was extremely agitated as a result of the entire incident. Tully could not help but blame herself for allowing Marah to leave the house; she knew what it was to be a teenager and how such an incident could ruin one’s self-confidence. Even though she followed the traffic rules, a car speeded into their car at a crossing. Marah and Tully had to be hospitalized.
When Tully woke up at the hospital, all she could think about was what had happened to Marah. She wanted to talk to Kate and explain it all to her, but she noticed that Kate and Johnny were ignoring her. After she got stable, Tully was taken into police custody for driving under the influence of alcohol. Her mugshot was shared on every news channel, and she struggled to stay away from media attention. Even though she was able to prove her innocence and the person responsible for the accident had pleaded guilty, she was outcasted from the industry. Her contract for a new television show was terminated, and she was again in a mess that seemed impossible to get out of. Her career falling apart did not affect her as much as the absence of Kate did. She could not navigate her life without her best friend, and even after innumerable attempts to contact Kate, she refused to talk to her.
After Marah recovered, she texted Tully from Kate’s phone and asked her to come to their house. Kate was shocked after seeing Tully at her place; she realized Marah had planned the confrontation. She decided to listen to what Tully had to say. Tully tried to justify her actions, but Kate could not forgive her for risking her daughter’s life. She believed that Tully never truly cared about her; Tully had always wanted her by her side because she could not stand being alone. She believed Tully was an extremely selfish person who never considered what the other person might be going through. Tully was completely shaken. While she was someone who prioritized herself from a young age, Kate was the only person she truly cared about, and she never thought twice before making any sacrifice for her. Kate missed Tully too, but the fact that she risked Marah’s life was not something she could ever get over. Tully realized that maybe it truly was over between them. With her career at stake and her lifelong friendship destroyed, she decided to get her old house fixed. There were several memories attached to the house, from days when Tully detested Cloud to the joyous times she spent with Kate. Tully decided to focus on the things that she had missed out on in life while chasing her dream. She repaired the house and decorated it according to her taste. She learned to bake and became an expert cook. She gifted the house to Cloud, and for the first time, her mother accepted a gift that she offered. Meanwhile, Kate enrolled in a creative writing degree program. In the process of raising a family, she, too, missed out on her interests. By staying apart, Kate and Tully tried to find themselves beyond who they already were. Kate wondered if maybe she should find a new friend. She tried to bond with a classmate, but she instantly realized that finding a new best friend at 40 was almost impossible. She missed having someone to share all her life details with, someone who would genuinely be happy for her.
Kate had been experiencing an itchy pain around her breast, and she noticed that it was turning unnaturally red. She consulted a doctor, and she found out that she was suffering from a rare and aggressive form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer, stage 3. She needed to start her treatment immediately. Right after receiving the devastating news, she could only think of one person she wanted to be with—Tully. But as luck would have it, Tully had recently agreed to be a part of a documentary about saving the planet, and she agreed to travel to Antarctica for it. As Kate entered the building in which Tully lived, Tully left her apartment. They did not cross paths, and Kate felt helpless for the first time without her best friend.
The second installment of the second season of “Firefly Lane” would definitely be about the reunion of Kate Mularkey and Tully Hart. We can also expect Kate to rethink marrying Johnny; considering the kind of person she is, she would perhaps want Johnny to find his happiness without her. Johnny, on the other hand, will never let go of Kate, no matter how difficult the situation gets. We can only hope for Kate to fight cancer and write the novel she has always wanted to work on. The friendship between Tully and Danny (Tully’s long-lost love) might be explored, and maybe Tully Hurt will find love in the end. Well, let’s hope for the best!
