“Firefly Lane” season 2, part 1, ended with the possibility of reconciliation between Kate Mularkey and Tully Hart. Kate could not forgive Tully for putting Marah’s life in danger, but when she discovered that she was suffering from stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer, she knew that she needed Tully’s support. After all, Tully was the only person who understood her and had been with her through thick and thin. Before revealing the truth to Johnny, she knew she wanted Tully’s advice and support. Tully had always been a strong influence in her life. On days when Kate felt weak and submissive, Tully taught her to hold her place and fight for what she deserved. Therefore, it only made sense for Kate to overlook what seemed unforgivable at one point.
The book written by Kristen Hannah ends on a similar note. Kate is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Tully goes to Antarctica on assignment. In the book, Kate reconciles with Tully during her cancer treatment. However, the reason for the fallout in the series was different from the book. In the book, Tully invited Marah and Kate on her television talk show, “The Girlfriend Hour,” making her believe that through the show, she would fix the mother-daughter relationship. But eventually, Kate realized that the show was about overbearing mothers and the damage that they cause to their children. Kate was devastated upon finding Tully’s actual motive, and that is why she parted ways with her. But in the series, the reason is completely different. She had asked Tully to look after Marah for a night, and she explicitly mentioned that Marah was grounded. But when Marah requested that Tully allow her to meet her crush, she could not say no. Her weakness ultimately resulted in a car accident, and that was the reason why Kate stopped talking to Tully. Therefore, this hints at the fact that the show might not end exactly how the book did. In the book, Kate dies in the end, leaving Tully with the responsibility of looking after her children and Johnny.
In “Firefly Lane,” there is a mention of how Tully continues to be Kate’s emergency contact. Therefore, even if Kate gives up on contacting her best friend after learning that she is in Antarctica, Tully might receive a call from the hospital informing her about Kate, which will bring her back and result in their reunion. Or Tully might decide to contact Kate one last time before leaving for Antarctica. We do hope for the best friends to reunite and work their way out of the toughest phase of their friendship. Unlike the book, where Kate and Johnny never got divorced, season 2, part 1, ends with the possibility of a wedding. Johnny proposed to Kate once again to be his life partner. But the news of her health condition might force Kate to rethink the decision. She might try to push Johnny away in the hopes of causing him less pain. Though, considering how madly in love Johnny is, he might not give up as easily. While we do hope for the wedding to take place, especially after all that they have been through, it all depends on Kate and how she chooses to process the entire situation.
In season 2, part 1 of “Firefly Lane,” we were introduced to a new character named Danny. Tully met Danny while working at KPOC. They were both passionate journalists and determined to make it big in the industry. While they were often in conflict owing to their interest in being the first to break the news, there was a spark between them that they could not deny. Danny was quite like Tully; he believed in hookups and preferred not to fall in love. But after the two made out more than once, they knew that what they both shared was deeper than their everyday casual dates. Just as they were admitting their genuine interest in each other, Danny disclosed that he had been offered a job offer from a new sports cable channel in New York. Tully had never thought much of any man, but Danny was different.
Even though Tully acted strong and pretended to be all right after he left, she secretly missed him. Unable to hide the truth any longer, she confided in Kate about her true feelings. She even gathered up the courage to call him and let him know that she missed him, but she could not do it. This instance further sheds light on how scared Tully was of rejection and romantic feelings. She refused to be a woman who would wait for her lover and get her heart broken. She always wanted to be the one in control, and perhaps with Danny, she could feel the control slipping away from her. She met Danny once again in her 40s after she moved to her new penthouse. He was a popular sports journalist and had returned to Seattle to start his sports media company. He dedicatedly watched “The Girlfriend Hour” and followed Tully’s career growth. Even though maybe for a second Tully thought that they were meant to be together, Danny mentioned that he was in a relationship. Nonetheless, Danny continued to be Tully’s cheerleader when Kate distanced herself from Tully. While they remained friends at the end of Part 1, the two seemed visibly uncomfortable when his girlfriend, Celeste, saw Tully crying on his shoulder. Is it indicative of how they might secretly have feelings for one another? After receiving the news of Kate’s condition, it is expected that Tully will return from Antarctica (if she goes there at all). Her return to Seattle will further strengthen her friendship with Danny, and there might be a spark of romance as well. Though considering what Kate is dealing with, Tully might not focus on her love life at the moment.
While the book confirms that Kate will die in the end, will the series do the same? Well, that remains unknown. Though considering how the series makes certain changes, we can expect a different ending altogether. Tully and Kate living a happy and healthy life is honestly the ending that most might be secretly rooting for, but even if the “Firefly Lane” Season 2, Part 2 ending is not all sunshine, we surely expect some ray of hope and happiness.
