Firefly Lane Season 2 ending explained: Why is Kate mad at Tully and will the Netflix show return for season 3?

Season 2 of Firefly Lane wrapped up the confusion left over from the show's first season - here we explain the ending of Firefly Lane Season 2 and share why Kate is so mad at Tully

Firefly Lane season 2 ending explained
(Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Fans of Netflix's Firefly Lane were left heartbroken when the show's first season ended with an unexplained rift between life-long best friends Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey. Now the show has returned for a second season, we finally know why Kate is mad with Tully - here we explain the ending of Firefly Lane's second season and answer the question, 'Will the Netflix show return for season 3?'

Netflix drama, Firefly Lane, explores the decades-long friendship between an unlikely pair of friends, Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey, as they support each other through career highs and lows, family turmoil and painfully relatable heartbreaks.

The show's dramatic finale for season one saw the seemingly unbreakable pair struggle through the souring of their relationship, with Kate making it very clear that her best friend wasn’t welcome at her father’s funeral.

The hostility left viewers scratching their heads. Whatever went down between the pair and led to their bust-up was never revealed in season 1. Now that the latest instalment of the series has just landed on Netflix, audiences finally have the answer and know just what Tully did to end her friendship with Kate. 

Firefly Lane Why is Kate mad at Tully

(Image credit: DIYAH PERA/NETFLIX)

Why is Kate mad at Tully in Firefly Lane?

Tully and Kate's bust up at the end of Firefly Lane's first season was caused by Tully getting arrested for drink driving after being involved in a car accident which hurts Kate's daughter, Marah, who was also in the car. Despite Tully profusely apologising to her best friend, Kate tells her that the friendship is over.

The segment, showed in season 2, begins when Tully offers to babysit Marah, Kate's grounded daughter, so that her friend can rekindle the waning romance with her husband. While at Tully's apartment, Marah is invited to the cinema by a girl she has a crush on and, although Marah knows she is meant to be grounded, Tully says she can go anyway.

Tully then has her own somewhat romantic moment. After bumping into an old flame and sharing a pizza, Tully is disappointed when he eventually confesses he has a girlfriend.

After some wine to ease the heartbreak, Tully gets a call from Marah who has been abandoned by her friends and is in a scary situation with a boy who won't leave her alone. Despite the previous wine, Tully sets out to rescue her.

On the way home, however, more disaster strikes and the pair are involved in a car accident. Marah is hurt and Tully is arrested for drink driving. Despite Tully apologising profusely, Kate tells Tully that their friendship is over.

Flirefly Lane Season 2 ending explained

(Image credit: DIYAH PERA/NETFLIX)

Firefly Lane Season 2 ending explained

After the pair's friendship breakdown, caused by Tully's ill-fated drink driving charge and Kate's daughter's subsequent injury, Kate and Tully, much to viewers dismay, do not get a chance to fix their relationship before season 2, part 1's ending.

After the fallout, the childhood best friends spend an entire year not talking to each other. Both women begin to slowly move on with their retrospective lives. Kate joins creative writing class and tries befriending one of her classmates to fill the hole left by Tully, but to no avail.

The season 2 part 1 finale ends with a shock. Kate is tragically diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and is told she needs to start treatment immediately. This life-altering news motivates Kate to finally reach out to Tully. She shows up unannounced at her friend's apartment building and pounds on her door - but no one answers.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Kate, just before she arrived, Tully left for Antarctica, where she accepted a job working on a global warming documentary. The season ends with Kate crying on Tully’s doorstep and viewers are left wondering if Kate and Tully will manage make amends before it’s too late.

Will Firefly Lane return for season 3?

(Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

When will Firefly Lane Season 2 Part 2 be released?

Netflix is yet to officially announce when Firefly Lane Season 2 Part 2 will be released. Though, according to The Radio Times, the show's second instalment of season 2 will see eight more episodes land on Netflix sometime in 2023. 

Firefly Lane Season 2

(Image credit: DIYAH PERA/NETFLIX)

Will Netflix's Firefly Lane return for Season 3?

Sadly, there will not be a third season of Netflix's Firefly Lane. Netflix confirmed that season two will be the final series for the show in an announcement made in October 2022. 

Confirming the news, Katherine Heigl, who plays series lead Tully Hart, posted to Instagram, "Firefly Lane Girls are back! We can’t wait to share the second and final season with you all on December 2nd."

While fans are gutted about the news, it was quite clear from the beginning that Netflix would be ending the show after two seasons. This is because the series is  based on a pair of novels by bestselling author Kristin Hannah, titled 'Firefly Lane' and 'Fly Away' respectively. 

Season one covers the events of the first novel and season two covers the second. So, it makes sense that now there is no source material from further books, Netflix is bringing Firefly Lane to a close. There is always the chance that Kristin Hannah may decide to write a third book, but until then, there will be no season 3.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse
Royal News and Entertainment writer

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.