I adored the first season of Firefly Lane so when I learnt the second season was dropping early December, it was music to my ears. For one thing, it was back in February 2021 when the first season finished, and we’ve been waiting twenty-two long months to find out just what the hell happened between Kate and Tully to end their friendship. For another, did Johnny survive the explosion?

Netflix promised that our questions would be answered and thankfully they delivered! Well, some were delivered, because there is a Part Two, and although I did scream when the screen faded to black on another cliffhanger, I was comforted by the fact we only have to wait until June 2023.

WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD!

This season Johnny was…

ALIVE, thank God! Yes, he survived the explosion and made it back home only to face the demons of PTSD, which he was adamant to handle himself. Kate knew he couldn’t, we knew he couldn’t, and it took some time for him to realise that therapy was the only answer.

SCRUFF and BUFF. 80s Johnny with his unkempt shoulder-length hair and sexy smile is always pleasing to see on screen and was on show many times as he and Kate’s flourishing relationship was on show for the entire office to see! Their antics were quite funny at times, notably the accidentally taking ecstasy scene. But then, of course, he has to stuff things up, and the drama returns when he admits to Kate that he doesn’t want marriage or kids! We know that changes later because he and Kate did marry and produce a daughter, but you could literally hear Kate’s heart tear into tiny irreparable pieces when that bombshell dropped!

JOHNNY. I loved the older version of Johnny the most this time round and found myself cheering him on quite a bit. Sure, he almost stuffed it up with Kate again when he thought she was seeing someone else (only because she thought he was seeing someone else too!)  but they eventually worked things out and cleared the air, quite a bit actually! My standout scene for Johnny was him standing up to Tully by reminding her just who he was in Kate’s life. It was perfect and made me love him even more.

RELATED: Read our recap of Firefly Lane season 1

This season Kate was…

AMAZING. A character who just worms their way into your heart and leaves an indelible impression. I laughed with Kate, I cried with Kate, and I winced when she inevitably became cringe-worthy because she sometimes tries too hard! But even then she’s still the friend you wished you always had because that’s simply what makes her Kate.

BEAUTIFUL. My favourite Kate, without a doubt, is the fortysomething woman, who is imperfect, and makes mistakes, but juggles the balls of life and love, hard work and motherhood in ways that make you think “you go, girl, you’ve got this!” even when you know those balls are going to come tumbling down!

COURAGEOUS. And when those balls fell, the repercussions were devastating, and I couldn’t help but admire Kate for turning her back on Tully, knowing full well that her silent treatment would hurt the most when they had always managed to overcome whatever life threw their way.

This season Tully was…

AWESOME. Just one of the many superlatives I could use to describe Tully, who just like a fine wine, seems to only get better as time marches on. This season we see her meet a new man and their repartee alone tells us we’re in for something special. Danny is her absolute equal, of this we have no doubt. But just when things are getting hot and sexy, the sizzle ends, because they may just be too much alike!

RELENTLESS. Which is Tully in a nutshell, and sadly it can be to her own detriment. Especially where her mother, Cloud, is concerned. When she spots her mum being arrested, Tully bails her out then takes her to a fancy hotel so she can get cleaned up. But Cloud does what Cloud does best and runs – after she’s clean and stolen cash from her daughter’s purse! Redemption does come later for Cloud and Tully, and we can only hope they stay that way.

GUTSY. Tully is fierce and strong, and her sarcastic wit is en pointe this season. It’s one of the things I love most about her (and occasionally dislike). There was also a lot of growth for Tully with the whole “who’s my father” story, and I really felt for her when she found out. Until, of course, the biggest reveal of them all came when we discovered what tore her and Kate apart.

REALATED: Love Firefly Lane? Have you read the Sweet Magnolias series?

So, what was the big reveal?

Tully and Marah were involved in a car accident, which they thankfully survived, but Kate and Tully’s relationship did not. Because Marah was grounded and Tully was supposed to be looking after her, but she allowed Marah to go out. Later Marah calls to say she’s in trouble, which raises alarm signals and past experiences for Tully, who isn’t in the best frame of mind to be driving, especially when you factor in the couple of wines she’d consumed beforehand.

Sure, the other driver was declared at fault, but Kate and Johnny were justifiably furious, and as a parent myself I understood completely. Tully tries multiple times to reach out to Kate who refuses to see let alone talk to her, and their distance grows ever silent and deep. Could this be the end to the Firefly Lane girls forever?

What did the other characters get up to?

Well, Sean finally admitted he was gay when his parents wanted to know why he wasn’t trying to mend his marriage with his wife.

Marah, as it turns out, is gay too and in love with one of her friends. Sadly, that friend is a total douche and breaks poor Marah’s heart, which leads to the death knell of Kate and Tully’s friendship.

And though Cloud made some poor decisions, we see glimpses of her also becoming the mum Tully always wanted. For the sake of my heart and supply of tissues, I wished she’d gotten around to it a lot sooner!

Some other things we learnt…

• Stay away from girls named Lisa-Karen.
• That your first kiss can also be your worst kiss.
• Confronting past experiences can have good and bad ramifications.
• Don’t take illegal drugs, especially at work, even though it’s accidental.
• That a pop tart can start a fire.

Two, no make that THREE final things…

Whoever edits Firefly Lane is an absolute genius. Because where I thought it was a tad jumpy in season one, this time round it was a smooth transition between each of the decades, brought about with clever lighting and music.

Speaking of which, I couldn’t get enough of the spectacular soundtrack from season one therefore immediately downloaded this one as well and will have it on repeat for the next hundred or so days!

And finally, I need to make a correction from my recap of season one, (which you can read here if you haven’t already done so) where I said that Tully and Max were meant to be. Well, I totally got that wrong and Dan is the man for sure! He’s everything Tully needs, wants, and should have so if they don’t end up together in part two, to say I’ll be devastated will be putting it mildly!

Season Two: Part One of Firefly Lane is streaming on Netflix now.

Love Firefly Lane? You’ll adore Trish Morey’s One Summer Between Friends

Australian author Trish Morey returns with a compelling and moving story about broken friendships and the rocky road of forgiveness.

Coming home was never going to be easy …

With a failed marriage behind her, and her career dreams in tatters, Sarah returns home to Lord Howe Island to run the family store. Paradise to most, Lord Howe is the last place Sarah wants to be, trapped on an island with her two ex-best friends, Floss and Jules.

Floss has the life she always wanted: married to her high school sweetheart, Andy, with five gorgeous children. But something is missing from her marriage. And now she has a secret that threatens to tear her happy family apart, and the only person she can talk to is the woman who pushed her away.

For Jules, forgetting the past is impossible. Her four-year-old daughter is an everyday reminder of the friendships she has lost. But when a discovery turns her life upside down, she knows this is an opportunity to set things right.

This summer, can these women overcome the pain of the past and find their way back to the friendship they once had?

Get the book here

Written by Jo-Ann Milne

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