The Reason Netflix's 'Firefly Lane' Was Cancelled After Season 2 – And The Chances Of Season 3
Warning: Firefly Lane season 2 spoilers below.
It's a swift two seasons, many questionable wigs and out for folksy Netflix drama Firefly Lane, and as sad as that may be, it's always been the plan.
Fans were reunited with life-long BFFs Kate and Tully (played by TV royalty Sarah Chalke and Katherine Heigl) in season two part 1 earlier this month, in which we finally found out why their seemingly unbreakable friendship turned sour in the season one finale.
If, for some reason beyond our comprehension, you still haven't binged season two's first nine episodes, it turns out Tully had been looking after Kate's supposed-to-be-grounded daughter Marah, let her go to a frat party, and then got into a car crash after picking her up when she'd had a few too many glasses of wine.
To be fair (and her intoxication aside), the crash wasn't actually Tully's fault, though Kate's upset is completely understandable. And by upset we mean red-hot furious.
Alas, part one left us on yet another (even more devastating) cliffhanger, concluding with Kate turning up at Tully's apartment after learning that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, only to discover that Tully had just left for a work trip in Antarctica.
The good news is the last seven episodes of Firefly Lane will arrive on the streamer on June 8, 2023, revealing what this diagnosis means for Kate and whether she and Tully will ever repair their friendship. And the bad news? Part two is where the story ends and we won't be getting a third season.
We know, we grieve with you, but there's actually a good reason behind this decision.
Warning: MAJOR Firefly Lane book spoilers follow.
Because the series is based on Kristin Hannah's novel of the same name, we know that Kate will be told her cancer is terminal. When Tully learns of the news, she rushes back home to Kate's side and gives her old friend the support she needs before she passes away. We're not crying. You're crying.
If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, part two will also cover Hannah's follow-up book, Fly Away, which focuses on the aftermath of Kate's death and how it still impacts Tully four years later.
While seven episodes just don't seem like enough to cover Kate's death and explore the events of Fly Away, this has always been showrunner Maggie Friedman's plan.
It's no secret Netflix has a bad habit of cancelling shows with multiple threads left hanging. Some of the latest casualties include First Kill, Warrior Nun, The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself and Fate: The Winx Saga, just to name a few.
Friedman simply wasn't prepared to that risk, so in order to ensure the story was told in its entirety, the decision to 'supersize' season two was made.
'Originally, season two was just going to be 10 episodes, but I was talking to one of the Netflix executives who’s been such a great champion of the show and said, "I know where the end of the story is,"' she told Glamour.
'"I know exactly what I want it to be. I just want to make sure that we get there and don’t end on a cliffhanger and then something happens and we don’t complete it." I wanted to make sure that I got to tell the full story.'
Netflix VP of drama series Jinny Howe added that Netflix wanted to honour Friedman’s overall plan for the series: 'She wanted to tell the story in the two books. This felt like the most special and best way to deliver the series to the fans of the show while honouring Maggie’s vision at the same time.'
So there you have it. Friedman didn't want us to suffer at the hands of another Netflix cancellation and for that we are eternally grateful. Even if it means we'll be sobbing into our pillows for weeks after.
And who knows? If Hannah decides to write a third book, which she hasn't ruled out, we might see a third season in the future.
The author was interviewed by No Apology Book Reviews in April 2021 and, when asked about her next book, she said: 'I have been doing a lot of publicity and the pandemic has knocked me for a loop. I am just now thinking about some things. I had originally seen Firefly Lane as the start of a trilogy. So, I will never say never about writing a third book.'
We'll have our pumpkin-spiced lattes at the ready.
Firefly Lane is available to watch on Netflix now.
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