Netflix’s Firefly Lane is a deep dive into the powerful friendship between Tully and Kate as they navigate everything from marriage and heartache to cancer and life-changing circumstances that tried desperately to break them.
Katherine Heigl breathes life into Tully Hart as Sarah Chalke takes on the role of Kate Mularkey, friends who have known each other for decades across the most formative years of their lives, standing as pillars of support and strength for one another. Of course, it’s not been all sunshine and rainbows; as anyone with lifelong friends can tell you, there are moments when life attempts to get the best of you, and having a best friend can help make it a lot better.
Of course, friendships are also tested from time to time, and Kate and Tully have been through their fair share of moments that they had to recover from, some they wondered if they’d ever see the other side of. Heigl spoke to PEOPLE about the series and its magic in the authenticity of the bond between the two women and their profound connection — even when it’s not easy.
“From Kate’s perspective, she can’t really speak her truth to Tully or be her strong self with Tully, that Tully takes over. And a lot of that feels, to me, very relatable and very honest in terms of our relationships with one another throughout this life.”
We won’t give away spoilers here, but there are many reasons that Kate feels unable to inhabit her most authentic self with Tully — and the reasons are so multifaceted that you’ve got to sit down and watch the series to understand them. You might think that a fear like that would negatively impact a bond, but that’s sort of the point. The relationship between Kate and Tully isn’t perfect — it’s real and comes with a lot of good, but also a healthy dose of moments that both women consider heartbreaking.
“It’s not some fairy tale version of female friendship. There is a lot of resentment under the surface. There is a lot of things that go unsaid. There is a lot of feeling.”
There being a lot of feeling between them makes sense; they’ve been friends since they were young, and they’ve done a lot of growing up together. The kind of love that builds from childhood and transforms as you reach adulthood can make it through anything, but that doesn’t mean it comes without ups and downs. In fact, it actually lends more to the fact that it’s a survivable kind of bond because it’s weathered so much already.
“Watching them love each other and struggle with each other, and then have all these fabulous memories and moments and time together, I think it speaks to all of us, and that’s what life is about, those relationships and those memories and those moments and how we deal with each other and how we continue to love each other despite disappointments and resentments and all of that.”
As we grow up, we quickly realize that the kind of friendships we most desire and strive to hold close to our hearts are the friendships that don’t require us to be specific versions of ourselves, instead allowing us to be every version of ourselves, the good and the bad. If you have friends, you can grow with, learn with, and love with — you’ve got relationships that will undeniably be life-long.
For Tully and Kate and all of their ups and downs, anything that dares alter them has another thing coming.
Heigl also took to social media to leave a love letter of sorts to her character, her co-stars and friends, and the countless fans around the world who have found relatable ground to stand on in the friendships they showcase.
If you’re a fan of Firefly Lane, you know the depth of the words Heigl wrote; the series does cause us to cherish our own friendships as we see Kate and Tully cherish one another. It’s a nod to the importance of making time for our people, honoring them, and honoring ourselves too.
The last episodes of Firefly Lane are now streaming on Netflix, so if you’re waiting to be caught up or watching for the first time — grab your tissues and cancel your plans this weekend; Kate and Tully are calling!