Katherine Heigl is reflecting on the impact of the hit Netflix show Firefly Lane now that the story has come to an end.
Heigl starred in both seasons of Firefly Lane alongside fellow actress Sarah Chalke.
Together the actresses transformed into lifelong friends, Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey, as they navigated life’s ups and downs.
When the first season dropped in 2021, viewers immediately resonated with both characters and their tumultuous friendship.
The deep reliability of the characters carried into the show’s second (and final) season, which ended on a highly emotional note.
As it turns out, it was completely intentional, and Katherine Heigl broke down why the series was ultimately so successful.
Note: The following article may contain spoilers for Firefly Lane Season 2.
Katherine Heigl talks about Firefly Lane Season 2 and the reality of friendship
Throughout Firefly Lane’s two seasons, viewers watched the friendship between Tully (Heigl) and Kate (Chalke) unfold over the course of decades. From the ’70s all the way through to the mid-2000s.
“It’s not some fairytale version of female friendship,” Heigl explained to People. “There is a lot of resentment under the surface. There is a lot of things that go unsaid. There is a lot of feeling.”
Season 2 was full of turmoil and put a serious strain on the longtime friends after Tully (Heigl) ended up in a car accident with Kate’s (Chalke) daughter.
The two women managed to repair their friendship before facing their next major hurdle when Mularkey ended up being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
However, the diagnosis didn’t magically heal all of their emotional wounds. In fact, according to Heigl, Tully’s intense personality continued to leave Kate unable to “speak her truth.”
“…A lot of that feels, to me, very relatable and very honest in terms of our relationships with one another throughout this life,” Heigl added.
Katherine Heigl shares why she believes Firefly Lane resonated so deeply with viewers
In the same interview, Katherine continued to share that although there is a “connection between these two women,” there was still plenty of pain between them.
She noted that it was the underlying resentment and conflict within their complex friendship that made them so relatable to viewers.
“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,” Heigl stated.
Heigl continued to share her perspective of what “life is all about,” including making memories and absorbing special moments.
“…and how we deal with each other and how we continue to love each other despite disappointments and resentments and all of that.”