Review: Firefly Lane

Netflix has really stepped up when it comes to content. I was so excited to see this new series, especially because it had so many episodes at an hour each. Binge-worthy is an understatement. This show features Katherine Heigl, whom I hadn’t really seen since “Grey’s Anatomy” and more recently, “Suits”. Her role is usually the hot blonde, and she usually has a troubled past that leads her to her success. Not surprisingly that is what she was in this show as well, however, it was refreshing to see that she wasn’t just this hot woman. She was a complex woman, with a very troubled past but she was so much more broken and with reason. I truly enjoyed her character in this, as the character had a very distinct goal and really went for it. Sarah Chalke plays her best friend since childhood. Sarah Chalke, the infamous Elliot Reed in “Scrubs”. I really enjoy her acting and have been so upset that I haven’t seen her more often. Her character was even more relatable to me, due to her going through a rough divorce with a child. I really have to make sure I say this again, I love Sarah Chalke, and she needs to be in more shows and movies.

Let’s talk plot. This story is told over the course of the character’s lives. It includes present-day, and flashbacks. These two women are trying to make it in the News World, and the story shows the upsides and downsides to this. The two best friends Kate (Sarah Chalke) and Tully (Katherine Heigl) basically transverse childhood and adulthood together in what seems to be a great friendship but as you look under the surface is actually extremely toxic. There are many moments where you are surprised at the amount of bullshit two girls go through to be friends, however, you also are heart warmed at the bond they share. They are more than friends, they are basically sisters and it is evident. I do want to say that if you are feeling like your best friend and you really relate to this story though, you may need to reexamine the toxic parts of that relationship. These types of relationships make for great television but are really stressful and awful for real life.

Tully’s story is one that isn’t unheard of. A mother who was absent and then even when she was around, wasn’t really there. Tully is the classic hot girl and for that, she experiences high school and life much differently than Kate. Due to this difference, the two form a bond when Tully is forced to move in with her mother on Firefly Lane. Hence, you know the name of the series. This series by the way is actually a pretty well know book series, and that is what the television series is based on (Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah).

Kate’s story is also pretty classic. She was always somewhat jealous of Tully and how pretty she was, and never felt she was as pretty. For that reason, Kate is somewhat more reserved and shy, and even though is just as funny and charming as Tully, Kate lives her life safer. Kate gets married and has a child, only to be in a messy and complicated divorce later. Her love story is also a pretty hazardous relationship and really not well thought out, however, it happens and you’re just taken for the ride. Her husband, or soon-to-be-ex-husband, and she do have a great on-screen chemistry that is really hard to deny. I just found myself rooting for them to bang, and then move on from each other if I’m being honest. The relationship was cute but I was over it. Kate was too good for him.

Overall, I really enjoyed the series and I’m really looking forward to the second season as I am so ready to see what happens next. The series ends on a lot of loose ends and I’d really like to know what happens to these best friends. I recommend this series if you want something that is hot, steamy, and makes you a little reminiscent of when life felt like you could grab it and ride it like a bull.

Disclaimer: There is quite a bit of intense material in the series from rape, to sexual harassment and miscarriages. I wanted to make this evident because I know that sometimes these things are hard to see even in a dramatic sense. I appreciated that these things were not overlooked, in fact, this is most women’s experience when it comes to trying to just grow up in high school or even make it in their careers. And this show does a great job of pointing it out.