With the launch of Netflix on Wednesday Firefly Lane, we met future best friends Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey – played as adults by Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, respectively – as soon as they started to meet. The first was portrayed as always beautiful and outgoing, a star waiting to be born; the latter, bookish and reserved (as telegraphed by his ever-present glasses – short for TV for mice). However, they forged a relationship that lasted decades, at least until … dun brown DUN!
We will arrive at “dun brown DUN” in a bit – and give you the opportunity to assess whether you were as satisfied with meeting friends as they were with meeting each other. But first, let’s review what the debut revealed to us about the evolution of your friendship, right?
THAT WAS BEFORE … | For the sake of a straightforward, straightforward recap, instead of jumping back and forth over the decades as the series, I’m going to share “Hello Yellow Brick Road” in the ages where we spent time with Tully and Kate. First stop: 1970s. The pair met when Tully (Ali Skovbye) was transferred to the main avenue by his mother, the drugged hippie Cloud (Beau Garrett). For Kate (Roan Curtis), it was (platonic) love at first sight; at first glance, she realized that her new neighbor was as confident as she was beautiful. Tully, on the other hand, was less interested in the girl with glasses than his mother said it looked like she had just come out of an encyclopedia. But that was just a defense mechanism; Tully was ashamed of Cloud and the misery they lived in. Soon, she came to appreciate Kate’s innate goodness, even though Miss. did still send her away to flirt with the first handsome boy who appeared. Harbinger, anyone?
OK, THAT WAS THEN TOO JUST DIFFERENT | In the 1980s, Tully (now Heigl) was working to become a TV anchor. That is, she was slowly working towards that goal, toiling doing heavy work at the KPOC dead-end station. But she was at least dear enough by boss Johnny Ryan (Ben Lawson) who was able to force him to give Kate (now Chalke sporting a Farrah ‘do) what he called “the worst job on TV news. ”For her part, Kate was just as in love with the handsome Australian as she was with Tully; he practically had a wind machine sexually ruffling his hair when she first saw it. And following an assembly that could have come directly from 9 to 5, he seemed to have noticed that there was more to his new hire than he looked. She was not only good at the menial tasks assigned to her, but also an excellent text editor. That, and “you’re sweet,” he noted, “maybe also sweet by the news. “
Definitely too sweet for Tully. One night at a club, Kate confided to her best friend who was in love with the boss. Inside This one case, Tully said, she would consider Johnny off limits. But as soon as “Tainted Love” started to play, the three entered the dance floor and she left Kate almost invisible. Yes literally seconds after Tully promised to keep her hands off, she was letting the boss attack her and devouring her attention with a spoon. Whatever the female equivalent of the brother code was, she had broken it … along with Kate’s vulnerable heart.
… THIS IS NOW | Well now-ish. In 2003, Tully, at this point the host of a successful talk show called Girlfriend time, was so successful that he had to prepare a snack to make the trip from one end to the other of his palatial. But she was tired of doing makeover shows, Kate complained. She used to be a real journalist! (Was she?) Kate about to divorce, however, was about to reenter the job market for the first time in a long time. But no, she didn’t want Tully to speak well of her in Seattle Digest; she wanted to get her new job on her own merits, not because she had a famous friend. Of course, when a call to Marah’s daughter’s school principal’s office delayed Kate for the interview, she relented and played Tully’s card to get the job.
That night at Kate’s mansion – yes, mansion; much real estate porn on this show, damn it! – Tully assured his friend that no matter what Marah said, she was not responsible for separating her family. And maybe it was just the combination of Alprazolam and Merlot speaking, but Tully saw a real advantage in Kate’s divorce: after being with a guy for so long, “think about all the new penises you’re about to meet”. Erm … Later, Tully took his goddaughter Marah (Yael Yurman) to lunch to find out why she skipped class – and really made the young man admit that he had gone to Parenthood planned to take the pill like all his friends. Unfortunately, she needed an adult’s signature. Maybe Tully would give it to her her autograph? What if Marah promised to tell her mom if she was really thinking about having sex? What if So?
PAST AS A GIFT | Buying something to wear at a school gala she helped organize, Kate found Travis (Brandon Jay McLaren) … as soon as the salesman was bringing his first pair of Spanx. D’oh! Later, Kate begged Tully to be her date, but unfortunately, she was going to the premiere of a George Clooney movie. Hey, why don’t you come? Tully said. They could have a slumber party. When Kate refused her, Tully looked briefly as if she were thinking of jumping off the roof, then went out and picked up a hot rand (Jon Ecker) to crash against his refrigerated cellar. “So I’m Max, by the way,” he said later. “I didn’t ask,” she replied. Nor did she want him to be around. The only thing she wanted after midnight, she said, was a box of Krispy Kremes. OK then! On Kate’s gala night, Tully surprised her by appearing to be her date. “Tonight,” said Tully, “you are Cinderella and I am your prince.” As Kate bent down while finishing dressing up, Tully pulled her together – even going so far as to exchange dresses with her – and insisted that she was the real success: Kate had been brave enough to have a family. Tully, on the other hand, never had and never would.
At the event, we were treated to a replay of the 1980s scene, in which Tully stole Johnny from under Kate, only this time it was Travis who found himself intoxicated by the sexy movements on the dance floor. Gutted to see history repeat itself, Kate went home without worrying about telling Tully. And when she thought her night couldn’t get any worse, Kate discovered Marah’s planned Paternity form with Tully’s signature. At the same time, Tully went back to his penthouse to find a box of Krispy Kremes waiting for her. Soon, there was a knock on his door. Max? No – brown dun DUN! – Johnny. It it was Kate’s ex-husband! Tully tried to send him home to his family, but he said, “Alas, my whole life was a mistake.” So could he just be with Tully tonight? “I need you,” he insisted. D’oh! So, what did you think of the debut of Firefly Lane? Will you keep watching? Rate the episode in the poll below and get the comments right with your ratings. (While you’re here, you can also read our review.)