Whose funeral was at the end of Firefly Lane and did you see *that* coming?

The Firefly Lane funeral in the cliffhanger ending had viewers open-mouthed as they saw the drama take a truly shocking turn. The story of two friends, played masterfully by Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, has had viewers gripped as they navigate the ups and downs of life, from their childhood in the 1970s to their adult years working in TV journalism. Netflix’s success so far in 2021 has been astonishing, with hit period drama Bridgerton and thriller Lupin taking center stage. 

Now Firefly Lane’s blend of friendship, romance, and important life-lessons has captured viewers’ imaginations and has got us hoping for a Firefly Lane second season. Not least so we can finally know the answers to some pretty dramatic questions raised by the ending.

But when it comes to the ending, some viewers might still be asking themselves yet another all all-important question - whose funeral was it?

Warning: spoilers ahead! 

Whose funeral was at the end of Firefly Lane?

In the dramatic ending of Firefly Lane, we see the characters attend a particularly emotional funeral. Hints and details were given throughout the series in flashforward scenes, creating a level of mystery surrounding the funeral and whose it could be. When the final reveal comes, it may not be who you’d expect.

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It’s eventually confirmed that the Firefly Lane funeral is actually that of Kate’s father Bud. Bud’s cause of death is never mentioned explicitly, though during flashbacks viewers have glimpsed the aftermath of a heart attack Bud had in past.

A connection between the past and his death is not confirmed, though perhaps the audience is being invited to consider whether or not the events are linked. Until we receive confirmation of a Firefly Lane second season, it seems we might just have to form our own theories whilst we wait and see.

What did Tully do to Kate?

In perhaps the most shocking twist of all in the finale, close friends Tully and Kate are seen having an interaction unlike any we’ve seen from them before. In this flashforward, Kate turns Tully away from Bud's funeral, coldly asking: "When I said that I could never forgive you for what you did, what did you think that meant?" 

It’s clear that something has pushed their friendship to breaking point, though Firefly Lane season one never reveals what this could be. Here we might have to turn to Kristin Hannah’s book of the same name, on which the Netflix show is based, for some possible clues.

In the book, Tully and Kate’s falling-out comes after Tully invites Kate and her daughter Marah onto her show, The Girlfriend Hour. Whilst it seems that their relationship is about to be repaired, the segment turns out to be about overprotective mothers and Kate is horrified, feeling that she has essentially been branded a bad parent on TV.

Whether or not Netflix’s Firefly Lane will decide to follow this storyline remains to be seen. But with so many burning questions emerging after that dramatic final episode, we can only hope for a second season to be confirmed!