Tully Hart Marrying Johnny Would Have Been A Disaster — But Her Firefly Lane Ending Still Did Her Dirty

Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl) in Firefly Lane avoided disaster by not marrying Johnny Ryan (Ben Lawson), but that doesn't mean her ending on the show wasn't a disappointment. Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, Firefly Lane's two seasons on Netflix followed the long, winding friendship between Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke). From the 1970s, when they were teenagers, to their adulthood in the 2000s, the love and pain of their lives are shown in equal measure, and all through it, they always manage to find their way back to one another.

Throughout the series, Kate and Tully spend time sharing the main character spotlight in Firefly Lane, only for the end of the series to put most of its focus on Tully. Of course, the series is really about their love, and they are both equal partners in that. The questions at the end of season 2, part 2, however, are all about Tully. It's her ending that caps off Firefly Lane. The showrunners didn't exactly nail the landing, but they at least avoided making one major mistake.

The Wedding Dress Tease In Firefly Lane Season 2, Part 1 Was A Misdirection

The Teaser Was Set At Marah's Wedding, Not Tully's

Tully (Katherine Heigl) doing her makeup in Firefly Lane.

At the end of Firefly Lane season 2, part 1, after the credits, there's a time jump and a scene set sometime in the future where Johnny is dressed in a suit at what looks like a wedding. He's standing with Kate's brother Sean (Jason McKinnon) as the music kicks up in the background. Johnny looks tense and mentions to Sean that he's not sure why the bride is so late. The scene then jumps to Tully, who is wearing a distinctly white slip and when a knock comes, she says to give her a moment, the ceremony can't start without her anyway.

This seemed like a big hint that Tully and Johnny were getting ready to be wed in the future. Viewers had to wait for part 2 to learn what exactly was happening in that teaser scene. As it turns out, this was an intentional misdirect. It's not Tully and Johnny who are getting married, but Johnny's daughter, Marah (Yael Yurman). It's revealed in the finale that Tully's white slip was just a robe to wear while she gets ready for Marah's wedding. She's now sporting a maroon dress and helping her pseudo-niece get ready for her big day.

Tully helps Marah fix her veil, which was suggested to be Tully's in the teaser scene, and then, in a separate scene, is shown talking to Kate. When someone comes to knock on the door, she turns back to where Kate was, only for the audience to see she's gone. It turns out Kate died from her cancer, but she's with Tully at least in her memory. According to showrunner Maggie Friedman, the creatives intentionally made this as a misdirect (via TheWrap),

"We wanted to direct the audience a little bit and have them wonder, 'Is Tully going to marry Johnny? Is she gonna marry Danny? What’s happening? She just happens to be wearing a white slip because she's getting dressed. She gets dressed, and the veil is there behind her because it's Marah’s veil. We thought it would be fun to play with the audience's expectations."

Thank god it was just a ruse though, because a Tully/Johnny marriage would have been a disaster.

Tully Marrying Johnny Would Not Make Sense With Her Character Arc

Johnny And Tully Had Only A Minor Romantic History

Marah (Yael Yurman) with her bridesmaid getting photographed in Firefly Lane.

Tully marrying Johnny would just make zero sense for either character. Sure, Tully slept with Johnny, but that was years ago, and since that time, the pair have never shown a romantic interest in each other. The love story was always the platonic friendship between Tully and Kate. At this point, Tully is basically family with Kate's family. Marah even calls her "Aunt Tully" in that scene of Tully fixing Marah up for the altar. There would have been no need for Tully to suddenly be married to Johnny. She's already family.

It also would have been a strange decision to try and match the emotional reveal of Kate's death with Tully and Johnny getting married.

It also would have been a strange decision to try and match the emotional reveal of Kate's death with Tully and Johnny getting married. She inhabits the mother role for Marah just by being a friend of the family. Had the showrunners decided to pair Johnny and Tully, not only would it have come out of nowhere, but it would have almost suggested that Kate was somehow in the way of their love. Therefore, her death was necessary for their characters' true happiness, a strange idea to end the series on.

Danny And Tully Were Right For Each Other

Tully Learned To Open Up Thanks To Danny

Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke) smiling in a mirror in Firefly Lane.

Tully has always had trouble letting people in close to her, so when she began to open up to Danny Diaz (Ignacio Serrricchio), it signaled a maturity and necessary growth in her character. When it was revealed that she and Danny were still together at the end of Firefly Lane, it was a very welcome sight. Though it's not said if they are officially married, and Tully has previously said she never wants to marry, there is a distinctive gold band on her ring finger, noticeable when she's adjusting Marah's veil.

The pair could very well still be together, and in love, and have simply decided to remain unmarried. Danny brings out the best in Tully, and Tully the best in Danny, so when it was hinted that Tully might marry Johnny, it was doubly confusing. Tully had confessed her feelings for Danny to him, opening a part of herself she's rarely shown to anyone else. He was always the right decision for her, so whether they are married or not is unimportant, it's just good to see that they end the series together.

Tully Should Have Been The Focus Of The Firefly Lane Finale

Firefly Lane Did Tully A Disservice By Having The Finale Centered On Marah

Though deciding that Tully ends up with Danny rather than Johnny was a very good decision, Tully's end and the Firefly Lane finale still fall somewhat flat. That tease of Johnny and Tully preparing for a wedding was much more exciting than the actual reveal. The only thing good about the reveal is that it put to rest many fans' worst fears about the relationship. It was not exactly exciting or revelatory, it just confirmed expectations that many fans had before the teaser shook those expectations up.

Most fans probably would have preferred a major event for one of the main characters. Marah is certainly an important character in Firefly Lane, but Tully is undoubtedly a more critical part. It's a bit odd seeing her, and Kate, shunted to the side for Marah and a husband that isn't even revealed. It's an abrupt ending that sort of paints over the journey the audience has been following all this time. Kate and Tully do have a final conversation together, but Tully Hart could have used a little more love and attention in the Firefly Lane series finale.