Firefly Lane vs Sweet Magnolias: Which Friendship Drama Is Better?
Both Firefly Lane and Sweet Magnolias are dramas on Netflix about female friendship. In the former, Kate (Sarah Chalke) and Tully (Katherine Heigl) have been best pals since high school and help each other through decades of highs and lows. In the latter, Maddie (Joanna Swisher Garcia), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot), and Helen (Heather Headley) live in Serenity and get together often for laughter and drinks.
When comparing the two TV dramas, it's clear that both have their strong suits and they are quite different from each other. While both Firefly Lane and Sweet Magnolias are an enjoyable weekend binge-watch, they offer a unique viewing experience.
10 Firefly Lane: The Complexities Of A Long-Term Friendship
While some changes were made to bring Kristin Hannah's book to the screen, one thing that stayed the same was the decades-long friendship between Kate and Tully.
This show excels in explaining the complex nature of a friendship that lasts for decades. When they met as teenagers, Kate was a dorky, smart girl with a loving family and Tully's addicted mother neglected her. They went into journalism together and by their 40s, Kate was getting divorced and entering the workforce again while Tully was exploring the idea of finding love and becoming a mother. Tully often acted needy and like she couldn't do anything without Tully, and Tully sometimes struggled to find her own inner strength.
9 Sweet Magnolias: A Feel-Good Show With No Drama Between Friends
The three friends on Sweet Magnolias are sweet and good to each other. They like "pouring one out" and talking about their days while enjoying some drinks, and it's clear that they offer each other a lot of support.
While Firefly Lane has many good points, Sweet Magnolias is for those looking for a feel-good show. The friends don't have much conflict, as they are the best parts of each other's lives and they want the best for each other. Kate and Tully were often in competition over the affection of Kate's family and their boss Johnny (Ben Lawson), but Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue had a totally pure bond without this kind of drama.
8 Firefly Lane: Creative Storytelling Across Three Time Periods
Firefly Lane is special because the storytelling is creative and different. Viewers see Kate and Tully across three different time periods: while teenagers in 1974, as young adults in journalism in 1982, and as grown-ups in their 40s in 2003.
This makes the show much more compelling than Sweet Magnolias, as it's both entertaining and meaningful to see the friends in these three different times. When they were young, Kate let Tully take the lead, but in 2003, Kate was the strong one supporting Tully as she picked up the pieces of her messy life.
7 Sweet Magnolias: Missed Dreams And Opportunities
Something that Sweet Magnolias does very well is showing characters who didn't get a chance to follow their dreams or grab a chance that came their way.
During her marriage to Bill (Chris Klein), Maddie was the 'perfect' wife and mother, but what does she really want out of life? Helen was always in love with Ryan (Michael Shenefelt) but they let life get in the way and missed the opportunity to really be together. This is a relatable aspect of the show as many people have goals that they wish they had pursued.
6 Firefly Lane: Deep Issues From Assault To Sexuality To Miscarriage
In the second episode of Firefly Lane called "Oh! Sweet Something," a teenage Tully went to a party with a senior named Pat. He raped her while she was drunk - a horrible and tragic moment. This is the catalyst for Tully and Kate's long friendship, as Tully told Kate what happened and Kate offered her love and support.
The show also deals with sexuality, as Tully learned in high school that Kate's brother Sean (Jason McKinnon) was gay. Sean wasn't ready to tell his family and he married a woman and had children. In the season one finale, he told his wife the truth and then confided in Kate. In the present time period, Tully had a miscarriage and wondered whether she wanted to become a mother. While Sweet Magnolias is a great show, it doesn't delve into such serious topics.
5 Sweet Magnolias: The Pain Of Divorce While Living In A Small Town
While small towns are often the setting for a scary scene, they are the perfect location to tell the story of a woman starting over after a bad divorce.
Sweet Magnolias does a great job showcasing how tough it is for Maddie to divorce Bill after he cheats on her with Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears). If they lived in a big city, this would have been a very different experience, but since they live in the small town of Serenity, everyone knows their business and tries to get involved. The gossip mill is very active and when Maddie starts dating Cal, people stare at her all the time. This is something that this show does well, as it's an important part of Maddie's story.
4 Firefly Lane: Painting A Realistic Picture Of Journalism
Tully felt she was born to be a star and she had big dreams to become a TV news broadcaster. Kate was always smart, focused, and organized, and she was along for the ride, excited about becoming a producer.
Firefly Lane paints an intelligent and realistic picture of journalism over the decades. When the friends were young, they worked at a TV news show and wished that they could tell more important and meaningful stories. The show also talks about the sexism that Tully experienced, especially with a network head who would only offer her a hosting job if she slept with him. He bought her show The Girlfriend Hour in 2003 and tried to pull another power play on her, making a conceited and sexist jerk her new co-host. Tully decided to go off on her own.
3 Sweet Magnolias: Juicy Love Stories
The love stories on Sweet Magnolias are juicy, exciting, and entertaining, and fans couldn't stop hoping that Maddie and Cal (Justin Bruening) would get together.
Sometimes it's fun to sit back, relax, and watch a TV show that features some romance, and that's exactly what fans found here. Sure, there's romance on Firefly Lane, but the relationships between Kate and Johnny and Tully and Max (Jon-Michael Ecker) are so charged with pain and suffering that it takes a bit of the fun out of them.
2 Firefly Lane: Perfect Music And Gorgeous Settings
The music in Firefly Lane is perfectly placed and also very emotional. A good TV drama often has montages set to a song and that's definitely the case here.
One of the best songs is Carly Simon's "Coming Around Again," which has lyrics about a baby crying and a mom tired of her domestic life but in love with her partner. This song was used to tell the story of Tully's pregnancy and it was so beautiful. Another flawless tune was Kate Bush's famous "This Woman's Work" which is always atmospheric when used in a TV show or movie. Firefly Lane also has incredible settings, from Kate's mansion complete with a massive kitchen and huge outdoor space, and Tully's huge apartment with a great view of Seattle. Serenity on Sweet Magnolias is great, but it's no match for these epic homes.
1 Sweet Magnolias: A Cliffhanger Ending In Season 1
The season two premiere of Sweet Magnolias should answer a lot of questions that fans have and there are some storylines that could be included.
There was a wild cliffhanger in the season one finale, as Kyle (Logan Allen) got into a car wreck but no one knows who else was in that car. While Firefly Lane ended on two cliffhangers, as fans wondered if Johnny survived and why Tully and Kate weren't friends anymore, the end of Sweet Magnolias felt a bit more urgent and interesting.
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