Critic Reviews

It’s impressively breezy for something that pulls in stories of rape, cancer and suicide. That ability to maintain an emotional and aesthetic levity at all times, even amid hefty themes, is something these kinds of shows do incredibly well. They don’t often get enough credit for that. Even if we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic, Firefly Lane’s cosy gentleness would be something to be thankful for.

Even if melodrama isn’t your thing, you have to bow down to these performances. Netflix Firefly Lane is irresistibly addictive, even for the hardest of hearts — even if it definitely falls into the predictable pitfalls of the genre.

The series is as engaging as a juicy book read curled up on some shabby couch in a rented cabin, a random object found on the shelf and opened merely to pass the time until it becomes something more: a genuine, if mild, passion.

Firefly Lane can be soapy and sappy, but it’s a fun ride full of humor and high stakes relationship drama. Heigl and Chalke are invested in their characters and they sell the friendship at the heart of the story.

Based on the novel by Kristin Hannah, “Firefly Lane” is so efficient it nearly takes the guilt out of guilty pleasure.

If you drop in for a visit, you'll probably be inclined to keep the lights on until the end.

“Firefly Lane” will likely have hooked viewers, thanks largely to Heigl and Chalke, who are great separately and even better together. ... It’s easy to care about these women, and easier to care about their friendship. There’s nothing wrong with some healthy, soapy melodrama and a little sentimental hokum in one’s viewing diet.

While the plot can be hysterical and the styling is off the wall, the central friendship is not just believable, but also endearing. Thanks to specific, detailed character arcs that feel true to Tully and Kate; grounded lead performances, from Skovbye and Curtis as well as Heigl and Chalke; and surprisingly decent dialogue, the genuine warmth at its core is palpable. Like the wedge of cheese it is, Firefly Lane goes down easy with a glass of wine.

Careens back and forth between three main timelines with such frequency and often with such heavy-handed stylistic touches, it actually undercuts the dramatic impact of this well-made, well-acted and well-intentioned emotional rollercoaster of a story.

Heigl and Chalke both give compelling performances, but they are hampered by the show’s circular structure. ... The show truly fumbles when it tries to take on bigger issues. ... The strongest part of the show is the ones with the girls as teens in 1974. Skovbye and Curtis have a natural rapport, and their narrative moves forward in delightful and compelling ways.