Firefly Lane Season 1, Episode 8 recap: One marriage ends & another begins

In Firefly Lane Season 1, Episode 8, “Mawaige,” one marriage officially ends while another one begins. We get more insight into the tumultuous relationship between Kate and Sean.

Caution: The following article contains spoilers for Firefly Lane Season 1, Episode 8.

Okay, after watching this episode, I’m almost 99% certain that Sean will die between Episode 9 and 10. This entire episode is about reconciling Kate and Sean’s tenuous relationship. In the 1980s, Sean marries a woman named Julia. He asks Tully to give the speech because he and Tully remain close throughout their lives, primarily because she’s the only one who knows that he’s gay.

Honestly, this episode doesn’t paint Sean in the most sympathetic light. He treats Kate terribly throughout their childhood, on their wedding day, and even in the present. They can’t have a single conversation without Sean throwing in little jabs, backhands, compliments, and the like. The worst part is, Kate has genuinely never done anything to earn her brother’s scorn. He’s just been jealous of her since they were kids because she wasn’t gay, and he saw her as the “perfect” daughter.

Sean finally tells Kate the truth in the present, but it doesn’t feel like a real resolution to their relationship woes. That said, it does seem like Sean is struggling with genuine depression. He tells Kate that he often feels “empty.” I wish that this show could have spent more time developing Sean’s character because if this story goes in the direction, I think it’s headed, it could be quite meaningful.

As it stands, Sean has received very little screentime. Certainly not enough to make him as sympathetic as he could be especially given how he’s treated Kate throughout the show thus far. But let me not get too ahead of myself. We’ve still got two episodes left!

Firefly Lane Season 1, Episode 8 recap: Mutt & Kate break up.

Apart from the main attraction at Julia and Sean’s wedding, the event has some other important relationship moments in store. Mutt realizes that Kate is in love with Johnny, and she doesn’t deny it. Their relationship never clicked anyway, honestly. So they break up.

At this point in time, Tully is back with Chad again, too, and he is in love with her, but Tully can’t bring herself to say it back. She’s all “f**k love,” a feeling that follows her into adulthood.

Firefly Lane Season 1, Episode 8 recap: Tully & Max elope.

Max proposes to Tully after they spend another wild, sexy night together. It feels impulsive, but Max has his Abuela’s ring, so it’s obviously something he has considered for a while. It feels awfully fast. Tully, who isn’t sure she wants to get married, ever, and who has just come around to the idea of having her baby, hesitates to accept Max’s proposal.

But fate seems to intervene, throwing Chad into her path. Chad has long since moved on from Tully, gotten married, and popped out a few kids. Seeing Chad with a family of his own makes Tully realize that she’s happy and wants to marry Max. They elope, with just Kate and Sean in attendance and Johnny officiating the wedding.

After, Johnny and Kate finally sign their divorce papers to get everything squared away before Johnny can go to Iraq. Max and Tully rush home to enjoy their first night in marital bliss, but things quickly go sideways when Tully starts bleeding. It looks like a miscarriage, and the infamous blood-splattered wedding dress trope goes into effect.

Firefly Lane Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.