In many soapy, emotional, roller-coaster television shows like "Virgin River" and "This Is Us," the tumultuous relationships at the heart of the series are romantic. We spend episode after episode watching two people fall in love, grow apart, and find their way back to each other against all odds, and Netflix's heartwarming drama "Firefly No Hikari" focuses on the tumultuous relationship (opens in new tab) of two best friends (opens in new tab) over a 30-year period. opens in a new tab), adding a gentle twist to the genre by focusing on the relationship of two best friends (opens in a new tab) that spans over 30 years.

The series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as the adult versions of Tully and Kate, respectively, who have been inseparable since they became neighbors in the eighth grade on the titular Firefly Avenue. The 10 episodes of the first season span the ensuing decades, from the 1970s, when their friendship blossomed, through their college years in the 1980s, to their mid-life crisis in the early 2000s. While certainly an ode to the power and resilience of female friendship, it is also incredibly addictive television. [And while the first season of "Firefly" seems to end with Tally and Kate rebuilding their friendship, stronger than ever, that illusion is shattered in the last few seconds of the finale episode in an inexplicable showdown.

Yes, on May 26, 2021, Netflix announced the Season 2 renewal of "Firefly" with a video from the show's cast:

"We can't wait to continue Tally and Kate's journey with you," said Sarah Chalk.

Given the success of the show's first season, a second season was practically a given: according to Netflix, "Firefly Hikari" reached 49 million viewers worldwide in its first 28 days alone. Needless to say, the book based on the first season has a sequel, Fly Away.

Of course, the production schedule will depend on COVID protocols, the actors' schedules, and how quickly the show's writers are able to write another script, but it is possible that the second season of "Firefly No Hikari" will appear about a year after the first season. Netflix has a habit of putting out a second season on the one or two year anniversary of the end of the first season (think "You" or "The Haunting of Hill House").

The show received its first series order in February 2019, with casting beginning in the summer and filming between September 2019 and January 2020. So with the cast already in place and the writers probably already planning the next season's storyline, it would not be surprising if the cast and crew could build up another 10 hours within the next year, in time for an early 2022 debut. If all goes swiftly, Season 2 will air in February 2022.

According to leaked photos, the show began filming in October 2021; in November, Katherine Heigl wrote on Instagram: in the wonderful city of Vancouver, we are busy filming the second season of #Hotaru no Hikari, @netflix in 2022. It will air on @netflix in 2022, so stay tuned."

Quickly, many (many) unanswered questions left at the end of season 1 need to be answered in the new episodes. To name a few, is Johnny dead? And most importantly, what caused the fight between Kate and Tally at Bud's funeral. (Heigl's take on the latter, by the way (opens in a new tab): "There's no way Tally slept with Johnny. I don't think the friendship will return from that. I'll fight to the death to make sure that doesn't happen. ")

A significant portion of Hannah's novel, Firefly No Hikari, was omitted from the film adaptation of Season 1. The most important of the missing plot points is the death of a very important character, which dominates the end of Hanna's novel and sets the plot of the entire sequel, Fly Away.

However, no one knows for sure whether the second season will stick to the book and the sequel or deviate from them entirely. Showrunner Maggie Friedman told EW (open in new tab): "One of the things I enjoy is leaving some big moments from the books and being very true to them. About the plot of Season 2, she added: "I think it's going to be a great season. There's a lot of great music, fashion, cultural changes, and a lot of fun teenage years and growing up in the '70s. I think it's really interesting."

However, Friedman suggested that Cloud will play a larger role in Season 2. He said, "Bo [Garrett], who plays Cloud, is just fantastic.

In September, Netflix announced the new cast for the second season: India de Beaufort, Greg Germain, Jolene Purdy, and Ignacio Cericchio; according to Collider, de Beaufort is "a journalist in Seattle in 1985. She plays Charlotte. "According to Collider, Jarman has been cast as Benedict Binswanger, "a wealthy young man who decides to run for governor of Washington State in the 1980s." Purdy will play "a bright talent agent, someone everyone wants to have in their corner," and Sericchio will play "an arrogant sportscaster-turned-reporter who becomes the love interest of Tully, played by Heigl."

Actress Ali Skovbye, who plays Tully's younger self, agrees with Friedman. When asked about the plot of Season 2, she told Collider (open in new tab): "I would love a real 1970s house party. That's my dream." As for Roanne Curtis, who plays young Kate, she said, "I want Kate to portray a love story. I think it would be really cute and cool if it was a story where Kate has her first relationship with a boy in a kind of awkward first meeting, first date kind of way, and Tully helps her out."

As for whether Johnny will appear in Season 2, actor Ben Lawson, who plays him, told "Hollywood Life" (opens in new tab), "I don't know if he's going to be in the show. But so far we've deviated a little bit from the book, so I don't know what they're planning." He added of Tully and Kate's falling out: "It's such a strong women's show, I don't think anyone wants to see a man tearing his friends apart. So I think it has something to do with Marla."

Heigl is ready to step back into Tully's shoes for at least another season or two, and with her star status and executive producer credit on "Firefly" her opinion definitely has a lot of clout at Netflix. She told The Washington Post (opens in new tab) that she is "keeping her fingers, toes, and everything crossed" that the series will last at least three seasons.

Friedman agrees. 'I want to keep telling that story, and those actors are very good.'

Watch "Firefly" on Netflix (opens in new tab)