With Netflix’s Firefly Lane ending and HBO Max’s Love & Death premiering, you’re in for quite the emotional—and thrilling—roller coaster this week. Both shows drop their episodes on Thursday and good luck picking what to stream first.
But let’s start with HBO Max’s Love & Death, which airs the first three episodes before going to one a week until the limited series wraps up on May 25. Trust me when I say this is the next Big Little Lies, which is no surprise given that prolific producer/writer David E. Kelley is behind both. BLL Emmy-winner Nicole Kidman is also an executive producer on the series, which stars Elizabeth Olsen (who gives the performance of her career), Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Tom Pelphrey and more. It’s about the true story of Candy and Pat Montgomery, and Betty and Allan Gore–two churchgoing couples enjoying their small town Texas life until an extramarital affair leads somebody to pick up an axe.
“I read this story and I thought, ‘Oh my God, if this wasn’t true, you absolutely could not make it up,’ Lesli Linka Glatter, who directs the bulk of the episodes and is also an executive producer, tells Glamour. ”Real life is by far stranger than fiction. And that story was filled with that.”
In case this story sounds familiar, you’re right. Hulu aired it first—in the form of the limited series, Candy, starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey—but in reality, Love & Death was two months into filming when Candy first went into production. Truth be told, it’s Love & Death that was worth the wait; from the writing to the production to the acting, this is the series you’re going to want to watch. “All I can say is that even if you’ve seen other things, it is approached in a really different way,” Linka Glatter says. “And there’s room for all kinds of storytelling. And this is a very different way to tell this story.”
Then there’s the final seven episodes of Firefly Lane, packed with surprises, tears, and one of the most emotional and well-done series finale episode I’ve seen. Sarah Chalke, who plays Kate Mularkey, tells Glamour that the final episodes are her personal favorites from the entire series. “I think you’ll cry, but you’ll also laugh and there’s juicy parts to it,” she says. “I loved the way that it came together and the way that it was ended. When you have a job that you’re lucky enough to do for a few seasons, it’s really cool when you read that last script. I thought it was really special the way it was written.”
