Throughout the entirety of Firefly Lane Sean Mularkey (Jason McKinnon) kept his sexuality a secret from everyone except for Tully (Katherine Heigl), here’s why he chose to remain in the closet up until the series finale and the fate of the Richard Firefly Lane character explained. There are several reasons why Sean remained in the closet. The biggest reason being fear of his family’s reaction, especially when Richard’s death was so symbolic of societal perceptions of homosexuality as dangerous, immoral, and deadly. Richard was revealed through a series of flashbacks in season 1, and the circumstances surrounding his death were only sheepishly revealed in the series.
Among other storylines of sexual assault, misogyny, miscarriage, and infidelity told through Firefly Lane‘s cast, Sean and Richard’s resonated as one of the most complex and devastating. Along the way, audiences were met with brief glimpses of his life as a closeted gay man serving in the military and loving Richard during one of the most tumultuous times for LGBTQIA+ people. Not much else is revealed about the Firefly Lane Richard character, other than that he was a loving partner to Sean, despite him being in the closet, and his death had a profound impact on Sean. Here’s what actually happened to Richard, and how it impacted Sean’s life.
What Happened To Richard In Firefly Lane
Firefly Lane encompasses three dominant eras/years: the 1970s, 1980s, and 2003, offering various flashbacks. During his teenage years, Sean was romantically involved with a childhood friend who went on to marry a woman. With this harsh realization that the world may not be prepared to accept gay people for who they are, he was drawn to the military. Once he began serving, Sean was able to explore his sexuality, leading him to fall in love with the Richard Firefly Lane character who supposedly died of a “rare cancer.” But this was not entirely the truth and it is largely indicative of why Sean chose to stay in the closet.
While not outright stated, it is likely that the Richard Firefly Lane character died due to complications with AIDS, which disproportionately affected gay men during the 1980s and led to social and political demonization of them. Sean remained in the closet to keep himself safe from scrutiny. When Sean speaks to Tully about Richard in Firefly Lane season 1, episode 8, “Mawaige,” he states that there is a “plague out there.” Due to the fact that he is deeply expressive of his love for Richard and how he must leave his old life behind because of this plague, he is likely speaking about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Sean no longer feels safe loving who he desires because of the new and, at the time, unpredictable and deadly disease that plagued Richard in Firefly Lane. When he chooses to remain in the closet, he does so for several reasons: fear of his family’s disapproval, being discharged from the military, and being socially stigmatized. Sean’s sister Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke) states that their parents are worried he’ll never meet the right girl. She overemphasizes it throughout the majority of their conversations about relationships in Firefly Lane. This instills in Sean that his parents will not accept him if he does not marry a woman, leading him to wed Julia.
Prior to their marriage, he tells Tully that, if he were to come out, he could be kicked out of the military — until 1993 when President Clinton instated the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, all gay men and women were barred from serving in the military. The social stigma of gay people during the 1980s was that they were all deviant sexual predators that were the primary carriers of HIV. Thus, Sean remained closeted to keep himself physically and emotionally safe from public scrutiny. When he comes out by the end of Firefly Lane season 1, it is winter of 2003, and he feels more secure in doing so.
How Richard Impacted Sean’s Life
Sean eventually comes out to his wife and parents in Firefly Lane season 2, but it took a long time to get to his journey of self-acceptance because of the Richard Firefly Lane character death. Jason McKinnon sat down with Tell-Tale TV to talk about his character’s biggest life choices. What first drew McKinnon to the role was Sean’s particular place in life, saying, “it was this character that was trying to find his place in the world — what did he want to do with his life versus what others may have wanted for him. I think a lot of people struggle with this right out of high school.”
The interview goes into Sean’s relationship with both Tully and his sister Kate. When the interviewer asked why Sean waited until 2003 to come out to his sister, he mentions a scene set in the ’80s between the two at the news station when Sean tries to pluck up the courage but ultimately decides not to. While the Richard Firefly Lane death could have something to do with this, he also cites parental connections with the siblings differing, in that “Sean [has] the sense that his parents see no wrong in Kate.” The interview then does move on to discuss the effect that Richard had on Sean.
“In terms of [the] story, the loss definitely propelled him into marrying and being with Julia,” McKinnon admits. It’s clear that the Firefly Lane Richard death had a huge impact on Sean, with even McKinnon stating that this is the case. Sean must have felt that being his true self would have dangerous and life-altering consequences. However, he does also state that coming out to Kate actually made them closer, as he stays with her when Julia kicks him out of the house after he comes out to her. In addition, the catalyst for Sean making his journey of self-discovery may have been spurred on by a conversation with her after Tully’s wedding.
Sean finally comes out to his sister while the two are discussing Kate’s divorce after Tully’s wedding. When Kate mentions that she’s jealous of his relationship with Julia, he feels compelled to tell the truth. “I would say for Sean seeing Kate vulnerable with him and telling him about the divorce, breaks down some internal barriers for him. And also the fact that she admits being jealous of [his] and Julia’s marriage and what they have helped push him to tell her the truth of the situation,” McKinnon admits. The Firefly Lane Richard death is deeply heartbreaking and definitively changed Sean’s character and journey for the rest of his life.
