Cruel Summer is a TV show on Freeform (viewable on Hulu) that follows two teenage girls in the fictional town of Skylin, Texas through an awful tragedy. The ten episodes of season one go through the years 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Fans of the series Cruel Summer had many theories about what was going to happen on the show, even before learning what happened on the Cruel Summer season one finale.
However, there were a couple of theories that seemed a little too spot-on. The real question is: did the fans figure out the plot of the show already, even though a second season is upcoming?
The Main Plot Of 'Cruel Summer'
The series follows one of the main characters, Kate Wallis, as she suddenly disappears. The other main character, Jeanette Turner, seems to take over Kate’s life as the popular girl.
Then after Kate is found alive a year later, she accuses Jeanette of knowing she was held hostage yet failing to report her abduction. Jeanette quickly became one of the most despised people in the nation.
Throughout the series, there are many subplots including fractured families, friendships, and shifting relationships between people in the town. Serious topics involved include sexual abuse, violence, drug use, and emotional abuse.
Yet the series takes its content seriously; each episode has multiple disclaimers to warn viewers against watching the sensitive content, and each episode concludes with advice on where to get help.
The people of Skylin are forced to choose sides yet find it difficult to know which girl’s story to believe. Luckily for fans of the show, Cruel Summer has already been renewed for a second season.
Cruel Summer's Cast List Thrills
The series draws strength from the strong personalities of its players. Olivia Holt plays the role of Kate Wallis, but this wasn't Holt's big break; she's previously appeared in various Disney Channel shows, among other projects.
The award winning Chiara Aurelia plays Jeanette Turner. The role of Martin Harris is played by Blake Lee, while Froy Gutierrez plays Jamie Henson. Harley Quinn Smith, a fan-favorite, plays Mallory Higgins — and fans can't get enough of the actress' backstory.
There is a wide variety of people and personalities that shine throughout the series.
These roles were particularly difficult to play because while there is character development throughout the episodes, since each episode covers three different years, and they are told from both of the main character's points of view, the characters constantly seem to change, even if just in minor ways.
Fans should be on the lookout for the actors slightly changing their performance to better suit the characters as the years progress.
Fans Had Countless Theories About 'Cruel Summer'
There were a lot of fan theories that popped up after the show was released. Once fans had binged the show, a lot of theories popped up claiming to be right or that they had guessed the plot of Cruel Summer, before a second season was ever announced.
The theory was that Kate saw Jeanette at the house, but Jeanette never saw Kate. Several fans think that this is part of the reason that Kate came back incredibly angry at Jeanette. It is believed that there was possibly a two-way mirror in the basement, with Kate being able to see Jeanette, but Jeanette could not see her.
So with the belief that Jeanette saw her and said nothing, along with seeming to take over her life, Kate came back incredibly angry at her classmate. Yet there was one moment at the very end of the finale to season one of Cruel Summer that dispels all possibility of the theories being correct.
'Cruel Summer' Fan Theories Pre-Finale
While that may be one of the biggest and best theories, there are several other ones also believed by many other fans. Fans are well known for making theories, but there are some really awesome ones that explain little things throughout the series Cruel Summer.
Some of these more popular theories include that Kate created Annabelle due to trauma, Martin blackmailing Jeanette, Kate having stolen Jeanette’s necklace, the fact that Kate and Martin were "dating" before the kidnapping, and Mallory having set Jeanette up.
Of all those theories, by the end of the first season, it seemed clear that at least one of the theories was true (Martin 'grooming' Kate and "dating" her). But for many, the finale dashed all hopes of seeing Jeanette rise as a victim whose innocence is finally recognized.
Season One's Finale Confirms One Theory
Many fans were miffed at the conclusion of the then-presumed final episode of Cruel Summer. While fans are now awaiting a second season, some missed the final moments of the last episode... And there was a spoiler.
In the final scene, after the credits, when most viewers have clicked away to visit Reddit and speculate more about the plot (and the lack of a neat tie-up at the end), Jeanette reappears.
In the last few seconds of the episode, Jeanette hears Kate's cries inside Martin's house, reaches for the doorknob to the basement, and stops. She doesn't touch the knob, and she smiles.
It's hard to tell when the moment happens, though it seems like it's early on in Kate's captivity. Based on Jeanette's behavior in the clip, it's clear that she lied about not knowing Kate was in Martin's house.
Which suggests that Kate's accusations were spot-on, and that fan theories that said Jeanette was just a really convincing sociopath might be true after all. Of course, fans will have to tune in to the long-awaited second season to find out for sure!
