Freeform: Cruel Summer Discussion Thread (may include spoilers if you haven't seen episodes).

[xtr]

I decided to put this over here, because I think it's on Hulu too. But I watched the first two episodes this morning. I think this is a pretty good show and I wanted to create a discussion thread for anyone else that is watching it/will watch it.

 

https://www.freeform.com/shows/cruel-summer/video/most-recent/vdka22652032

 

Here is a link to watch the first two episodes free if you'd like. Feel free after watching it to discuss you thoughts and speculations here about the mystery on this show:

 

https://www.freeform.com/shows/cruel-summer

 

 

Here are some of my thoughts/some discussion regarding the first two episodes.

 

I like that that this show is set during a certain era/decades I have enjoyed shows like that in the past especially Fox's Reunion. Reunion was set over the course of like 20 years from like 1986-2005. It was a good show that showcased how the lives and stories developed for the cast of characters that started out as teens, but it was cancelled after one season. I like how Cruel Summer is set over the course of three summers in the 90's (93-95) and how two different teens lives are turned upside down when one is abducted, remerges and accuses the other teen of not helping her.

 

I think that the two teen female leads are doing a good job so far of portraying their characters. Especially the young actress Chiara Aurelia that plays Jeanette. I think she does a good job of making Jeanette sympathetic, and multidimensional as she goes through three very different changes as a person over the course of the three summers. I initially thought I wouldn't be that sympathetic to Jeanette and that maybe she is guilty of what the other young lady Kate accuses her of. But after watching the show I can definitely see her side of things and wonder if Kate is bending the truth about some things.

 

I also like Olivia Holt as Kate, the pretty popular teen that was abducted. I think that she is doing a nice job as well in her role and I like that Kate isn't a stereotypical mean girl. She is genuinely likeable and friendly and I believe that under other circumstances her and Jeanette could have been friends. The show jumps between the three years but I like how they do it and don't find it jarring. Plus the different moods/different stylings of the girls help people determine what year it is relatively quickly. I also like the nostalgia of how things were in the 90's especially since I grew up during that decade. 

 

I do have questions right off the bat like what happened to Jeanette's mom and if Kate had some sort of friendship with her abductor before she was abducted. I don't think it's as cut and dry as he just abducted her. I think she may have been building a friendship with him and he became/grew more obsessed with her.  I have some other questions as well like where did Jeanette's mom go? She's not there in summer 95, but her dad has a new lady, played by Brooklyn Sudano. I am interested in seeing where this show goes and how some of the questions end up being answered.

Edited April 21, 2021 by xtr

[victoria foxton]

Just watched the first two episodes. The mystery of Kate's kidnaping is engrossing. Did Jeanette's have a role in Kate's abduction?  How did she befriend Kate's friends? How did she dissociate herself from her friends? What horrors did Kate go through? Both girls are written as complex individuals. Froy Gutierrez and Michael Landis are HOT.

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Edited April 22, 2021 by victoria foxton

[xtr]

I agree victoria foxton (for some reason I am unable to quote  your post) that both girls are interesting and have layers to them. I think that Jeanette in particular is very interesting and I am really enjoying the young actress's portrayal of her. I also wonder what role Jeanette plays into things. I don't think she orchestrated Kate's disappearance. I do wonder if maybe she noticed that Kate was getting closer to Martin the principal and maybe didn't reveal that information to other people including the police. I think that Kate/Martin ended up developing some type of relationship. I wonder if it started out as a friendship and he became obsessed with her wanting, more and held her captive after she rejected him.

 

I do think they had some sort of bond that went south. Maybe Jeanette saw them spending time together a few times, but never told anyone about that after Kate disappeared. I also think that Jeanette enjoyed getting with Kate's boyfriend, bonding with her friends, and didn't like those relationships being threatened after Kate reappeared. I think that reasons like these may be why she's coming off as suspicious. I also wonder why she took up with Kate's friends and why she abandoned her old friends. Kate's friends seemed a bit snobby (though Kate is nice), so I wonder what led to Jeanette befriending them and vice versa. And especially turning her back on her old friends, who really cared about her, especially Vincent. 

 

As far as Kate goes, I think she may not completely be telling the truth about when she possibly saw Jeanette and/or her relationship with Martin. I think she did end up having some sort of relationship with Martin, but maybe is ashamed to say that (even if it was only friendship on her end), due to him abducting, torturing her. I also wonder what the story is behind her finding Jeanette's bracelet. I think she may have found that bracelet after she was rescued but might be telling people a lie about when she found it. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by xtr

[victoria foxton]

Vincent & Ben are so adorable. 

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Edited April 30, 2021 by victoria foxton

[GregB1104]

I've looked at multiple blogs and I think I'm the only one who noticed this. Pay close attention to Kate as the show jumps around to different years. Notice Kate before the abduction and after. Look at her hair part. One Kate has her part almost directly in the center of her head. While the other Kate has her part above the outside of her left eye. It's two different people. Twins with their hair parted in different locations on their head playing two different Kate's. A person can't change where their hair is parted. It's growing out of their head!

In some episodes, they will show the top of Kate 1's head and immediately show the top of Kate 2's head in the next scene. They are trying to show us it's not the same person. The Kate who disappeared is not the Kate that came back.