Grab your Nokias, butterfly clips, and flannel boyfriend shirts because it’s time to rewind to the early 2000s for season two of your favorite teen drama Cruel Summer. The hit series kicked off in April of 2021, and when the news of a second season was revealed, fans were overjoyed. We’d soon return to the exciting story of Kate and Jeanette, ready to discover the next chapter with the deeply unnerving story that exists between them, right?
Well…not exactly. Cruel Summer is back for a second season, but it’s an anthology series which means we’re being introduced to an entirely new playing field this time around. Gone are the days when the story took place in Skylin, Texas, with familiar faces and an already-developed setup. The powers that be are taking fans on a new journey instead, and you’re not alone if you are surprised by that fact. While the previews and social channels have certainly been teasing a new cast, some fans still thought we’d see Kate and Jeanette’s story in some capacity.
What we learned from the first two episodes of Cruel Summer‘s second season, however, is that while we would have loved to see what happened next for them, we’re even more interested to find out what’s going on between Megan and Isabella, and how their character progression goes from light to dark, hopeful to hopeless, and carefree to concerned.
So why did Cruel Summer become an anthology series? Just who are these new characters, and will we ever find out what the truth was between Kate and Jeanette? As usual, we’ve got you covered.
Why did Cruel Summer become an anthology series?
First things first, fans are curious as to why the series became an anthology instead of a continually unfolding story with the same familiar characters. In a recent chat with TV Line, that very idea was explored by those closest to the show, and it’s evident that they thought about the decision long and hard.
While fans recall that season 1 ended on quite a cliffhanger, it’s important to note that the decision to take the second season in a new direction wasn’t made lightly.
Cruel Summer executive producer, Michelle Purple, says that they knew that fans really loved the first season and the cast of characters, and they considered a continuation. Once they opened up a discussion, it was soon apparent that there needed to be a new storyline to follow. It was the best way for the series to continue to garner interest from excited fans once more.
“We took into big consideration [that] people really loved the cast in Season 1 and were connected to them. We actually opened up a room and discussed, ‘What does it look like to continue both these girls’ stories or one of these girl’s stories?’ Unfortunately, we didn’t find that it would have the legs it would have if we just did the anthology, and we really stepped back and we were able to look at the show — the three timelines, the dual perspectives, the mystery, the week-to-week who do you believe? — and [decided] that was something we could hold on to as the core of what Cruel Summer is and find a new story, two new characters to follow.”
Of course, another way that the story of Kate and Jeanette lives on is in the minds of those who followed them so closely; there are several avenues of stories that can be explored in our minds, in collective fan base social channels, and conversations between friends as we explore the next summer love and mystery story.
Don’t worry, though — for those of us who could have watched another season of Kate and Jeanette’s story, there will be a tie-in that relates back to season 1. Purple says you’re sorely mistaken if you think you’re getting spoilers for how.
“We’re playing in the same world in the sense of it’s just a few years later. So there’s a tie to Season 1, but we’re not going to tell you [what it is]! You guys have to find it!”
It looks like we’ll have to play detective as we watch each new episode with an intense sense of excitement and trust me, as someone who watched the first season more than once (or twice), the intrigue builds in season two from the very beginning. There’s the familiar level of what’s to come with the excitement of uncovering new characters and their exciting backstories, and you won’t want to miss a moment of it.
Who are the new characters?
With a new storyline in the Y2K window of growth in technology and an even more intense way of staying connected, the characters aren’t just different — they’re more intertwined.
Sadie Stanley, Griffin Gluck, and Lexi Underwood are the actors at the heart of the series this time around — playing three teenagers with lives so deeply interwoven that everything they experience together will be heightened and more intense. Stanley breathes life into Megan Landry, Underwood plays Isabella LaRue, and Gluck brings Luke Chambers to the silver screen; supporting characters include KaDee Strickland’s Debbie, Lisa Yamada’s Parker, Paul Adelstein’s Steve Chambers, and Sean Blakemore’s Sheriff Myer.
With the first two episodes of the series airing on June 5, fans have already been introduced to the lead characters and have begun the process of learning more about them; and you can call us intrigued. There’s something special about what the brains behind Cruel Summer piece together, and it’s perfectly portrayed by the cast who bring the intriguing story to life.
A significant component of this season that differs from the last is that while the characters start as strangers, they develop a close relationship, but it’s not one built easily. In a chat with Deadline, Stanley explained that Megan initially feels that Isabella has lived a privileged life, and she attempts to keep her at arm’s length when she comes to town.
“I think what it comes down to is just Isabella is everything that Megan isn’t and doesn’t identify with. She sees Isabella when she first comes [to town] as privileged. She’s had this amazing life, and she’s never had any problems, and she gets everything that she wants…she’s charming and magnetic. Megan just is just resistant to that. She doesn’t want to fall for that.”
Underwood says that Isabella actually feels like a bit of a fraud when she gets to Chatham, so the version of herself that Megan recognizes doesn’t exist. It’s an interesting dynamic to understand from the beginning.
“Over the span of 10 episodes, we get to see a young girl who’s doing her best to uphold this image or maintain this facade that she feels she’s had to put on due to her life prior to [Chatham]. I feel like there’s a lot of trauma that we get to unpack with Isabella. She has issues when it comes to attachment and when it comes to her need for validation. While Isabella has had everything that she wants, she hasn’t had everything that she needs. And while being in Chatham, I think that that’s the first time where she really discovers that what she needs is pure love, care, acceptance, validation and the space to just be vulnerable.”
In the first episodes, we’ve already seen love, life, death, and secrets to be uncovered — and we’ve still got a lot to experience with the talented new cast of Cruel Summer‘s second season. You can catch up with all things Cruel Summer on Hulu now, with new episodes airing on Freeform on Monday evenings. Here’s to more mystery, love, and skeletons in the closet.
