It’s still spring, but Freeform shows before back to a Cruel summer with the two-hour premiere on Tuesday of the twisted psychological thriller.
The series takes a nostalgic approach to its history over time: Episode 1 is told from Jeanette’s point of view on June 21, 1993 (both ’94 and ’95), while Episode 2 returns to Kate’s POV on June 26, 1993. June in the same three years. Now that we’ve established the show’s schedule, let’s recap in chronological order:
1993 | Jeanette (Tell me your secrets“Chiara Aurelia) is an awkward, sporty teenager who celebrates her birthday with her best friends Mallory (Super GirlHarley Quinn Smith) and Vince (PEN15Allius Barnes), who buys him a “You Go Girl!” necklace as a last minute gift. Jeanette’s mother (Gray’s anatomySarah Drew) notes that it looks cheap – but it turns out to be very important. (More on that later.)
Jeanette sees her beautiful popular schoolmate Kate (Cloak and daggerOlivia Holt) at a mall kiosk and, embarrassed, pretends to shop at the same stand. When Jeanette bursts out that it’s her birthday, Kate is surprisingly sweet and wishes her a happy day before she distinguishes herself with her hot boyfriend Jamie (Teen WolfFroy Gutierrez). Later, Jeanette, Mallory and Vince decide to stop an article from their list of summer things, which looks more like a compilation of daring. So he enters a house that Jeanette’s father (Lois and ClarkMichael Landes) just sold to the new deputy principal of the Martin Harris school (Parks and places to restBlake Lee), who almost catches them in the act. The rush to break the rules seems to go in the head of the good girl.
In the second episode, we discover that in the same year, Kate faces the revelation that her mother must maintain her appearances (Better Off Ted ‘s Andrea Anders) has an affair. The information sends Kate in a drunken tail, as she reaches the sidewalk in front of Martin’s house.
1994 | Jeanette – strapless and now has shiny, straight hair – is woken up for her birthday by Jamie, who is now her beloved. Kate has been missing for some time, and Jeanette has apparently taken over the blonde’s life, becoming friends with Kate’s friends after breaking up with Mallory and Vince. But when Kate is miraculously saved – Martin was holding her! “Jeanette’s new life is falling apart.” In a shocking moment, Jamie hits Jeanette, thinking he has something to do with Kate’s disappearance. Then, at the end of the first episode, we find out that Kate went on national television to say that Jeanette saw her when she was held captive, but did nothing to help her. “Jeanette Turner, I hope you rot in hell,” Kate says directly into the room as she plays Garbage’s “Bad Girl.” It’s a “gasp!” twist – but may it not be the truth?
In episode 2, rumors circulate about the city about Jeanette, but Kate has not yet entered the television with her accusation. (I think. #Timejumpproblems) Jeanette tells Jamie – who is back with Kate – that she hasn’t seen the other girl and suggests that maybe Kate’s trauma is responsible for the misunderstanding. Kate spies on the couple’s secret date and kiss. When Kate finally talks to the police, she pulls out “You Go Girl!” Jeanette’s. necklace to prove that Jeanette was really there. Hmmm… The police then ask him how well he knew Martin before the kidnapping. “Not good at all,” she replies.
1995 | Jeanette is now the ugliest person in the country and has an angry and vile haircut to go with her. She obsessively watches VHS news footage of Kate’s disappearance, while Jamie sits in his car outside his house, like a crawler. Her father – whose happy marriage seems to have broken down in the last two years – wonders if his daughter is sociopathic, and Jeanette’s lawyer advises her to be more pleasant.
Meanwhile, Kate is now dealing with grunge-y plaids and piercings and “Zombie” The Cranberries and has dropped her filter. She connects to a kidnapping victims’ chat room to ask what would happen if people knew she wasn’t fully honest. This question could be answered because Jeanette is suing Kate. While Kate watches the news announcement, the episode returns to her in a beautiful red dress, knocking on Martin’s basement door and asking him to open it. In 1995, Kate bursts into a primordial scream.
What did you think? Cruel summer? Rate it through the survey below, then click on the comments!