Cruel Summer (TV series) explained

Creator:Bert V. Royal
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:20
Runtime:42–45 minutes
Network:Freeform

Cruel Summer is an American teen drama mystery thriller anthology television series created by Bert V. Royal. The first season follows two teenage girls in the mid-1990s and the repercussions on everyone's lives after one disappears and the other seemingly takes her place. The second season follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship between two girls in 1999 and 2000.

The series premiered on Freeform on April 20, 2021. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered at the ATX Television Festival on June 2, 2023, ahead of its broadcast premiere on Freeform on June 5, 2023. In December 2023, the series was canceled after two seasons.

Overview

Season 1: Jeanette and Kate

The first season takes place between 1993 and 1995 in the fictional town of Skylin, Texas, and follows two teenage girls: Jeanette Turner and Kate Wallis. Sweet, socially awkward Jeanette blossoms after beautiful, popular Kate disappears without a trace, with Jeanette even going as far as adopting various aspects of Kate's life. Over a year later, Jeanette becomes nationally despised after Kate is rescued alive and accuses Jeanette of witnessing her abduction but failing to report it. As a legal battle ensues, families and friends must determine who is telling the truth; however, Jeanette and Kate may be hiding something.

Season 2: Megan, Isabella, and Luke

The second season takes place between 1999 and 2000 in the fictional town of Chatham, Washington, and follows three teenage friends: Megan, Isabella, and Luke. Megan, an aspiring coder, and her family welcomes Isabella, a foreign exchange student, into their home for a year. Megan and Isabella develop a friendship that quickly becomes complicated when both become romantically involved with Luke, Megan's childhood best friend. Within months, things unravel quickly when a leaked sex tape results in Megan and Isabella becoming prime suspects in Luke's murder.

Cast and characters

Main (season 1)

Recurring (season 1)

Main (season 2)

Recurring (season 2)

In addition, Jenna Lamb co-stars as Lily Landry, Megan's younger sister.

Episodes

Season 2 (2023)

Production

Development

On September 25, 2019, Freeform gave Last Summer a pilot order.[4] On January 17, 2020, Last Summer was picked to series. The series was created by Bert V. Royal who was also expected to executive produce alongside Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, and Max Winkler who also directed the pilot. The production companies involved with the series are Entertainment One and Iron Ocean Productions.[5] On May 18, 2020, Last Summer was retitled as Cruel Summer.[6] On June 15, 2021, Freeform renewed the series for a second season.[7] On July 6, 2021, it was reported that Royal has exited the series after the pilot after disagreements with a network executive.[8] On April 21, 2022, Elle Triedman was named as the new showrunner for the second season, replacing Tia Napolitano who boarded the series after Royal left. However, Napolitano is set to remain as an executive producer. It was also reported that the series is an anthology series. On December 8, 2023, Freeform canceled the series after two seasons.[9]

Casting

On November 13, 2019, Michael Landes, Brooklyn Sudano, Harley Quinn Smith, Chiara Aurelia, Mika Abdalla, Froy Gutierrez, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, and Nathaniel Ashton were cast in series regular roles.[10] By May 18, 2020, Olivia Holt had replaced Mika Abdalla.[6] On October 30, 2020, Sarah Drew joined the cast in a recurring role.[11] On March 11, 2021, Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain, and Nicole Bilderback were cast in recurring roles.[12] On April 21, 2022, Sadie Stanley, Eloise Payet, Griffin Gluck, KaDee Strickland, Lisa Yamada and Sean Blakemore joined the cast in starring roles while Paul Adelstein was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[13] On April 27, 2022, Lexi Underwood joined the series, replacing Payet in a recasting.[14] On May 6, 2022, Braeden De La Garza, Nile Bullock, and Jenna Lamb were cast in recurring capacities for the second season.[15]

Music

Besides Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman serving as the main composers,[16] the series heavily relies on a 1990s-inspired soundtrack.[17]

Filming

The first season of Cruel Summer was filmed over six months in Dallas, Texas.[18] The second season began filming on April 21, 2022, and concluded on September 7, 2022, in Richmond, British Columbia.[19]

Broadcast

The series premiered on Freeform on April 20, 2021.[20] Following its premiere at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, on June 2, 2023,[21] [22] the second season premiered on Freeform on June 5, 2023, with two new episodes.[23]

Reception

Critical response

Cruel Summer received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 94% based on 33 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Though it may have a bit too much going on, Cruel Summer delicious twists and delightful turns from its young stars are never less than entertaining."[24] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 15 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25]

Saloni Gajjar of The A.V. Club gave the first season a B and wrote, "Cruel Summer manages to overcome its convoluted storytelling because it finds interesting, grounded ways to explore the impact of society's expectations of these young girls, and how their town and own families contribute to the pressure they face."[26]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 69% based on 9 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[27] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

Ratings

On April 30, 2021, Cruel Summer was the most-watched overall series debut ever on Freeform with an average 3.81million total viewers across multi-platforms for its first week.[29]

Season 2

Accolades

2021Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Dramadata-sort-value="Aurelia, Chiara"Chiara Aurelia[30]
data-sort-value="Holt, Olivia"Olivia Holt
Best Cable Series, DramaCruel Summer
2022Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Actress in a Drama SeriesChiara Aurelia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cruel Summer Bios. Disney General Entertainment Content Press. February 28, 2021. March 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320144603/https://www.dgepress.com/freeform/shows/cruel-summer/bios/. live.
  2. Web site: Cruel Summer: The 10 Best Characters On The Show. Screen Rant. Devon. Hansen. May 25, 2021. June 7, 2021. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608013659/https://screenrant.com/cruel-summer-freeform-best-characters/. live.
  3. Web site: Cruel Summer Bios. Disney General Entertainment Content. June 6, 2023. March 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320144603/https://www.dgepress.com/freeform/shows/cruel-summer/bios/. live.
  4. Web site: Freeform Orders Last Summer Drama Pilot From Bert V. Royal, Jessica Biel, Max Winkler & eOne. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. September 25, 2019. May 19, 2020. December 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211220045857/https://deadline.com/2019/09/freeform-orders-pilot-last-summer-drama-thriller-bert-v-royal-jessica-biel-michelle-purple-max-winkler-eone-1202744316/. live.
  5. Web site: Last Summer: Freeform Picks Up Jessica Biel-Produced Thriller To Series – TCA. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. January 17, 2020. May 19, 2020. January 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129163445/https://deadline.com/2020/01/last-summer-freeform-picks-up-jessica-biel-thriller-to-series-1202834155/. live.
  6. Web site: Last Summer: Olivia Holt Set As Lead In Recasting, Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Series Gets New Title. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. May 18, 2020. May 19, 2020. May 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200524091419/https://deadline.com/2020/05/last-summer-olivia-holt-cast-lead-recasting-freeform-series-cruel-summer-new-title-jessica-biel-1202937333/. live.
  7. Web site: Cruel Summer Renewed for Season 2. TVLine. Vlada. Gelman. June 15, 2021. June 15, 2021. June 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618091740/https://tvline.com/2021/06/15/cruel-summer-renewed-season-2-freeform/. live.
  8. Web site: Cruel Summer Creator Bert V. Royal Exits Freeform Drama. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. Alexandra. Del Rosario. July 6, 2021. July 6, 2021. July 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706204014/https://deadline.com/2021/07/cruel-summer-creator-depart-bert-v-royal-freeform-drama-season-2-1234787067/. live.
  9. Web site: 'Cruel Summer' and 'Good Trouble' Canceled at Freeform (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. Lesley. Goldberg. December 8, 2023. December 8, 2023. December 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231208222544/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/good-trouble-cruel-summer-canceled-1235729358/. live.
  10. Web site: Last Summer: Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Thriller Sets Michael Landes, Brooklyn Sudano, Harley Quinn Smith And 6 More As Series Regulars. Deadline Hollywood. Dino-Ray. Ramos. November 13, 2019. May 19, 2020. February 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220214200247/https://deadline.com/2019/11/last-summer-jessica-biels-freeform-thriller-eone-michael-landes-brooklyn-sudano-harley-quinn-smith-chiara-aurelia-mika-abdalla-froy-gutierrez-allius-barnes-blake-lee-nathaniel-ashton-1202785108/. live.
  11. Web site: Cruel Summer: Sarah Drew To Recur On Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Series. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. October 30, 2020. December 3, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101002801/https://deadline.com/2020/10/cruel-summer-sarah-drew-recur-jessica-biel-produced-freeform-series-1234606278/. live.
  12. Web site: Cruel Summer: Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain & Nicole Bilderback Join Freeform Thriller Series As Recurring. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. March 11, 2021. March 11, 2021. March 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210311194404/https://deadline.com/2021/03/cruel-summer-barrett-carnahan-andrea-anders-benjamin-j-cain-nicole-bilderback-freeform-thriller-series-recurring-1234711934/. live.
  13. 'Cruel Summer' Overhaul: New Cast, Showrunner Set for Season 2 (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. Lesley. Goldberg. April 21, 2022. April 21, 2022. April 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220421201549/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cruel-summer-season-two-new-cast-1235132395/. live.
  14. Web site: 'Cruel Summer' Season 2: Lexi Underwood to Star in Recasting. The Hollywood Reporter. Lesley. Goldberg. April 27, 2022. April 27, 2022. en-US. April 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220427180303/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cruel-summer-season-2-lexi-underwood-to-star-in-recasting-1235136518/. live.
  15. Web site: 'Cruel Summer': Nile Bullock, Jenna Lamb & Braedan De La Garza To Recur In Season 2 Of Freeform Series. Deadline Hollywood. Alexandra. Del Rosario. May 6, 2022. May 6, 2022. May 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220506203531/https://deadline.com/2022/05/nile-bullock-jenna-lamb-braedan-de-la-garza-to-recur-in-cruel-summer-1235018216/. live.
  16. Web site: Wendy & Lisa Scoring Freeform's Cruel Summer. Film Music Reporter. March 30, 2021. April 27, 2021. April 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428014953/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2021/03/30/wendy-lisa-scoring-freeforms-cruel-summer/. live.
  17. Web site: Cruel Summer Team Previews Freeform Drama's 'Thin Line Between Hero and Villain' and Its '90s Nostalgia Trip. TVLine. Vlada. Gelman. April 19, 2021. April 27, 2021. April 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428014955/https://tvline.com/2021/04/19/cruel-summer-series-premiere-preview-freeform/. live.
  18. Web site: What 'Cruel Summer' Gets Right About Texans. Texas Monthly. Cat. Cardenas. April 20, 2021. January 30, 2022. January 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220130094133/https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/what-cruel-summer-gets-right-about-texans/. live.
  19. Web site: DGC BC Production List . . September 9, 2022 . September 12, 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912211208/https://www.dgc.ca/assets/Uploads/BritishColumbia/AvailsProductionLists/Production/Production-List.pdf . September 12, 2022.
  20. Web site: Freeform Unveils First-Look At Jessica Biel-Produced Series Cruel Summer – TCA. Deadline Hollywood. Amanda. N'Duka. February 26, 2021. February 28, 2021. February 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220214200249/https://deadline.com/2021/02/freeform-first-look-premiere-date-jessica-biel-cruel-summer-tca-1234701338/. live.
  21. Web site: 'The Righteous Gemstones' and 'Cruel Summer' Set for 2023 ATX TV Festival. The Hollywood Reporter. Carly. Thomas. March 3, 2023. March 3, 2023. March 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230303161449/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2023-atx-tv-festival-the-righteous-gemstones-cruel-summer-1235340022/. live.
  22. Web site: Cruel Summer presented by Freeform. Guidebook. June 10, 2023. https://archive.today/20230610193405/https://guidebook.com/g/%23/guides/atxtvfestival/schedule/sessions/28868950. June 10, 2023. live.
  23. Web site: Freeform Sets Premiere Dates For 'Grown-ish' Final Season & 'Cruel Summer' Season 2. Deadline Hollywood. Katie. Campione. April 17, 2023. April 17, 2023. April 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230417163606/https://deadline.com/2023/04/freeform-premiere-dates-grown-ish-season-6-cruel-summer-season-2-1235326072/. live.
  24. cruel_summer. Cruel Summer. tv. 1. March 3, 2023. y.
  25. cruel-summer. Cruel Summer. tv. 1. January 30, 2022. y.
  26. Web site: Freeform's Cruel Summer is a riveting thriller hindered by a convoluted format. The A.V. Club. Saloni. Gajjar. April 20, 2021. April 28, 2021. April 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428000405/https://tv.avclub.com/freeform-s-cruel-summer-is-a-riveting-thriller-hindered-1846712862. live.
  27. cruel_summer. Cruel Summer. tv. 2. June 10, 2023. y.
  28. cruel-summer. Cruel Summer. tv. 2. June 6, 2023. y.
  29. Web site: Cruel Summer Becomes Freeform's Biggest Multi-Platform Premiere Ever. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. April 30, 2021. April 30, 2021. April 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210430204216/https://deadline.com/2021/04/cruel-summer-premiere-ratings-freeform-multi-platform-record-1234747822/. live.
  30. Web site: HCA TV Awards Nominations: Ted Lasso Leads Programs For Inaugural Honors; NBC, HBO & Netflix Lead Nets. Deadline Hollywood. Erik. Pedersen. July 8, 2021. July 14, 2021. July 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708152108/https://deadline.com/2021/07/hca-tv-awards-nominations-2021-ted-lasso-handmaids-tale-nbc-hbo-netflix-1234788064/. live.

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