{"id":162080,"date":"2023-07-31T19:19:20","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T23:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/?p=162080"},"modified":"2023-07-31T19:21:18","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T23:21:18","slug":"cruel-summer-finale-airs-monday-night-reviewing-what-worked-and-didnt-work-in-season-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/2023\/07\/31\/cruel-summer-finale-airs-monday-night-reviewing-what-worked-and-didnt-work-in-season-2\/","title":{"rendered":"“Cruel Summer” Finale Airs Monday Night; Reviewing What Worked And Didn’t Work In Season 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

From its record viewership numbers, to its undeniable pop culture buzz, to its rather unconditional critical acclaim, the inaugural season of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d was a surprise \u2013 and welcome \u2013 hit for Freeform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Its success predictably paved the way for a second season, albeit one that came with reservations and challenges. For starters, news quickly emerged that \u201cCruel Summer\u201d would be approached as an anthology (with a completely new cast) rather than an ongoing serialized drama. Given how pivotal the initial characters (and actors) were to the show\u2019s success, there was undeniable risk in aiming for a second strike of lightning.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two-year gap between the two seasons further complicated matters; with buzz over the first season having long-ago subsided, would fans still be excited for another tale?<\/span><\/p>\n

And then, of course, there was the broader reality that sequels \u2013 regardless of whether or not the cast remains \u2013 often have a tough time living up to the magic of the first edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

As far as interest levels, things started very optimistically. Initial trailers generated ample buzz on social media, and the first episode fared well from a ratings standpoint<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerns over quality, however, proved more legitimate. Critical reviews were not as glowing, and the practical viewing experience was not as engaging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, \u201cCruel Summer\u201d has remained consistently watchable \u2013 and occasionally quite compelling \u2013 in the build-up to the Monday, July 31 finale. The finale itself also makes for a solid viewing experience, although it is not dazzling enough to alter perspectives. Those who enjoyed the season will likely find at least some satisfaction in the final installment, while those unimpressed will remain confident that the new season failed to live up to its predecessor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahead of Monday\u2019s finale, we look at what worked and did not work in the second season of \u201cCruel Summer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What worked in season two of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood<\/b><\/p>\n

There was a lot to love about season one of \u201cCruel Summer,\u201d but nothing was more essential to its resonance than the two leads. Chiara Aurelia was an utter revelation, and Olivia Holt delivered a richly charismatic, nuanced performance worthy of legitimate awards recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their incredible performances produced massive shoes for this year\u2019s leads to fill \u2013 and Sadie Stanley (Megan) and Lexi Underwood (Isabella) were generally up to the challenge. The undeniably capable actresses were always engaging \u2013 and, at times, magnetic \u2013 on screen, and they played a huge role in keeping the show watchable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any negative comparison to last year\u2019s leads would be more the result of thinner, less compelling characterization than it would be due to a discrepancy of talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cast structure further inhibited their resonance; Griffin Gluck (Luke) was introduced as a third lead of sorts, playing a love interest for Stanley and Underwood\u2019s characters as well as the victim of the central crime. His involvement was significant enough to prevent Stanley and Underwood from owning the screen the way their season one counterparts did, but not extensive enough for Gluck to deliver a memorable performance (though he was<\/em> routinely effective).<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite those drawbacks and limitations, it is highly unlikely that anyone who watched the entirety of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d season two will walk away with anything but a very positive opinion of how Stanley and Underwood performed in their roles. Nor should they, as both were excellent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tone and narrative style<\/b><\/p>\n

Although individual events, storylines and bits of dialogue may defy realism, the show\u2019s overall tone is refreshingly low-key, dark, and human. Relationships and betrayals are important, and tragic events are crushing. The engaging tone differentiates \u201cCruel Summer\u201d from the cliche teen drama, enabling viewers to immerse themselves in the world and its characters without any sense of guilt.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Y2K nostalgia and music<\/b><\/p>\n

Much like the inaugural season, the most recent chapter of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d pays homage to a prior era in a tasteful way. There were some awkward misses \u2013 the stilted delivery of \u201cAs If,\u201d for example \u2013 but the references to the Y2K were rarely distracting. They provided a useful setting without ever diluting interest in the characters and storylines.<\/span><\/p>\n

The era-relevant music, moreover, remains an utter highlight of the show. Whether through ubiquitous retro hits, surprisingly quirky choices, or haunting covers of older songs, the soundtrack almost universally adds weight to what is happening on screen. Monday\u2019s episode features a supremely effective cover during an especially important scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specific story threads<\/b><\/p>\n

Narrative was a big picture problem in season two, but the writers remained capable of crafting entertaining individual moments. Storylines like the Fake ID outing to the local pub, Megan turning up the charm to win over Luke at a party (ignoring her boyfriend in the process), and Isabella attempting to build friendships outside of Megan (notably with Parker) all made for fun viewing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem is that these issues were too fleeting, as the show routinely prioritized the overarching mystery over the individual character moments that make people <\/span>care<\/span><\/i> about that mystery.<\/span><\/p>\n

What did not work in season two of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

Overemphasis on the crime, underemphasis on human development<\/b><\/p>\n

Make no mistake, the mystery <\/span>mattered<\/span><\/i> in the show\u2019s first season. We all wanted to know what exactly happened to Kate, just as we wanted to know what role, if any, Jeanette played in her prolonged suffering.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it was not a textbook \u201cwhodunnit,\u201d because the mystery was still second to human character development. The real hook of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d was witnessing how the main characters evolved over the three time periods \u2013 and how that evolution intersected with the devastating event at the center.<\/span><\/p>\n

Season two, on the other hand, seems to be prioritizing the \u201cwho killed Luke\u201d question more than the human, psychological ramifications of the incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, we end up <\/span>caring less<\/span><\/i> about the mystery that \u201cCruel Summer\u201d is spending so much time creating. The reason why the emotional seesaw of the first season’s final chapter proved so meaningful is that we knew and cared enough about Jeanette to experience joy in her apparent vindication … and then heartbreak and betrayal upon learning the final truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

None of the characters in season two \u2013 including <\/span>lead<\/span><\/i> characters \u2013 received enough organic human development for us to meaningfully care about any blame or absolution of blame we receive in the final episode.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even with some emotional context provided by the penultimate episode, the late-season villainization of Luke, meanwhile, dampened our concern for the crime itself. Although his “heel turn” served to create more potential suspects in the \u201cwhodunnit\u201d (thus adding to the mystery element), they made him a less sympathetic victim \u2013 and the consequences of his death less believably transformative.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elimination of character-centric episodes<\/b><\/p>\n

One culprit behind the season\u2019s insufficient emphasis on humanity? The loss of character-centric episodes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Season one of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d centered certain episodes around one of the two leads. Offering clearer insight into their perspectives, insecurities, and emotional challenges, this storytelling device helped establish Jeannette and Kate as real, relatable, flawed people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Season two generally did not directly rely on this device, instead positioning Megan as the emotional centerpiece of most episodes. But because other characters still received lead-level screen time, it was not as if we received this incredibly thorough window into Megan\u2019s motivations either. Her development between the time frames still seemed rushed and superficial, thus preventing us from caring about her the way we did the season one leads.<\/span><\/p>\n

And since we rarely got stories from the pure perspective of Isabella and Luke, we had even less of an opportunity to develop an emotional connection with their respective evolutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Condensed time frame<\/b><\/p>\n

Another <\/span>structural<\/span><\/i> misfire concerned the reduction of the timespan. Instead of covering three consecutive summers like season one, season two set its three time periods as summer, winter, and the following summer. Worse, the central crime did not happen until the second period \u2013 and the criminal investigation did not start until the third time period.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, this meant that it became very difficult to demonstrate legitimate contrast, let alone believable emotional growth and change, between the different eras. Yes, the show used different coloring (and gave Megan a new look) for the final chapter, but it ultimately did not feel like we were watching a true journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, we did not truly see the long-term emotional stakes and consequences of key actions \u2013 and thus had further reason to invest ourselves in any individual character\u2019s fate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Too much telling, not enough showing<\/b><\/p>\n

Season two of \u201cCruel Summer\u201d was never shy about explaining details about its characters. It told us that Isabella and Megan became \u201cride or die\u201d friends. It told us about the pros and cons of life in Chatham. It told us that Megan and Luke were perfect for each other. It told us about the challenges Luke faced being a member of the Chambers family. It told us that Isabella had some complicated issues in her past.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it rarely allowed us to <\/span>experience<\/span><\/i> these factors. We might have seen a demeaning conversation between Luke and his father or a cute moment between Megan and Luke or Megan and Isabella, but we never witnessed these relationships materialize in a deep, organic way. We rarely got to see a burgeoning friendship or romance worthy of our support, just as we rarely got to see a rift worthy of our sympathy or worry.<\/span><\/p>\n

This can also be traced to the condensed time frame, as a perfect example of the \u201ctell not show\u201d flaw concerns Megan\u2019s development from the middle time frame to the latter one. Actually seeing her transformation \u2013 or, at least, the mental pain associated with the transformation \u2013 would make us care more about how things shake out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The “Cruel Summer” season finale will air on Freeform at 10PM ET on July 31; it will be available on Hulu starting tomorrow.<\/strong><\/p>\n



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