Top 10 Cruel Summer Moments

Although Jeannette is introduced as a good girl gone bad, we find throughout the second episode that Kate hasn’t been entirely honest either. Not only did Kate know Martin Harris before her abduction, but Jeanette may be more innocent than the press and Wallis’ have portrayed her. Matters become blurrier than ever when it’s reported that Jeanette is filing a defamation lawsuit against Kate. As her parents argue in the background, Kate stares at the TV in disbelief. Although we still have unanswered questions about Kate, it’s clear that her experiences in the basement have left her traumatized and the torment isn’t over yet. Kate lets out her pent-up rage with the scream, leaving us to wonder who’s telling the truth.

When we meet Mallory, she’s one of Jeannette’s besties and a hater of Kate’s. We didn’t expect Kate and Mallory to become friends, but they form an unlikely rapport after running into each other at therapy. As much as their friendship caught us off guard, it quickly becomes one of the show’s most likable elements. While “Cruel Summer” isn’t exactly known for uplifting moments, Kate takes a break from lawyers and parents when Mallory throws her a birthday party at the roller rink. Mallory keeps the guest list limited to herself and Kate, which is exactly how the birthday girl wants it. Olivia Holt’s cover of “Today” sets the mood as the girls share Ring Pops and their worries melt away for a brief time.

In addition to reminding Kate how to have fun, Mallory also helps her to heal. Knowing a thing or two about letting her frustration out, Mallory motivates Kate to do the same. At Martin’s grave, Kate buries the infamous pink stuffed bunny along with her deceased tormenter. This isn’t enough to give Kate closure, however. She takes the shovel and shatters Martin’s gravestone to pieces. Although she’s still haunted by the past, seeing Martin’s resting place in shambles is cathartic for both Kate and the audience. The moment is elevated by the powerful acting from Olivia Holt, who balances trauma, anger, and satisfaction all at once. Kate later remembers that she’s the one who put Martin six feet under, shooting him with “Annabelle.”

By the season’s penultimate episode, we had known for a while that Martin kept Kate captive in his basement. She wasn’t down there the whole time, however. Kate spent a few months sleeping in Martin’s bed, using his shower, and walking around the rest of his house. After a homesick Kate makes a late-night field trip, though, she begins to see Martin for what he truly is: a kidnapper. All Kate wants for Christmas is to reenter society. No longer putting on a “nice guy” facade, Martin tricks Kate into entering the basement and locks the door. Although we figured this moment was coming, Kate’s descent to the basement is only made more chilling knowing the full extent of her relationship with Martin.

At first, we’re led to believe that Kate’s stepfather Rod has been cheating on Joy. Kate soon realizes that this isn’t the case, but adultery is indeed in the air. After shaming her daughter for even thinking that Rod could be having an affair, Joy is caught with Scott the gardener. Sitting on this information for weeks, Kate finally lets the cat out of the bag. Rod isn’t sure how to respond while Joy immediately denies these accusations. Not only that, but Joy paints her own daughter as a liar. When Kate accurately describes how her mother is acting, Joy delivers a dramatic slap. In a more subtle blow, Joy firmly tells Rod that Kate is her daughter, undermining his role as a loving parent.

As Martin Harris, actor Blake Lee does an authentic job at appearing charming on the surface while something more devious looms underneath. In the puzzle that is Kate’s relationship with Martin, we’re given another piece when the two cross paths at a carnival and share a fleeting flirtation. Kate wins a pink bunny, but Martin receives a “prize” of his own: Kate’s scrunchie, which she accidentally left behind at his booth. Sometimes the most understated imagery can be the most disturbing, and seeing Kate’s scrunchie wrapped around Martin’s fingers definitely brings the cringes. Martin reluctantly gives the scrunchie up when Jeannette offers to return it. Of course, watching the obsessed Jeannette cling to the scrunchie is only a little less creepy.

Freed from captivity, Kate finds that Jeanette has “stolen” her friends, popularity, and boyfriend. Although Jamie tries to turn back the clock on his relationship with Kate, he’s still drawn to Jeanette even amidst the allegations. Meeting with Jamie one night, Jeanette insists that she didn’t see Kate locked up in Martin’s house. The two share a steamy kiss, unaware that Kate is watching from afar. Taking advantage of Kate’s fragile state, Jamie later suggests that she was only imagining things. It takes another year, but Jamie finally comes clean about the kiss. On one hand, it’s too little, too late. At the same time, Kate does take some comfort in hearing Jamie confess that she was right all along.

The first episode is told from Jeanette’s point of view, showing her evolution from nerdy schoolgirl to Kate Wallis 2.0. In her absence, Jeanette adopts Kate’s role as Queen B. The plot thickens when the real Kate is found and Jeanette appears more alarmed than relieved. Jeanette only seems guiltier when Jamie punches her in an especially brutal moment. By the pilot’s conclusion, the viewer can already sense how Jeanette is connected to the Kate Wallis case. This doesn’t make Kate’s primetime moment any less gripping. Claiming that Jeanette saw her in Martin’s house and did nothing to help, Kate declares war on the girl who usurped her life. It’s a riveting way to wrap up the episode, guaranteeing we’d be back for more.

We all envisioned how Martin might’ve abducted Kate. Maybe he offered her a ride or lured her to his house. As it turns out, Kate willingly showed up on Martin’s doorstep following a fight with her parents. Taking advantage of Kate’s fragile state, Martin manipulates her into staying and an intimate relationship arises. Kate doesn’t realize it, but Martin possesses most of the power in this dynamic. As the months go by, it slowly dawns on Kate that she’s Martin’s prisoner. Even then, though, she underestimates just how far Martin will go to save his reputation. As unnerving as their relationship is, these scenes effectively demonstrate how easily a young person can be groomed without even realizing it. The episode also gives Kate new nuances.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Kate & Jeanette Face-Off, “Off with a Bang”
Longest Red Light Ever

Kate Confronts Her Mother, “Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis”
As If We Needed Another Reason to Despise Joy

Jeanette Meets Martin Harris, “Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner”
Well, This House Just Got Even Scarier

Kate Listening to Her Tapes, “You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat”
Annabelle Adds Another Layer to the Mystery

Best Friends Part Ways, “Proof”
The Break Up Was Inevitable, But Still Stung

The season finale delivers one twist after another as Kate and Jeanette swap stories. Although Jeanette was in Martin’s house on Christmas Eve, she didn’t see Kate that night. It was Mallory who Kate spotted outside of the house. Mallory only caught a glimpse of Kate, though, and didn’t connect the dots until after she was rescued. Kate understands that Mallory was only trying to protect her and the two go from friends to something even deeper. Although all loose ends are seemingly tied up, we’re given one last bombshell in the final minutes. Jeanette went back to Martin’s house in 1994 and heard Kate calling from the basement. Unbeknownst to Kate, Jeanette ignored her cries for help and got away with it… for now.