When I was going through shows in my article yesterday I actually forgot a show that Krista and I had been watching. We took a little bit to get into this show, primarily because Krista prefers to watch anything that might include murder or elements of true crime when it is still light out. Unlike me she actually has dreams and if we watch something a bit eerie before bed she winds up having truly frightening dreams. Once we started Cruel Summer she though was hooked and asked me periodically if we have a new episode to catch up on.

Cruel Summer, much like the poster shows, focuses on two girls whose lives connect through a series of events that take place over 1993, 1994, and 1995. Each episode moves between these three years with differing lighting for each of the years. We also are told at the start of the episode what day is being shown over the course of three years. It is a clever way of presenting how everything has changed over this timeline for the two girls. We are first introduced to Jeannette, a girl who has two close friends, but is a little geeky in 1993. By 1994 she is super popular, though her popularity seems tied to the disappearance of the previously super popular girl in school Kate. By 1995 we learn that Jeannette has become the most hated person in her town because Kate has been found and accused her of having seen her in captivity and not helping her. We see friendships shift and personalities change as the two girls and their friends and family are drawn into the events tied to Kate’s kidnapping.

I had no idea what to expect with this show and when I saw the trailers I actually thought that Kate might have died and Jeannette was accused of her murder. When we actually started watching the reality of what happened actually hit me as far worse. Kate had been targeted and taken, while Jeannette had been given the chance to become what she always wanted to be, the cool girl. I really have no idea what actually happened with Jeannette and Kate, but I really don’t think Jeannette knew, though I wouldn’t be surprised if someone did and didn’t tell people. I feel like there has to have been someone and that Kate was tying in her dislike of Jeannette with a memory of something that did happen. This is definitely a show I must watch every week and I am very curious to see how it ends.

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