What Will Happen in ‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2?

All of your Cruel Summer dreams are coming true. Not only has Freeform’s breakout original delivered one of the most satisfying TV finales in a long while, but they’ve also confirmed Cruel Summer will be returning for a Season 2. But given that twist ending, what will happen in a second season?

It’s always exciting when a show you love gets renewed. But Cruel Summer is in a bit of a weird position renewal-wise. Season 1’s last episode answered the show’s most pressing questions. So what stories are left to tell? We have no idea what direction showrunner Tia Napolitano and creator Bert V. Royal are going to take, but we have some ideas. Here’s our best guesses about what could happen in Cruel Summer Season 2.

Jeanette Will Try Get Revenge

There’s something about Jeanette’s (Chiara Aurelia) little smile at the end of “Hostile Witness” that makes our skin crawl. But let’s go back a little further in the finale. While on The Marsha Bailey Show, Jeanette intentionally mimicked Kate’s (Olivia Holt) original message to her.

“There is something I want to say,” Jeanette says on live TV. “To the girl who named me, who could have cleared all this up sooner but didn’t. Kate Wallis, I forgive you.”

Shortly after that interview, we learn the truth. Jeanette never saw Kate in Martin’s home. But she did break in and hear Kate beating on Martin’s basement door. For a moment Jeanette considered letting her out before she stopped and smiled to herself. That tells us a couple of things.

One, all of your creepy feelings toward Jeanette are justified. She does have a manipulative streak in her, and she is capable of low-key assisting in a kidnapping. Two, Jeanette is not above a few twists of the truth. But most importantly, Jeanette still seems to resent Kate Wallis on some level. If there’s another season it seems possible it will revolve around Jeanette manipulating and blackmailing her way to being Queen Bee again, and quietly seeking revenge on the Wallis family in the process. If the show goes this way there will be no path for redemption for Jeanette. But we will get to see what happens with Kate and Mallory (Harley Quinn Smith), so that’s a plus.

Season 2 Will Follow the Media’s Missteps

One of the unnamed villains in this series has been the media: it’s the coverage of this case that turned Jeanette Turner into the most hated woman in America. If the Cruel Summer team wanted to stick with the same characters and story, they could rehash Kate Wallis’ kidnapping, but through the eyes of the reporters who covered it.

This option could answer several unanswered questions. For example, why was it misreported that Martin Harris (Blake Lee) was shot by police? How exactly did this small town news story gain national attention? And how did this press attention affect Jeanette and Kate’s day-to-day lives? This option would let the show still focus on Jeanette, Kate, Mallory, and Jamie (Froy Gutierrez). Plus, a high-stakes newsroom saga is always a blast.

There Will Be Another Crime in Skylin, Texas

One horrific crime already threatened to destroy this quiet Southern town. What would a second one do?

Season 2 could focus on another intense crime involving teenagers or young adults. Think kidnapping, poisoning, a shooting, something to do with blackmail, or fraud. This new crime could focus on the show’s original cast or it could elevate this thriller’s background characters. On one hand a whole new crime in this universe would give viewers the best of both worlds. We could visit with our Season 1 favorites while getting swept up in a new story. On the other hand, a second devastating crime in this community would destroy some of the show’s believability. You don’t have a different murder every other year unless you’re a TV show.

Season 2 Will Be Another Story Entirely

Since Cruel Summer wrapped up so nicely at the end of Season 1, this seems like the most likely option. It’s entirely possible that Cruel Summer may become an anthology series. That would mean each season would follow a different group of characters and a new complex crime. It wouldn’t even have to be limited to the 1990s. Much like Narcos, American Horror Story, or Fargo the series could jump between years and decades, exploring different stories. This option would still allow for Jeanette and Kate’s return. After all, if there’s a new most hated woman in America, chances are she’d want to talk to the teenaged OG.

Cruel Summer Will Go The Sinner Route

This is kind of a combination of the last two options, but it needs to be said. Cruel Summer could transform into an anthology series structured like Jessica Biel’s other wildly popular TV show, The Sinner. That would mean Season 2 would follow a character connected to Kate Wallis’ kidnapping but as they’re trapped in the middle of a different crime. If they do go this route, can we nominate Vince (Allius Barnes) for the Bill Pullman role? Vince and his on-again off-again boyfriend Ben (Nathaniel Ashton) would make great heroes for another criminal saga.

Where to stream Cruel Summer