‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: “All I Want For Christmas”

We’re barreling towards Luke’s New Years Day disappearance, and Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 5 (“All I Want For Christmas”) gets us to Christmas time — actual Christmas in the December timeline and “Christmas in July” in both July ones. The writers keep playing up the different ways that these people show up for one another as friends and at Christmas, it’s on full display. Isabella gifts Meghan an expensive computer, which she immediately feels uncomfortable about (it’s another clear look at how much Isabella isn’t a good friend because she should know that Meghan is extremely money conscious). Meghan, on the other hand, gives her a sentimental photo album and memory book to mark the occasion.

Halfway through the season, we’re finally getting much-needed answers about Isabella’s past aided by the sudden appearance of one of her old friends, Trevor in July 1999. Trevor is Isabella’s best friend Lisa’s older brother and the vibes between them are completely off as Trevor needles Isabella about telling her new friends about her past, and it’s revealed that the two used to date when they share a kiss and say “I love you” to each other on the pier later. 

For all that we’ve heard about Lisa but never seen or heard from her, I’ve been skeptical about whether she’s still alive even as Isabella keeps writing letters to her bestie (this week Deb found a stash of unsent letters that Isabella claimed she’d send once Lisa docks at her next travel destination). But it turns out I was right — Lisa drowned in St. Barts last year and Isabella definitely had something to do with it, according to Trevor who mails Meghan the newspaper clipping in 2000 as an FYI. Keeping the secret is one thing, but constantly comparing Meghan to Lisa makes me wonder whether Luke was even the intended victim.

Things are definitely icy with Meghan and Isabella throughout the timelines, even in July 1999 when they’re on the best of terms. Meghan finally admits her feelings about Luke when she sees Isabella and Trevor together, and Isabella agrees to back off even though they just slept together for the first time. And despite getting the green light to go after Luke, Meghan has also struck up a friendship with an older man in town who comes into the diner where she works. It seems innocent at first until Isabella follows her in December 1999 to drop off a gift at the man’s secluded home and then accepts an invitation into the house. While Meghan is absolutely allowed to be friends with people of the opposite sex and Isabella is wrong for following her, it’s definitely suspect for a middle-aged man to be hanging out with a high school girl like that. Things get even more complicated when we find out that he is CBABBAGE5, the AIM username that has been offering Meghan programming help. 

Meghan’s good girl facade in July and December 1999 is starting to fade, as she doctors her report card to remove the C+ and asks CBABBAGE5 if he’s ever hacked the Feds. It’s definitely becoming more plausible to see her 180-turn into a hacker, even if the costuming is still a bit silly.

Near the end of the episode and in the July 2000 timeline, Deb asks Isabella to stay elsewhere while the case plays out. Righteous, Isabella says she’s already on her way out but tells Deb that there’s something under her bed that Meghan didn’t want her to see. Now that the pregnancy is out in the open, it’s doubtful that it’s the sheets she discovered in the trash last week or the tests she admitted to seeing in Meghan’s bathroom. My guess is it’s something to do with Meghan and her older hacker buddy — perhaps a DNA test. How’s that for a Christmas present?

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.