By now, you've probably scooped your jaw off the floor after watching the season finale of Cruel Summer. We learned everything about Kate's time being held captive in Martin's house, how Martin died, and what Jeanette did (and didn't) see/hear during her visit. And while Kate and Jeanette's story is seemingly over, we know that Cruel Summer will continue.
With the news that Cruel Summer has been renewed for a Season 2, we turned to showrunner Tia Napolitano, who teased how the show might live on. Naturally, we also had some Cruel Summer Season 2 theories.
"Season 2 is wide open," she said shortly before the show's premiere. "There’s no serious plan. I know everyone involved is interested in keeping the themes alive, with the hero and the villain. We like the role of the media and the media’s portrayal of women. There’s also this idea of good people making one tiny choice, and doubling down on it until it snowballs out of control. I think there are many stories to tell with any set of characters, including this one, that could take those themes to the next level."
It seems that Cruel Summer could live on in the same world — but it could also do something totally different. Here are some options for how Cruel Summer might continue, whether or not Jeanette and Kate are involved.
Cruel Summer Keeps Some Characters But Introduces A New Mystery
The Sinner, another crime series produced by Cruel Summer's executive producer Jessica Biel, began with one singular mystery in Season 1, and then crafted new stories for each season afterwards. The constant was the show's recurring detective character.
Cruel Summer doesn't really have that detective character — the police aren't the ones solving any crimes here, as it's no question who kidnapped Kate. However, it's certainly possible that some of Cruel Summer's characters move on from this drama and find themselves entangled in a new mystery, in a new place. Maybe, in Season 2, an older Kate is using her experience with Martin to help find other lost girls, leading to a brand-new mystery. Hell, maybe Jeanette is accused of yet another crime, which, at this point, let's just say she totally committed, okay?
Cruel Summer Goes Back In Time
One of the most fun things about Cruel Summer is the show's '90s aesthetic — so maybe it can have just as much fun playing around in a new timeline. One way to do it? Show Cindy, Jeanette's mom, and Joy, Kate's mom, as teens. We know that these women have a complicated past, which somewhat mirrors Jeanette and Kate's relationship in the '90s timelines. Perhaps there's more there than we thought to explore — like a murder mystery they both find themselves dealing with.
The best part? Chiara Aurelia and Olivia Holt could both return to the show to play their character's mothers as teens.
Cruel Summer Goes Deeper Into Its Story
While Cruel Summer tied up everything pretty nicely, there are certain threads it could continue to play with. We don't really know anything about Kate's biological father, for example, or details of Martin's family. Even Kate's dad's girlfriend Angela is a bit of a question mark.
If Cruel Summer continued, it would need to craft a brand new mystery worthy of having these characters stick around, one that ties back, somehow, to Martin kidnapping Kate and the chain of events it set off. It wouldn't be an easy task — especially given what we know about Jeanette — but it would be the most traditional way to continue the show.
Cruel Summer Pulls an American Horror Story
Sometimes, it's better to leave certain mysteries as complete circles — and honestly, I think Cruel Summer is one of them.
Instead of pulling threads from this season, perhaps it's best to just keep the same themes that made Cruel Summer so interesting in the first place, like the power of the media and how it loves to pit women against one another. There's certain plenty of real life crime stories from the '90s to gather inspiration from — be it Amy Fisher or Lorraine Babbitt — and much like American Horror Story, the show could use the same actors in entirely new roles.
Images: Freeform