I Watched Cruel Summer - So You DON'T Have To!

Today we're doing a series review of 'Cruel Summer' and breaking down that inevitable ending, the characters and trusting your intuition.
Timestamps-
setting the scene 00:00
Jeanette 03:36
Cindy and Greg 17:47
Kate 20:31
Jamie 32:29
Mallory 34:28
Vince 35:36
the ending 36:18
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key words (ignore)
Kate Wallis, Jeanette Turner, overall series review, analysis, episode 10 finale, Mallory higgins, Martin Harris, season finale, Chiara Aurelia, Freeform, ending plot twist, i watched cruel summer creep, character analysis, reaction,
#OliviaHolt #CruelSummer #KateWallis

[@YaGurlSunshine]

I honestly think this show missed a much more compelling story by making Jeanette the bad guy in the end. There are so many stories about people getting wrongly convicted or attacked in the press for false allegations that have their lives ruined. And almost always it's surrounding a woman who "didn't act like they should" or "was a little off." If they'd gone down a Lindy Chamberlain/Amanda Knox style story it could have actually showcased a really interesting issue, but instead, they decided "hey, you know who should be a bad guy? The person we were baiting you to think was the bad guy because they're weird and socially awkward!" I'm not saying remove the last scene and the storyline is fixed or anything, but they really could have gone more in-depth with it and actually pulled something FAR more interesting out of this kind of a plotline

[@ashleek2987]

You said this perfectly. I agree with you 100%

[@briannalee1998]

Exactly!

[@nicoleackerman205]

I did not like the ending because of that. They missed an opportunity to showcase people wrongfully acussed of a crime.

[@lisah8438]

You guys really do think to freaking deep. I don't think that story line would be unique or interesting at all.That would be too predictable.Can we just appreciate Jeanette being the villain please.

[@Matthew-ij3zm]

"The person we were baiting you to think was the bad guy because they're weird and socially awkward"? Did you watch the show? Jeanette has an antisocial personality disorder and it became pretty clear. The red flags weren't Jeanette simply being weird or awkward. She was evil, and we were able to see bits and pieces of it all along.

[@kyliem5335]

Something frustrating within the fandom was the amount of victim blaming towards Kate. Loads of people were saying, "she went to him", "she couldve left", when in fact she was emotionally abused and gaslit by her mother leaving a space to crave "positive" adult attention and he lied and manipulated her the whole time. I think part of it was because people WANT to despise the pretty popular girl even if she hasnt done anything

[@steffi4413]

I think many people blame Kate because if she was completely innocent that would mean it could happen to anyone and that can be terrifying

[@trinaq]

Martin was the clear adult in this situation, who was using his position of authority to manipulative a vulnerable teenage girl. Kate is still a victim, even though she went to his house willingly, and stayed there four months prior to her kidnapping.

[@stonecake313]

I imagine most ppl blaming Kate are teens who aren’t old enough to understand how different the mindset is between someone their age vs an adult.

[@kyliem5335]

@@stonecake313 unfortunately I saw a lot of grown women blaming Kate on like fb pages where people discussed the show and theories and all that

[@ryancarroll5488]

People don't get this stuff. They wonder why a 10 year old who's being sexual ly abused by their coach waits until the parents or cops figure something out b4 saying anything Apart from not wanting the stigma of being the victim it's psycological control. These guys KNOW the kid could blow the whistle anytime do they think the predator hasn't THOUGHT about that and planned for it?

[@kutjegodverdomme]

I definitely liked the way grooming was depicted. It was quite realistic and also showed how these relationships develop. It forces viewers to think about how grooming can look different for everyone and how a girl can be in this relationship, consenting, but it still being wrong because she is to young. This shows why we have an age of consent and why we call it grooming. The point about teens not being able to consent, is to protect them: they can be manipulated into relationships and their 'consent' is pressured, even without their knowledge.

[@trinaq]

I agree 100 percent! I really admired how they incorporated grooming into the plot, and how Martin was clearly preying on Kate from the get go. He deliberately made it seem as though he was the only person she could trust, which Kate herself only recognised after her therapist pointed it out to her.

[@kutjegodverdomme]

@@trinaq yes! Every sentence he uttered (like the "you're so mature for your age" or "i forgot you were underage") I just screamed at the TV "YES THAT'S WHAT ALL PREDATORS SAY". It actually showed a lot of red flags in that sense, if you were paying attention to these little things

[@ryancarroll5488]

I'm seeing the word be used in cultural settings referring to age gaps and position gaps between people OVER the age of consent even seen it used referring to people in their 20s and 30s and people should avoid tgat because it takes focus away from this reality. I think kids/teens picture predators as wearing a long coat and dirty baseball cap taking pics of them at the beach and asking them to get in their car. It needs to be stressed most of these guys are charming and sociable and in responsible jobs. Kids (esp girks) should be taught nice doesn't always = good

[@Melissdan]

The fact that Jeanette did her comeback interview dressesing like Kate did on her interview proves Jeanette didn't learn a damn thing. Honestly the torment she went through in '95 was well deserved karma

[@fatbitch7168]

She tried being popular by being Kate's carbon copy because she didn't know how to style herself better and leave it at that. It's kind of like Mona and Hannah taking Alison's place/behaviour in PLL

[@danielleneal3614]

RE Jeanette, I think the key is just because she was creepy and seemed off doesn't mean that she had something to do with Kate's disappearance. I think the show did a good job in making sure all the red flags and warning signs were there, but also sowing enough doubt about Jeanette's involvment in the viewers mind. Therefore, while the twist ending doesn't feel too shocking given those red flags, a viewer could still hope that Jeanette was just weird and not acutally malicious.

[@acherryproTV]

I think Mr Harris and Kate's relationship being seen as romanticized and like a happy couple in the beginning was intentional because it was from Kate's perspective and at that point Kate thought that Mr Harris was everything to her and that he was the perfect guy and that they were going to have this life together and it was really romanticized and Kate's head so that's why they showed it being romantic and fluffy in the beginning and then all of a sudden the switch hits when they're at the dinner table and she realizes that he's bad and creepy and so they showed that to the audience.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

yes i think half the show is from Kate's perspective so she thought he was awesome at the beginning

[@jonginisholy]

About Jeanette, I did find her behaviour at times to be strange or straight up terrifying. And i think the writers did an amazing with her character imo. Like in the first few episodes i genuinely thought that Jeanette was just strange and not terrible but as the show went on and you see just how much she has lied about everything made me believe that she did know about Kate.

[@mzjackson88]

Everytime she would sneak into the principal's house I would get so irritated lol like did she want to get caught? Or something...

[@jonginisholy]

Honestly I really didn't like Mallory. And i personally didn't like that Kate forgave her.

[@IcyIndigo]

Something I think is strange is that Mallory didn’t tell Kate the truth when they became friends. She could’ve spared Jeanette the pain of becoming the most hated person in America and chose not to, presumably because she now hated Jeanette. Now granted, Jeanette did end up being guilty and so maybe you could argue she got what she deserved. But still, Mallory was definitely not a good person.

[@geopik7733]

Tbh i personally felt they shouldn't have made kate date after her experience with martin because she went through alot and i feel like the last thing a person would want to do if they got terribly mistreated aka groomed is be in a relationship maybe the devs should've waited with Kate redating

[@ralphjb]

I agree with everything you said, except for Mallory knowing Jeanette was innocent. Kate never specified the timeline of when Jeanette saw her. She was very vague about it. Mallory knew Jeanette was breaking into Martin's house and had done so multiple times. She could have seen Kate during any of those times before or after Mallory caught her- or at least, that's what Mallory would have assumed. Mallory, by that point, was also very ready to believe Jeanette was a shitty human being capable of something like that due to their fallout.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@geopik7733 I disagree, same way is totally fine and normal that a person with that trauma doesn't want/can't get involved in a romantic relationship, it's the same way for the opposite. It's totally normal, realistic and fine to people who went through that trauma to get over it and want/can love and trust again. There's many survivors of rape, abuse, kidnapping, etc who got over that trauma enough to be happy dating other people. If you wanted the character to be the first case then that's also okay but saying that's the last thing she would want is not the truth, can be, but not always, people can still want that even after Kate's situation so it makes sense for her to get to do it and it's actually really healthy and good (it is also if you don't want to but just in case you are not doing it for being in constant fear since that's unhealthy but while you fix that and just don't fall in love again bc you feel better by yourself after what happened to you, then it's fine). What would be unhealthy is if she went into a relationship straight after the trauma influenced by the trauma itself, bc yes, it can happen, even if for you it looks like after that you would never be able to do that so fast, the trauma acts in really different and weird ways, making you even get in a lot of relationships sometimes but ofc since this is for the trauma and not bc you healed then it is unhealthy for you. And what wouldn't make sense and be unrealistic would be for Kate to have a romantic relationship that is all healthy and happy just after her kidnapp, since as I said, that only can happen in response to the trauma so wouldn't be healthy, but Kate's trauma happened two years after this relationship and she has been in therapy to heal so it makes sense, for some people it takes more time and help and that's also fine, but Kate's case is enough to have her trusting and loving enough to get in a healthy romantic relationship. Her girlfriend unfortunately is not someone she should trust enough for that with what happened but that's a totally different topic.

[@geopik7733]

@@jrlombardi5251 After looking back on it over a couple months I understand and it see it from your perspective too and sa,e with mallory hiding things.Im glad that we can have a proper conversation without any sorts of arguments have a nice day!

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@geopik7733 I'm glad too.

[@sammybarbosa632]

at first i thought jeanette had a little unhealthy crush on kate, then through the episodes passed by she started lying about literally dumb things. and that last scene literally made me feel like she’s just horrible. the writers really did a good job making me dislike jeanette

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

Who do you think gave the police the anonymous tip?

[@sailormoon7952]

Unpopular opinion - I find Kate/ Mallory ship a very bad idea. No, I am not homophobic, but still Kate didn't show any bisexual tastes prior. I understand she is teen and she is yet to know herself and she is free to be with whoever she wants, but it felt like Mallory manipulated her the same way Martin did. It was in my opinion pretty much paralleled. Mallory found something to bond over, introduced her to weed to control her, and it is established already how bossy Mallory is. She attached Kate to herself too much. Sneaking in her room through the room, glaring at her while she sleeps - Mallory is a creep as well. I think the writers are going to explore it and I hope some fangirls won't stop them from execute it.

[@geopik7733]

THANK YOU ME AND MY SISTER THOUGHT THE SAME THING HOOMAN

[@geopik7733]

The poor thing was manipulated her whole life

[@sailormoon7952]

@@geopik7733 True. She was raised to be trusting and she is yet to learn how to overcome it.

[@geopik7733]

@@sailormoon7952 yesssss PREACH IT

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Wow! I did not see it that way. I thought it was two angsty teens experimenting with gateway drugs and bonding over stuff. I thought mallory genuinely tried to protect Kate even though she could be intense some time. After Mallory sensed there was something going on with Jeanette, I din’t know why she would act like her. I am not disagreeing with you. You helped me see a parallel I did not notice before. I just did not see it that way at first.

[@rissaj647]

I like the way they depicted grooming. I think it's important that we see how he got Kate to trust him and even be with him for those months. I think this can really show how victims get trapped and don't often see a way out until it could be too late. Her living with him and planning vacations were just continued grooming on his part. It's easier to have a unwitting accomplice than a captive prisoner.

[@skippersnacks]

I really wanted Jeanette to be "just misunderstood" Despite all the evidence, I was still surprised at the end. I felt she was great at sucking you into her drama. That was what made this so cool.

[@skippersnacks]

I feel they portrayed the grooming situation very well. It feels like it is ur choice at the time. The perp comes in like a night in shining armour, ready to give u everything u think u r missing. Only to leave you feeling "how did this get so far?".. " is it my fault?"

[@amberbernay]

People always say she could have left - BUT when she did want to leave he held her against her own wheel so that was always going to happen whether she wanted to leave sooner or LATER. That was his plan all along 🤷🏼‍♀️ so she really has no free will he manipulates her into thinking she did

[@amberbernay]

Also on the Instagram of the show they hinted that the father knew & helped her lied

[@amberbernay]

& i was onto her frm ep 1 like she was always creepy & weird.. i just knew she knew something whether she had sum to do w her disappearance OR if she knew where she was being kept. That was pretty obvious

[@roy.shrestha]

Loved your review. I was one of those people who thought Jeannette was innocent; she had some major red flags but I didn’t expect her to be cruel, so the ending did shock me. I also felt bad for Greg, he was such a good father and Jeanette was just ungrateful

[@purplequeen4797]

I like how the show went into what grooming is and the effects it has on a minor. Unlike PLL it didn't romanticized It. Overall I had fun with this Show 😀

[@hi_there1239]

i was always so much more invested in kate as a character than jeanette. i loved her friendship and relationship with mallory, who i feel like is what people want jeanette to be: a teenage girl with a mean streak who later matures and probably isn't a genuinely terrible person, but who makes some bad decisions because she's young and in a complicated situation (i know it's unpopular but i really liked her in 95). but kate was always sympathetic and likable to me, she wasn't a typical popular "mean girl" and actively made an effort to be kind to jeanette in 93. i also think that, as horrifying as it was to watch kate and martin's storyline unfold (i genuinely felt sick watching it half the time), that was where the writing and acting were the strongest. blake lee was truly terrifying as martin harris, balancing his false "nice" side with the monster he really is (if you haven't read any of his interviews about playing the character i think they're really interesting). you mentioned the slow progression of their physical relationship, and it was such a good choice that even throughout episode 9 they only kiss once or twice and everything beyond that is implied, but never explicit because it never feels sexualized or heavy handed. also i think the fact that kate often initiated the next steps was better than the alternative, especially because her therapist directly says that martin made her feel like this was her choice, but it wasn't. she was being groomed and wasn't in her right mind, trapped by somebody who has power over her. olivia holt is also brilliant as kate, she plays the different sides to her so well while keeping them connected, and in the annabelle reveal scene in the finale it took me so long to realize she has about two lines because every single emotion in that scene is written on her face.

[@hi_there1239]

also i really liked the ending, i think if some but not all of the audience got it, that's kind of ideal. the seeds were sown enough that people came to the right conclusion, but the story was still twisty enough to confuse others.

[@LLawliet-pz1rm]

@@hi_there1239 Good comments

[@HorrorDiva01]

my friend dated a 36y when she was 17, and he told her she was "mature for her age" and that when tey met he "thought she wa 18" they date for like 3 months and broke up on october cause ,get this, he was a lawyer and didn't want to get in trouble, but he told her they could get back together when she turn 18 which was on december. if that's not grooming and manipulations then idk, but this show reminded me a lot to that.

[@fatbitch7168]

that's beyond gross; I really hope your friend didn't return to that relationship and hopefully told someone about it

[@HorrorDiva01]

@@fatbitch7168 as far as I know they didn't, she went to college out of town and she's been single ever since. Maybe someday she'll tell someone about it.

[@miiserablemaddy94]

When I saw how everyone was defending Jeanette and blaming Kate for going with a frown man willingly like she wasnt A MINOR and he was the principal. Not to mention Jeanette stole her whole life!

[@jezzarte3587]

The twist is really obvious when you recall Jannette’s first reaction to hearing that Kate has been found was to say “did they find a body?” Like, that line told you everything from the very start. She knew Kate was in a situation of danger so she definitely knew where Kate was. Since that scene I knew I couldn’t totally trust her at all lol

[@trinaq]

Thanks so much for your take, Serena. I'd definitely pitch this show as "Pretty Little Liars" meets "Pulp Fiction." I was on Kate's side the entire time, even though we were warned that neither girl was telling the full truth. I never really trusted Jeanette, and felt that she was hiding something.

[@EllaSilvaOfficial]

I totally agree, I always felt like Jeanette was so creepy that when the show was almost ending and it seemed to be painting her on a good light, I was getting really confused! I was happy with the ending, it felt like it made sense to me. Also, it's interesting the comparisons between her and Mr Ripley, I totally thought she had a crush on Kate at the start so! Overall I did like the show, it was refreshing to have this really odd girl as a villain and I like the way they addressed the student/teacher thing, showing how easy it can be for a child/teenager to be taken advantage of and how people can be so judgemental of the victim (and how the victims blame themselves as well). And the background about the teacher was a really nice thing to add, it gives us a bit of insight into the mind of someone that would do something like that (made me think of the book Lolita a bit in that aspect). Loved your review!! :)

[@BigLadStudios]

The ending really annoyed me, mainly because the entire premise of the series and mainly that episode was a court case to finally see who's lying. And they show that small tidbit at the end of Jeanette smiling to show that "Omg Mallory wasn't the real saviour after all!!! Omg Jeanette was still there and could have done something omg!!!!!" Idk it felt like backpedalling bc the Mallory reveal really wasn't that rewarding either and Mallory doesn't get punished, not that she should because she didn't really know it was Kate. It just left me feeling empty and thinking "How am I supposed to feel?" Which is a shame bc I did like where this was going. It's kind of a shame this series is centered around the bitch-fight between Kate and Jeanette bc I found myself more captivated whenever Martin was interacting with Kate. Seeing their story unfold and how people like Kate would end up in that situation, it was really interesting. Lastly, fuck all the characters in this series that gaslit Kate like god fuckin damn you guys are actually in the wrong

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I agree, Martin and Kate was way more intriguing to me than the girls cat fight

[@kmay6365]

I watched it with my husband and we had two completely different takes on the show! He thought Jeannette was completely innocent and was shocked by the ending... I, like you, saw it coming from a mile away! I did really enjoy the show overall.

[@sailormoon7952]

When you watch a show week to week you tend to overthink it which is what made the simple twist working. Watching something like this in a binge format makes it way more obvious. Glad I had the opportunity to watch it week too week. There were actually set up mysteries here and there - like what is the deal between Jeanette's mom, Tania and Cindy ( Kate's mom), but it was something you might have missed while binging.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

oh yes i did notice the other little mysteries throughout the show which I liked a lot, but to me the Jeannette reveal was so obvious because she was exhibiting so many weird behaviours

[@sailormoon7952]

@@SerenaSkybourne Many people while watching tried to rationalize Jeanette by blaming her obsession to her mom, the twist worked and caught some because fan theories were pll bonkers.

[@meepmeepinton]

I also liked the time skip part of it. it really highlighted the differences that the characters went through year to year, which wouldn't be as impactful if it was in chronological order. Plus i think it really amped up the drama, making you think "what happened to make things get to this?"

[@jonginisholy]

I don't think they romanticised their relationship, i mean i was creeped out every time they interacted. And i can see why stuff like Kate willing showing up at his doorstep etc. might come off to some that it was partially her fault. But that is the point though. She was groomed, so all of that is going to happen because she trusted Martin and felt like he cared for her more than anyone else in her life at that time because of his actions.

[@allisonmartin3674]

I really liked this show, though I wonder how season two is going to look? I hope it's more of an anthology and not a continuation of the plot line in season one because I think this season's ending was a good way to send off

[@nicoleackerman205]

Yes I want it to be an anthology.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I get having cameos or flashbacks towards the original characters in new situations to further thematic parallels to the new characters, but this is Free Form. They are not that deep.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I always rooted for kate because most of her life was being gaslighted bu everyone in her life and she cannot figure what is a lie and what is real. While Mallory is not perfect, I think she really wanted to protect kate and be a good friend to her. She did not realize it was kate in the house, but as soon as Kate asked her about it, she told her the truth. Mallory’s actions in the present made up for that one mistake. Also, Kate is not perfect but she was pretty honest during the whole show. She owned up to her mistakes including the press conference when Jeanette gave her the half truth. For some who don’t get why Kate could not run away with the gun vs. shooting Martin, she believed that with Martin’s wishy washiness, he would change his mind and keep her trapped there. She did what she had to do, but she stayed by him showing her remorse for what she did. She is imperfect and a human being. Her situation was complicated and we should not victim blame here.

[@trinaq]

Vince, Ben, Derek and Angela were the best characters, in my opinion. Vince continued to support Jeanette, and didn't take sides between her and Mallory. Same for Derek, though he risked his relationship with Ashley to help out his little sister. Ben was a sweet boyfriend to Vince, though understandably hesitant to come out, and Angela was a true queen, offering support to Jeanette when most people, including her own mother, were doubting her innocence.

[@geopik7733]

VINCE IS AN AMAZING WRITTEN CHARACTER

[@sarahchillomg2946]

Thoughts: -All the things that made you feel very strongly that Jeanette was not to be trusted were things that made me go the other way! Because it seemed TOO obvious, so my brain was like "ok they're spoonfeeding you this as a misdirection tactic". The biggest red flag to me with her was that she kept breaking into Martin Harris' house, because the scene where she was mimicking that actress felt less sociopathic and more like she was genuinely having a mental breakdown? I also really wish they hadn't made her the villain in the end because, as it's been said, it would've been much more compelling and much more meaningful to tell the story of someone who is kind of an easy target for a smear campaign because they don't behave the way we think they should. -Kate's relationship w Martin Harris reminded me so strongly of an inappropriate age-gap relationship I was groomed into around her age, and I really appreciated the way they handled it. I related so much to the feeling of being trapped in the house because no one outside can know who you're with. I was still able to communicate with friends and family outside the relationship I was in, but I rarely left the apartment we lived in and my "partner" made me fearful of the consequences of being discovered, even though they would really only have effected her. Sometimes she would even lock me in her bedroom when she had company over so that none of her friends would know I was living with her. I really loved the way the show handled that and it really made me feel seen. -I didn't like Mallory. I really wanted to like Mallory but I didn't. All the stuff you said about Jeanette's moping was how I felt about Mallory. -Vince is unironically my favorite, he's a such a good friend, he doesn't allow either Mallory or Jeanette to manipulate him in disliking either one of them and he seems to be the only character who really grasps the complexity of everyone's choices or understands that there's more going on than what is shown initially, I think because he carries his own profound secret himself and knows that it causes him to act in ways others don't understand. He brings so much to the table as a character and I just love him.

[@sarahchillomg2946]

ALSO the thing about how Martin eases into the physical contact: My experience TO A T. And you're right, in my case it was so my abuser could point out that I made moves on her too and make me feel like reporting her or asking someone for help would only result in my behavior being dissected instead of anything happening to her.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

ooohh this is so interesting!

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Wow! Thank you for telling your story. I know that is not easy and if it is ok to say, I hope you are ok. I do agree about Vincent. He deserved better than being treated like dirt by his friends and boyfriend. It is nice seeing people who are compassionate towards the struggles people go through. Rare breed. Also, was he one of the only people who did not judge Kate? I am not sure.

[@David-gx1nu]

Kate VS Jeanette is literally Alison VS Mona (Minus the fact that Kate wasnt a bully at all)

[@pinksuperstar2]

That's even what I thought

[@sethuzothe6372]

@@pinksuperstar2 mona was more likeable

[@laurenb8980]

i hated the Annabelle plot, it would've been. great if it ended up being another girl he had groomed or something interesting

[@JNDReacts]

I think Cindy played a pretty big role in how Jeanette turned out. In 1993 we see her always talking to Jeanette about being popular, and saying Jeanette will be beautiful when her braces come off and if she got contacts. Also a small issue from Greg’s parenting was letting Jeanette off the hook too easily back in 1993. At one point Jeanette tells Vince that she likes the thrill of almost getting caught doing something wrong but then getting away with it. I think this comes from not experiencing any negative consequences for her negative actions, like when Greg agrees to not tell Cindy after Jeanette is busted for stealing the CD (which she didn’t even do, so any consequences for that wouldn’t have been effective anyway. Meanwhile she got away with stealing that shirt Mallory tied around her waist). And then when she does finally suffer negative consequences for something-the overwhelming amount of backlash after Kate is rescued and accuses Jeanette of seeing her in Martin’s house-in Jeanette’s mind the consequences aren’t earned because *technically* she’s being punished for something she didn’t do. She’s being punished for seeing Kate and not reporting it, but she never *saw* Kate.

[@gcar25]

the final scene with jeanette where she smirked after she heard kate scream in the basement, "it's kate wallis!" reminded me SO MUCH of when alison smirked in emily's bedroom (in s5 of pll) because she successfully manipulated emily and her feelings in the conversation.

[@lithiumkid]

10:12 whenever a child goes missing, if they are not found within the first 72 hours or so, the odds are very very very high that they are already dead. i don’t think that Jeanette looks guilty for assuming that Kate’s dead when she’s been missing for so long & the vast majority of missing underage people unfortunately are dead pretty soon after they go missing.

[@MakeupWithSmidge]

I also wished they pulled like a "Jeanette did see Kate but was caught by Mr Pedo and was scared for her life if she told blahblahblah" showing that he had so much more over the girls because of them fearing they were next.

[@priscillao1064]

I feel like Kate traded one abusive relationship for another going from the teacher to Mallory

[@kutjegodverdomme]

I loved this show and I'm so excited for your take! I was also actually surprised, yes hahahah. I started to sympathize with Jeanette and started to kind of believe her, even if she still felt off. Especially in the end with the plot twist of Mallory, I thought it all made sense and was resolved. Then the final plot twist, I was absolutely blindsided. Of course she was super suspicious and clearly not innocent, but that last twist was unexpected to me. I guess I was just going with the flow of the show and didn't much think back to the clues I had clearly seen before. I just felt both sides were wrong and Jeanette was perhaps suspicious because she was posing as Kate and definitely clinically obsessed as wel as a pathological liar. Also, the timejumps felt pretty natural to me, or at least in the sense that I could follow where we were.

[@jonginisholy]

For me, even though I was suspicious of Jeanette, when it was revealed to be Mallory, I also thought "ahhh okay that makes sense, it was a misunderstanding after all." So when it was shown that Jeanette did know about Kate, I was also caught off guard a bit.

[@kutjegodverdomme]

@@jonginisholy exactly!

[@trinaq]

Indeed, I didn't expect all of the twists and turns, but suspected that Kate might have seen Mallory, and mistook her for Jeanette.

[@m.donez8]

The lighting differences in the past/present reminds me of 13 Reasons Why. It was happier and brighter in the past, then dark and gloomy in the present

[@HappyKat-wc4ld]

I was a weird kid when I was Jeanette's age and related to her in 1993 a bit. Because of that, I think my attitude towards her was like her dad's...I didn't WANT her to be a bad person so I just kind of ignored the red flags even though I did notice them. I felt like a huge idiot when I saw the finale 🤦‍♀️ I thought it was quite well done but I am gullible af so... 😅

[@melissapisarski9799]

I was still scandalized by the final scenes, but I was kind of hoping that when Kate snuck out around Christmas, her mom saw her and decided not to say anything. She could have thought Kate running away would tarnish the family's reputation and bring Kate's home life into question - which would have been a big no-no for the Wallace family, who like to keep everything within the home. A huge piece of what was missing from the first season for me was the investigation and what the police did/didn't do to try finding Kate. We only see a couple interrogations but for the most part, the show didn't explore the rumors going through town, what people thought happened, or what leads the police followed. I think any decent investigation would have brought some of Kate's mistreatment at home to light, so I'm interested in knowing what the Wallaces actively covered up or obscured, and I want to know if Jeanette's brother/mom/dad knowingly lied for her at any point too. Also, people probably saw her interacting with Mr. Harris, or they at least would have known he was on the hunting trip, and that whole roster of people would have been under immediate suspicion as adults with access to Kate.

[@mariusantondotsch2883]

I am really concerned about the naive people who thought Jeanette was just misunderstood and innocent Y'all a weirdo stays a weirdo

[@siennahartle9069]

Thank you red flags just in episode 1: Jeanette creepily watches Kate Jeanette assumes Kate is dead Jeanette has to copy Kate’s emotions on the tape of the interview and struggles to pretend to emote How does anyone see that and think she’s not a monster?

[@hanam.3323]

This show was fun to watch. A bit slow paced though.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

i agree

[@micalen]

I don't like Mallory at all. Everytime that Kate would drift closer or imply that she could only trust Mallory and started becoming the most important person in her life Mallory would get this really creepy and happy expression on her face. In other words, I feel like Kate was becoming more and more dependant on Mallory and she was enjoying it too much. Also, I think Kate exposed Jeannette on national TV like that because Martin was dead and she needed someone to be punished for what she'd been through. She had erased the memory of killing Martin because of the trauma so I imagine she dumped all of her anger and sorrow onto punishing Jeanette.

[@roy.shrestha]

Same. I truly disliked Mallory

[@irenecano9730]

You literally spoke my mind. I didn't trust Mallory at all , she was a shitty friend with Janette since the beginning and after they grew apart she despised her with every piece of her heart just becaue they stopped being friends (!?) I get that Mallory was mad but that was a bit excessive, and made me realise someone needs to see a therapist first ........... and become Kate's friend second. And regarding Kate's obsession with blaming Janette, I also think she needed a target and seeing that Janette literally stole her life made her brain connect invisible dots.

[@fatbitch7168]

same, I hate Mallory so fkn much jfkdkd she's beyond unlikeable and it's weird but I guess everyone was jumping to either be besties with the it girl or to take her life

[@ralphjb]

I get everyone's hate of Mallory as I didn't like her much either but I think her issues stem from her trauma. Mallory comes from a very broken home and hasn't received a lot of love/care in her life. As a result, she has developed a fucked up sense of codependency and latches onto anyone that gives her even the slightest bit of love/affection that anyone else does. The problem is that she has difficulty letting go or treating others as their own individuals. She only views them as extensions of herself and only values their friendship for what she can get out of it. She's very toxic but isn't inherently a bad person. And at the very least, she is in therapy for it, which is more than some can say.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I wonder if her stepsister, family, and friends did not turn their backs on her, she would not be dependent in Mallory. I feel she was already isolated before Mallory entered the picture is more heart breaking. I feel both of them were dependent in each other.

[@spiritfang36aj47]

I personally liked Jeannettes character. But as a villain. I saw the ending coming as well, but I still enjoyed her character as I found her excitingly creepy, interesting and mysterious.

[@pinksuperstar2]

Didn't watch the show, but based on your analysis, it sounds like the writers decided to focus on the dynamic between Alison and Mona and make that the main theme of the show. Only a more extreme/lesser version of the 2

[@Laurenjoinsyoutube]

The fact that Jamie and Jeanette got back together after he punched her in the face was awful

[@neishawnjohnson7602]

Yes you finally did it!!!! I hated the plot twist because they copped out and went the typical nerdy girl obsessed with popular girl and takes over her life, which was done in pll and etc. Plus, the fact that Kate was suppose to be the "victim" they made Jeannette the guilty party and then elude to her having mental illness which is so problematic in itself smh. Jeanette lied but from her actions and mental state up until the finale just doesn't really justify that twist, especially when she couldn't even lie to Vince about the amount of times she went to the house. Also, when she went to the house around Christmas, she didn't fully glowed up yet so it made sense why she went back since she like the danger and the validation it gave her. But what got me is when the scene with the twist came she fully made the transition and became popular and got that validation so what was the purpose of her going there that day?? There is a theory that she called the police after she heard her, which is why they showed up and freaked Martin out so he tried to kill himself and kate or both. Which is why Jeanette was concerned about the gun shot in the distance when she was with Jamie.

[@neishawnjohnson7602]

@I'm So Tired yeah but if we are taking the twist into account it contradicts that because she would've let Kate out if she really felt unsatisfied with her new life as a popular girl.

[@shaemccoy7445]

I think you’re harder on Jeanette, like yes, she was a horrible person. But she wasn’t responsible for her parents marriage failing, she wasn’t 100% responsible for the boyfriend and the friends getting with Jeanette. She was not in any means innocent at all but she isn’t the big bad of the story. Her catalyst was freaking Mallory for a lot of her bad behaviors and I think we can all agree that she jump started a lot of this mess. Also Kate is a lair. I don’t blame her for getting kidnapped obviously like he was a grown ass man but even if Jeanette DID see her, she wasn’t locked up. So she knew that what she was doing was wrong, blaming Jeanette. I think that both girls have good and both have bad but Kate has more good than bad and Jeanette has a lot more bad than good.

[@quizbangandedits1134]

Exactly . Everybody seems to be in love with Kate and I really can't fathom why. Yes I feel sympathy for her but she did lie about a lot of things. She wasn't kidnapped (until later on), when she claimed Jeanette "saw" her she wasn't kidnapped at the time and could fully leave the house. Also, she never actually saw Jeneatte, she just assumed it was her because of her bicycle. I mean Jeanette is not a saint and did some weird and confusing stuff, but people are acting like she was totally in the wrong when Kate lied about literally everything apart from the grooming.

[@EllieC130]

To me, Jeanette and Tom Ripley have a very similar fixation on their stalkees; it kind of teeters between romantic fixation and a desire to be them. I prefer living in that greyness not because I wouldn’t want the lgbt representation but because it makes more sense for characters with such skewed identities.

[@lucy-ferprofiler5379]

I think it was a fantastic show !!! Unlike PPL, which was just disrespecting the viewers by planting mysteries that made no sense / led nowhere / way too unlikely / way too complicated to understand, I loved that we got clear answers. I love Kate's character and I hate Mallaury's. I don't understand why, really could not stand her. There's great subtlety to the show, everything is well thought-out and the actresses were great and just gorgeous.

[@nicoleackerman205]

I did not really like the ending but it was coherent and made sense in the end unlike PLL.

[@Tamara-gz4um]

I didn't have that much of a problem with the reveal at the end. I more found it "satisfying" because I knew and could see the signs instead of it coming out of nowhere just because they wanted a twist. But I hope they do something more with it if there's a second season. I agree that they should have done more with the other caracters though.

[@xubs5919]

I agree with everything. It absolutely baffled me when I saw that some people actually believed Jeannette

[@anani7721]

For me Kates big lies were not about seeing Jeanette, because I can totally understand, that she perceived her on that bike. For recognizing a person context information are really important and believing that the "Card-Bike" is Jeanettes and the fact that Kate knew it was her in the house made her see her. So she didn't lie intentionally as Jeanette did, she just did not perceive the reality of the situation, but a version that is colored by the things she knew at this point. What makes me strongly believe that is the difference between the silhouettes that Jeanette and Mallory would have. Mallory is way taller than Jeanette and Kate still was absolutely confident it was her. One thing to blame Kate for is intentionally lying about where she saw Jeanette and that she went to Harris willingly. But I can understand that she expected the person seeing her to report it to the police. I think in one therapy scene she even said, that one piece of her wanted the person to report even though she had hidden upstairs. So for me her lie is the one about her being locked-up while Jeanette saw her and not telling about her "consensual" (as far as one can tell in consensual in this case) relationship with Harris. Other than Jeanette I can relate to Kates intentions about those lies. She was ashamed and scared that people would blame her for her trauma (what she already did herself I guess). The relationship between Harris and Kate was really creepy to me. To me Harris appeared suspicious and like groomer in the first second seeing him. After his first meeting with Jeanettes I really thought that he was totally attracted to her and they would kidnap Kate together. Till the end I thought the plot twist would be, that after locking Kate up, Harris met Jeanette. I hope that the next seasons gives an insight into Jeanettes mind and how she plays Kate, who will probably still feel guilty for blaming Jeanette. And maybe the relationship between Kate and Harris comes out. And I would love to see how Jeanette acted in 1954 after finding out that Kate was in the basement. For Kate ... well I don't see her with Mallory. I liked their friendship and I feared that they would turn it into a love story. I think for Kate it is better to heal without being in a relationship. For me there were no clues at all that Kate was falling in love with Mallory (and vice versa). I would like to see that Kate realizes that she gets herself into relationships/ thinking she is in love as soon as somebody genuinely cares about her because of emotional neglect as a kid/teen.

[@Joy-1164]

I totally agree, the build-up was so good, especially the 9th episode, and it did feel disappointing. Like the second last episode was soo much more interesting than the last. I thought it was too obvious for Jeanette to be the bad guy because they were literally saying she was and I was like there's no way she's actually bad, because the show wouldn't be implying it so much, so I brushed over everything wrong about her because I was not at all expecting her to be bad. Maybe I'm just too used to PLL where there's literally a hundred signs that dozens of characters are A/AD and then it's someone we don't even know or cared about lol

[@irenecano9730]

I was honestly shocked with the ending. My theory is that the writers decided to make the character of Janette creepy AF on purpose to guide the viewers into thinking she is not innocent , so then with Mallory's reveal they could be like "GOT YOU, YOU WERE WRONG ALL ALONG" as a consequence at this point no one would doubt Janette, because there is no room for interpretation anymore. This way the writers made sure everyone's mind is made by the final scene and it's even more shocking to see that they played with us once again!!!!! I don't know if that was their intention but it definitely worked with me !!!! I think I would not have been as shocked if Janette would be playing all innocent throughout the whole season. I feel it was way more unexpected this way. Also, the last scene gave me real chills, they did a great cinematic job in there!!!!

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I agree with you Jeanette. I never trusted her from the get go. Just because you are nerdy and dorky, but she lies and manipulates through her teeth all of time. She has no problem with letting her friends get into trouble except for that one time in the mall. Also, the plot twist at the end made me sick. She kept persuading people that she did not know kate was in the house with a loophole. She did not see her but she heard her. What? You got Kate to trust you and you were responsible for keeping her there. Yes, Kate went willingly, but Martin isolated her and persuaded her that he was her only support system. He groomed her and kidnapped her. Despite how happy she looked in the relationship, it is not consensual when one is an adult and another is an adult. I felt bad foe Jeanette’s mom because she knew her daughter was psycho and lied about everything and got her dad in trouble with the key from her dad’s office. Jeanette kept gaslighting her and no one believed the mom. I get she should not have left, but I believe she left a toxic environment that was not healthy for her.

[@gurm1155]

Unpopular opinion but I kinda like that Jeanette was the big bad, bc spot often we see so many shows where "yeah they're creepy but they're just misunderstood" and its like.....sometimes people are fucking creepy for a reason and sometimes your gut really is trying to tell you something

[@LLawliet-pz1rm]

Totally agree!

[@kelsey1467]

I always felt like mallory was the more toxic friend than jenette because she always wanted to get into trouble and jenette was the better person yes I know she didn't help kate but I still think mallory is a toxic friend

[@violetslit]

it's super cool to me that Jeanette is the same actress as Addison in PLL lol, the characters are kinda similar!

[@danielleneal3614]

That's not the same actress, but definitely similar characters! A lot of similarities with PLL which is really cool

[@shutupdani]

I thought you were talking about the Addison played by Ava Allan and was confused but I guess Chiara played a character named Addison too. It was only one episode so I don’t remember her personality so I’ll take your word for it. Cool catch.

[@violetslit]

@@shutupdani Yeah! She played young Addison in the Christmas episode, the older Addison was Ava Allan

[@fatbitch7168]

imagine having in your conscience that you didn't help a kidnapped girl and then heard a gunshot that made you conclude she was dead while everyone else was totally oblivious to it all... holy fuck.

[@brynniefresh9746]

everyone hates Mallory tho…so I think Jeanette may have gone under the radar a little coz of people’s hatred towards Mallory

[@meepmeepinton]

I don't think Kate lied about seeing Jeanette. From what I remember she heard someone in the house, found Jeanette's bracelet, then locked eyes with a shadowy figure who she misremembered as being Jeanette. It had been well established that Kate was having memory issues afterwards. If Kate was lying she would not have become friends with Mallory and been so shocked when the Mallory twist was revealed. The part I didn't like was that Kate was so quick to forgive Mallory when she realised it was her, but when she thought it was Jeanette she would not forgive. I'm guessing that it was because she didn't like Jeanette after leaving because she stole her life and because she got to know Mallory before she realised, but that to me felt very strange.

[@thejesuscortes]

I think they definitely could’ve written Jeanette better. Like you said, it’s not a big surprise that Jeanette actually knew Kate was locked in the basement. I think if they changed the dynamic between Jeanette and her parents then it could’ve actually shown you why she is the way she is. It’s not interesting if she’s just evil because she’s evil and there’s nothing more to it. Like if it was shown that Cindy was trying to live vicariously through Jeanette more, it would of made waaaay more sense. Maybe they could’ve shown Jeanette getting picked on more or something (not that bully victims become evil) just to really hammer the idea of why Jeanette would hate herself so much.

[@taryn12]

I'm late to the party but recently binged the series and loved it! I was so hooked. I think this was the best depiction of grooming I've ever seen on TV. It was never glamorized and you could see his manipulation from the start. I'm not sure why the final twist shocked me so much. I knew something was VERY off about Jeanette. It creeped me out SO much just how downright giddy she was when she heard Kate was missing. Not to mention her reaction when Kate was found. I really love Olivia Holt - not only is she an incredible actress but she sang some of the covers on the show!

[@fatbitch7168]

Jeanette also kind of smiled when telling Jamie about Kate's disappearance and she posed it as giving him a heads up because "the boyfriend is always the first suspect", like ????? imagine if for real Jamie had done something. It seems like a very sketchy way of approaching the whole thing

[@OfTheEssence]

Kate is definitely trauma bonded to Mallory and the relationship is unhealthy. Kate feeling like Mallory is the only person she can trust and her changing her personality and interests to Mallory’s. I really hope they don’t stay together.

[@AngelViews]

All around the show was pretty good. I would usually like a character like Jenette (an underdog, seemingly sweet but odd) the only reason I never liked her is because her obsession with Kate and the entitlement to her life. I like that even though Kate was popular she wasn't your typical mean girl, Kate was actually nice and was a real people pleaser Even though I never trusted Jenette the ending still shocked me lol Im interested in how season 2 will go, will they continue with this story or have a completely new set of characters

[@evix.9888]

I haven't watched the show but I love the way you discuss things , I think in a really clever way !

[@MakeupWithSmidge]

This show depicted grooming spot on. Like, truly spot on to the point that it triggered me for a few hours (I'm not one who gets triggered easily about my grooming) so the fact it made me feel the way I did made me happy in a way because it showed how Kate was so vulnerable and how Mr Pedo KNEW that. I did not like Mallory from the first episode at all, I thought she was even more annoying than Jeanette. Jeanette seemed to be creepy yes, but Mallory seems to me to have a lot more demons. I hope s2 throws a plot twist that Mallory actually DID know it was Kate and that Mallory was in love with Kate from the beginning because It would make sense to all the trash talk that she gave considering we see Kate as a sweet charming innocent young girl. I wanted Jeanette to be innocent because she WAS so creepy however she was just so goddamn unlikable.

[@biancachristie]

Interesting--Patricia Higsmith, the author of the Ripley novels (there were at least 3, I think) was from North Texas, which is where Cruel Summer is set

[@SerenaSkybourne]

thats so weird!! cant be a coincidence.

[@liamstatham3362]

I finally decided to watch the show and I really enjoyed it. Jeanette made me uncomfortable a lot of the time, especially in her last interview. She was so smiley and correct me if I’m wrong, she was dressed like Kate in that interview too. The headband, cardigan and Pearl necklace. I liked Kate’s character, she was probably the most likeable to me and I think grooming was handled well in the show. The ending wasn’t that surprising but I still enjoyed it. I can’t wait for season 2.

[@hidansektas]

never seen it but i just love you talking about anything really ♥♥

[@kpeats1224]

I think re Kate the writers did a great job showing how grooming was depicted - and the episode didn't give people the chance to romantise it in any way either. Having the episode of her and Martin play out, it intrupted the supposedly "happy moments" (if you would call it that) with the psychologist about the disturbing reality of what grooming is. Unlike PPL and numerous other shows/movies, it took seriously the topic of teacher/student dynamics and adult/teenage relationships and drove home how inappropriate they are even if it "feels so good" in the moment. Along with the progression of Kate getting to the point of not enjoying the relationship and coming to terms with what was happening. I think for anyone who has ever been groomed or anyone who knows someone who has been groomed, it reminded the audience of who the victim was - which was Kate. Was a nice change to watch and an important message to send!!

[@befaithfully]

I enjoyed the show so much. The way grooming was portrayed was sth I've never seen before. Also I liked the time jumps. Honestly I was kinda suprised that Jeanette was not innocent. The scene, were she was mimicing the innocent girl wasn't strange to me at all. I was thinking that maybe Jeanette is a psychopath who wants to learn how a person would act or look like innocent or she's just afraid that people wouldn't believe her if she doesn't act like the expect her to (which is not even that unrealistic). I thought she took an oppurtinity in Kates misery but wasn't really involved. That she maybe thought she heard someone in the house but wasn't sure and didn't investigate further- not that it was so clear that she did know. Also I thought she was admiring Kate and what Jeanette thought Kates life is like. Yeah she was creepy and stalkerisch so who would believe her being innocent? What bugs me is that Mallory was such a bad friend to Jeanette but a seemingly amazing friend to Kate. It confuses me so much because I really don't know how to feel about her character. She seems just as shady as Jeanette, but in a different way.

[@msbranch2879]

I agree w you in almost everything except Jeanette’s place when it comes to her parents. Jeanette isn’t to blame for her parents failing marriage-they’re two grown adults who could’ve worked it out on their own. Even if the situation with Kate didn’t happen, they would have fallen out either way. And I can’t blame Jeanette for being angry at Cindy, bc at the end of the day, Cindy left her daughter knowing that she was going through a hard time. Jeanette is indeed a liar, creepy, and obsessive, but I think her anger toward her mom is justified. The only parent I felt bad for is Greg, bc he truly loved Jeanette and was on her side 100% even if it cost him everything. Compared to Greg, I can see why Jeanette thinks Cindy is a horrible parent.

[@MakeupWithSmidge]

omg u watched this show just because you mentioned making a video on it and now I'm hereeee

[@ellielouise9625]

I really hope that the fina;, final scene was just a set up for season 2 to unveil EVERYONE who was involved in this..o really feel like they can push it so much further with what really happened to kate

[@brynniefresh9746]

bro you can’t blame Jeanette for her parents splitting up…they obviously had problems and the husband wasn’t supportive of her and Jeanette just added to that shit

[@clamshelljuice]

I noticed how sus Jeanette was acting, but I thought it would be like in Gone Girl, where everyone blames the husband because he doesn’t act like the perfect innocent person would

[@KhanyiVundla]

I always had an off feeling about Mallory. it was sooo satisfying for me to find out it was Mallory

[@GoryBMovie]

I thought the depiction of grooming on this show was spot on. I was abused as a child and for years was scared to tell anyone because it was someone I knew and they were never violent towards me. They pretended to be a friend and were someone that everyone liked. I listened and obeyed because that is how I was raised to be with adults, particularly my parent's friends. They would say complimentary things so it was hard to make people realize at the time how wrong and uncomfortable those things were. I was supposed to be thankful when someone told me I was pretty or grown up. When it progressed I blamed myself. I never directly said no or stop. My abuse also took place in the 90s, like the show, when victim blaming was much more prevalent. It may sound silly, but this show made me feel understood and validated. It felt true to my experience.

[@vanessamagon8661]

I actually agree with everything you said here, bro, a really great review. And honestly people are way too predictable with the blaming Kate and rooting for Jeanette, pls y'all i'm begging, acquire some critical thinking. 💀

[@thesunflowerCAT]

Mallory was such a weird character. She was the one who saw Kate that night, and even though she supposedly didn't know who that was, when Kate was found she did understand what actually happened. Which makes me wonder why she went so hard on Jeanette, KNOWING that she herself has seen Kate without realizing it? We do find out that actually Jeanette didn't see Kate that night (even though she's guilty anyway, as we find out in the last episode), so how Mallory didn't even consider that her former best friend might have had the same experience? And teams up against her with Kate for all that time without ever even trying to understand what went wrong? I don't get if that was a plot hole, Mallory taking advantage of Kate's trauma to get revenge on Jeanette for dumping her or a sign of how she knew all along and she's secretly the bad guy too.

[@Princesamerodeadora]

I really thought Mallory had a crush on Jeannette and Kate later. I really felt sexual tension between Kate and Mallory the whole time in 1995. I loved how the grooming was portrayed because it shows you, it can happen with an adult you trust and it can happen to anyone anytime. Grooming has a lot of faces and this is one of them we don’t see often. I didn’t find Jeannette that weird just...wanting to fit in. She reminded me of me. When I was 13 there was this popular girl I wanted to befriend so badly and I ended up being her bestie (worst decision of my life). So I just saw Jeannette like that, wanting to fit in with the “in” crowd. That’s why I disliked so bad the finale. Btw, Jamie was dull and useless.

[@oswinner7799]

the ending really was pretty predictable. if they would have made jeanette's character more sympathetic and innocent then it would have been a good plot twist. but since the beginning, it was pretty obvious where the story was leading. btw, mallory and kate wasn't queerbait. i read an article after the finale where the writers talked about it and said its the start of something.

[@JNDReacts]

As for Jeanette dropping the lawsuit, it made perfect sense to me. I can’t remember if she says it to Kate or on the Marsha Bailey show, but Jeanette says the lawsuit was never about the money, it was about clearing her name. Her being invited on the talk show, being referred to as “the most wronged person in America” was more valuable to her than money. I also like it because it works really well with Jeanette’s loophole mindset. Cindy tried to convince Jeanette to drop the lawsuit because there’s no way she could come out of this looking good. Either way she’d be seen as the girl who sued a kidnapping victim. Well, Jeanette managed to come out of this whole mess looking good.

[@calebm553]

The dark lighting in 1995 was actually annoying me lmao. I couldn’t have my lamp on either otherwise I couldn’t see properly lol 😂

[@skippersnacks]

I felt the pay off was great. It did seem like Jeanette didn't see Kate as Kate said. Well she didn't see her.. It made lots of sense that both were lying..

[@ellay2715]

I finished it an hour ago and let me tell you I RAN to this video

[@mpGreen03]

For most of the episodes I just couldn't help but dislike, mistrust and get creeped out by Jeanette. WELL I WAS RIGHT TO AND I DON'T FEEL BAD PHEW.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

You called it!

[@fatbitch7168]

I thought "Anabelle" was gonna be someone helping Harris that we didn't see coming and it occurred to me that Mallory could have something to do with it all, but maybe that would be too weird and hard to pull off

[@Smita-Says]

I have to disagree as I didn’t see that twist! However, it’s because I always root for the nerds. In this show, I actually empathised with the popular girl more which never happens! The 90s nostalgia, the butterfly 🦋 clips, chokers, the way it showed how parents pressure you or try to live through you & how grooming happens. I didn’t like Mallory’s character & how easily she was forgiven

[@amberbernay]

I would love to see you review ginny & georgia & the show “you” after s3 releases

[@user-ji9if5gh2p]

i love pll i’ll probably rewatch it so many more times and i’m only half an episode in to cruel summer but the premise and cinematography is already so much better

[@user-ji9if5gh2p]

from like a professional standpoint i think pll is fun to watch but they had no clue what they were doing making that show tbh

[@mercedesgazda1635]

i genuinely loved this show so much

[@siennahartle9069]

Finally I found someone else who recognized that Jeanette was a creep from the start

[@sailormoon7952]

Btw Serena can you do a video on PLL The Original Sin? The show is probably a year away, but we have casting, character descriptions, plot synopsis. It would be nice to hear your opinion on these as well as your predictions.