There are more mysteries to come! Cruel Summer premiered via Freeform in April 2021 — and became an immediate hit. Now, fans are looking for more from all three versions of Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt) and Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia). In June 2021, the network confirmed that there was a second season in the works.

The Jessica Biel-produced show followed the story of popular teen Kate and nerdy high schools Jeannette throughout their lives in 1993, 1994 and 1995. When Kate suddenly goes missing, Jeanette becomes the cool girl in school. Amid her reign as the most popular girl in their small town of Skylin, Texas, Jeanette starts to date Kate’s boyfriend and befriends her besties. Then, once Kate is found (she was held hostage in the basement of their vice principal Martin Harris’ house), she claims that Jeanette knew where she was the whole time. Throughout the first season, mysteries continue to unfold — and the truth gets revealed.

“Something that really drew me in was the female representation of the two female leads to the female creatives behind this project,” Olivia, for one, explained while speaking with TV Guide in April 2021. “I definitely think that we need more of that. I know that when I was a kid, I didn’t really see a lot of that on screen. I’m very grateful to be a part of this.”

Unfortunately, the actress won’t be returning for the second season! In April 2022, Freeform announced that the show would be going forward as an anthology and introduced a new cast of characters to the mix. Keep reading for more details on Cruel Summer season 2. 

How Season 1 Ended

After a battle between Kate and Jeanette of who was telling the truth, it was revealed that Kate actually saw someone else peering through the window of Martin’s (Blake Lee) house. So, it seemed like they were both off the hook. Then, a surprise scene right at the end of the finale revealed that Jeanette may not have seen Kate locked in the basement, but she definitely heard her.

Everything to Know About Freeform's 'Cruel Summer' Season 2 — Release Date and More
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What Will Season 2 Be About

“Set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, the next chapter of Cruel Summer follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship,” Freeform’s official press release read. “Approaching the story from three different timelines surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the early friendship between Megan, Isabella and Megan’s best friend Luke, the love triangle that blossomed, and the mystery that would impact all of their lives going forward.”

The New Cast

Sadie Stanley was cast as main character Megan while Eloise Payet is set to star as Isabella. Griffin Gluck will join the ladies as Luke, the third member of this upcoming love triangle. KaDee Strickland, Lisa Yamada, Sean Blakemore and Paul Adelstein round out the cast as Debbie, Parker, Sheriff Myer and Steve Chambers, respectively.

How to Watch

No release date has been announced just yet, but the show is set to return to Freeform.