Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 3 Recap: Off With a Bang

In the previous episode of Freeform’s Cruel Summer, we realize no one knows who to believe, Jeanette or Kate?

We are now on July 4th. The year is 1993. Jeanette and her mother are watching the news. They are preparing for the annual 4th of July firework show.

It is now 1994, Jeanette’s mother, Cindy, is watching the news again. The news is breaking about Jeanette seeing Kate in the house. Cindy doesn’t believe it to be true. But is it?

Jeanette overheard the whole thing.

Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 3: Did Jeanette really do it?

We jump to 1995; Jeanette is driving when Kate comes up to the car and starts yelling at her. Jeanette drives away.

It goes back to 1994, and Jeanette’s brother, Derek, tells her dad, Greg, that Jamie hit Jeanette and that it wasn’t a volleyball. Greg and Derek go to Jamie’s house.

Derek asks Jamie if he hit Jeanette, and he admits it. As Derek and Greg leave, Jamie yells out that Jeanette isn’t the girl they think she is.

It is 1995. Jamie is being brought home by the police. Jamie was stalking Jeanette again.

Just like that, we are back in 1993. Mallory has weed and wants to get high with Jeanette and Vince.

They were all going to bring contraband to cross it off of their list. Mallory brought weed, but the other two brought a magazine and cooking liquor.

Just then, Greg comes in and tells Mallory that her mom wants her to go home.

Jeanette and Vince want to get rid of the weed, but they don’t know how. Jeanette then says that she is going to flush it down the toilet.

We go to 1994. Officers are at Jeanette’s house. They have questions about Kate and want to bring her to the station.

Vince is at work. He calls someone. He is being questioned the following day by Jeanette’s lawyer. The person on the other end doesn’t want Vince to call anymore.

In 1993, Jeanette and Vince are playing Jenga. Mallory walks back in. She wants her mother’s stash, but they already got rid of it. Mallory gets angry and leaves. Vince goes after her.

Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 3: What do the police think?

In 1994, Jeanette, Greg, and Cindy are at the precinct. They show Jeanette the necklace that Kate found of hers in the house. Jeanette says that she threw hers out after she had a falling out with a friend.

Jeanette mentions that she is dating Kate’s ex, and maybe that is why she is saying she was there.

In 1995, Jeanette is flipping through the television. She comes across a late-night talk show host making fun of her. She then gets to a Law and Order type show and imitates the victim on the witness stand. Is she really innocent?

Cindy and Greg are home and talking about the necklace. Cindy thinks that Jeanette lied and the necklace was hers. Greg thinks that she is overreacting.

Cindy leaves to get ready and Jeanette walks in. Greg tells Jeanette that he knows what Jamie did to her.

Vince is at his movie rental job. Kate walks in to rent. Shortly after, Mallory walks in. Mallory gets quiet. Kate rents a few movies and leaves.

Vince then critiques the movies that Kate took out. They were kidnapping movies. Mallory defends her. Vince then brings up that he has to help a friend. Mallory doesn’t want it to be Jeanette.

In 1993, Jeanette is telling Cindy about the flushing of the drugs and how upset Mallory got.

In a later year, Vince gets into the car with another guy. Could this be the guy from the phone?

In 1995, Jeanette is reading a book in her room when her brother knocks on her door. Jeanette tells him about the encounter she had with Kate in the car.

Then Jeanette goes downstairs. She is on her way to the Fourth of July fireworks. Her dad is angry that she leaked the lawsuit to the press, but we also find out that Cindy is also no longer in the picture. These summers really took a toll.

Vince is outside of Jeanette’s house, but he doesn’t say anything.

Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 3: What happens on the Fourth of July?

Back in 1994, Jeanette is at the Fourth of July fireworks with her parents. Jamie is there, but he ignores her. Cindy realizes that everyone is talking about Jeanette.

Vince is in the car with a guy named Ben. He is asking about Jeanette and if Vince believes her. Vince does.

In 1993, Jeanette sneaks away from the Fourth of July Fireworks to the house where Kate was being held. She lets herself inside. She starts yelling for Mr. Harris, but he doesn’t answer.

Ben and Vince then stop at a hangout. They are a couple.

At the fireworks in 1994, Jeanette talks to Jamie. Jamie doesn’t want to be with her anymore and also suggests that he doesn’t believe her. Jeanette wants Jamie to ask Kate to talk to her. Jamie declines.

Jamie then says that Jeanette was the one that told him that Kate went missing. How did she know?

We then go back to 1993. Jeanette is in Mr. Harris’s house. He isn’t there, and she starts going through his things. She finds a yearbook and looks through it. She notices that he was an assistant principal at Widow Falls.

Just then, someone starts to break into the house. They through a bottle through the window and sneak in. It is 1995 Jeanette.

Both time periods are going back and forth. 1993 Jeanette leaves the house and goes to Mallory’s. She brings her the yearbook to complete the “steal something” on the list.

Jeanette wants to make up with Mallory, and she agrees. Their argument is over.

Back in 1995, Jeanette is still in the house. She is going downstairs. Vince shows up. She starts talking about “hide and seek” and the feeling she had when she was there the first time.

She went to the house this night to reverse the feeling she had from the first time, but it doesn’t work.

Vince then tells her about Ben. Jeanette thought they didn’t speak anymore, and Vince confirms that they don’t.

Vince is now with the attorneys. They are asking him about Jeanette. They then ask how many times that she has been in the house. Vince had actually asked this question to Jeanette, to which she responded “a lot.”

He doesn’t tell the attorneys this, though.

We then jump back to 1993. Jeanette never threw away the joint. She held onto it. Is Jeanette who we think she is?

What are your thoughts? Who do you believe? Leave a comment below!

You can watch Cruel Summer every Tuesday on Freeform at 10:00 EST.