Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 5 recap: As the Carny Gods Intended

In the previous episode of Cruel Summer, we saw Kate’s side of the story. But is there someone else involved? Who is Annabelle? It is now July 29, 1993, 1994, and 1995. We start in 1993. Kate and Jeanette are each getting ready for something.

We then go to 1994. Kate and Jeanette are also getting ready in this year. Then, of course, we jump to 1995. Jeanette is getting ready, and the mood is different. She is getting yelled at for using all of the hot water.

Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 5:  What are they getting ready for?

In Kate’s bedroom, she is having a quick flashback of Mr. Harris. She is listening to her session tapes and is talking about having a friendship with Mr. Harris before the abduction.

Jeanette is talking to her lawyer about the upcoming trial. The lawyer says that she needs character witnesses to speak to the fact that she has a heart.

We go back to 1993; Jeanette is getting ready to go on a first date with someone at the county fair. Mallory, Vince, and Jeanette are all going.

Kate and Jamie also go to the fair. Only they are in 1994. Kate is questioning if Jamie even wants to be with her because she saw him kiss Jeanette in the park.

Jamie lies about kissing her, and Kate says that she followed him that night. They get into an argument, and Kate gets out of the car.

Jeanette is walking around the fair with her brother. Jeanette wants to find Jamie and Kate, but he says not to do it.

We go back to 1993, Kate and Jamie are walking around. Kate sees her mother with Scott, but then her dad walks over.

In 1995, Kate was talking to her online friends about the Liar Letter. She thinks Jeanette did it. Then, Mallory climbs through the window. She says that Jeanette might be sitting in the dunk tank at the fair.

Kate wants to go to the fair to ask someone about the letter, and she convinces Mallory to go with her.

In 1993, Jeanette greets her date Gideon, and he joins the group on their way to the fair.

In 1995, Jeanette walks into the kitchen. Her dad is grabbing a drink. She asks about people that on her side. She wants to know if her father is, and he assures her that he is.

In 1994, Jeanette and Derek are walking around trying to find Kate because Jeanette wants to make up. She wants Derek there to witness it.

The media are ambushing Kate and her parents. Jamie clears the way for Kate and then confesses that he felt bad for Jeanette, and that is why he met her at the park.

He claims that he didn’t kiss her and tells Kate that she is misremembering. Kate doesn’t take this lightly and breaks up with him.

It is 1995, Jeanette is with Angela. Angela invites Jeanette out and tells her that if she wants people on her side, she will have to talk to people.

In 1994, Cindy is on the couch drinking wine. She is complaining to Greg about how people are talking about Jeanette. She clearly isn’t handling the weight of this situation well.

Greg goes to the video store for a movie for the both of them.

Angela walks inside and says that she hit Greg’s car. She says that she hit the car because she was running late to look at a new apartment. Greg gives her his business card.

In 1995, Mallory and Kate are walking around the fair. Girls are talking to the press about Jeanette and how “bad” she is.

Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 5: What happens in the funhouse?

Kate flashes back to 1994, where she sees the same girls and is about to enter the funhouse. Jeanette tries to run up to her, but Mallory and Kate run in. Jeanette runs in after her.

After a few minutes of running around, Jeanette leaves the funhouse. Derek tells Jeanette to stop trying to talk to Kate because “the Wallis family always wins.”

In 1995, Kate is still looking at the funhouse. She takes out headphones are starts listening to one of her session tapes.

We go back to 1993. Mr. Harris is running a booth. Jeanette walks up with Gideon, and they play his booth game. Two girls come over and start making fun of Gideon. Jeanette claims not to know him and walks away.

In 1995, Angela and Jeanette show up at a bar that she works at. They do karaoke.

In 1993, Mr. Harris is left talking to Gideon. Harris tells Gideon that Jeanette probably isn’t coming back and offers him a ride. Gideon says that he will ride his bike home.

That is when Kate walks over.

In 1995, Kate finds Jamie drinking at the fair. Jamie finally confesses to kissing Jeanette in the park the summer before, and then he apologizes.

We go back to 1993. Kate is playing the game at the booth. Mr. Harris is running. She is the only one playing, so she is the winner. He gives her a stuffed animal as her prize.

Kate apologizes for the way she acted on the hunting trip and hopes to leave a better impression on him. Mr. Harris says that the first time impression he had was actually at the garden party. He says that he mistook her as an adult for a second. As Kate walks away, Mr. Harris realizes she has left her hair tie behind, and he takes it.

Jeanette, Mallory, and Vince are walking through the fair. Jeanette says that Gideon left. Mr. Harris calls her over and talks to her about what she did to Gideon.

She sees him holding the hair tie. He says that he is going to give it back to Kate when school starts. Jeanette says that she will return it to her, and he reluctantly hands it over.

In 1995, Kate and Mallory walk up to a fence and climb it. They also have a shovel.

Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 5: What are they doing with the shovel?

In the middle of karaoke, Jeanette starts to have a panic attack. Angela says that she needs to break down the wall that she built.

We return to 1993. Kate is happy about the stuffed animal and Mr. Harris. Jeanette is happy about the hair tie and Kate.

In 1995, Kate starts to dig up a grave. Mr. Harris’s grave, and she places that same stuffed animal in it. Then she breaks his headstone.

What are your thoughts? Should Jeanette have tried harder to talk to Kate? Would Kate have even listened? Leave a comment below!

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