Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 7 Recap: Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis

In the previous Cruel Summer summer episode, Mrs. Peterson did not give her full testimony to the police. What does this mean for Jeanette’s lawsuit?

This episode takes place on August 29, 1993, 1994, and 1995, starting in 1993. It is Kate’s birthday. We then jump to 1994, with Kate on her message board complaining that the cops can’t come up with anything to incriminate Jeanette.

Kate’s mom comes into the room and wants her to go on the Marsha Bailey talk show to get people on her side.

Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 7: What will Kate’s Birthday Reveal?

It’s now 1995, Kate’s birthday again, and she had a sleepover with Mallory. It is also their “friend-aversary.”

We see Kate in Mr. Harris’s basement. He is trying to get into the basement. He tells Kate that no one is looking for her anymore. He also tells her that Jamie is dating Jeanette. This makes Kate upset.

Jamie is seen with Kate’s father, Rod. It is 1993. He wants to give Kate a promise ring for her birthday and asks for her father’s blessing.

It is 1994, and Kate’s mom opens the front door to Mallory. She has come over and had no idea it was Kate’s birthday. Kate says that she isn’t hungry, and Mallory offers up some marijuana.

In 1995, they are going through the therapy tapes again. Kate is about to play something about Annabelle. On the tape, Kate gets frightened and says that she doesn’t know anything about Annabelle and that she doesn’t remember.

Kate tells Mallory that she is angry that she can’t remember who Annabelle is. Mallory wants to take her mind off it.

We go back to 1993. Jamie and Kate are in the food court at the mall. He gives Kate the promise ring, but it seems unsettling for Kate.

In 1994, Kate and Mallory are eating some nachos. Kate’s sister, Ashley, comes in and realizes that they are high. They say that they will watch a movie and the three of them go rent one together.

As Kate is watching the movie, a girl is being chased by a guy. She starts to yell at the girl to run faster. We see her running from Mr. Harris in the house, but she had nowhere to go.

Joy comes into the room. Ashley and Mallory leave, and she presses Kate about going on the talk show. Joy realizes that Kate is high and gets mad. Kate makes her leave.

We go back to 1993, and we see all of Kate’s friends in the food court. They are passing around a flask. Jamie gets drunk at the mall. He ends up spilling a drink on Kate.

In 1994, Rod comes to talk to Kate. He apologizes to Kate and says that she is his daughter, too. She asks him if she should go on the talk show. He tells her to think about it. Joy comes in and tells them to put on the news.

Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 7: What else about Mr. Harris?

The news is breaking that someone had a run-in with Mr. Harris at his previous school.

Kate is angry that the news is blowing this out of proportion. Mr. Harris had told her that he just tutored this girl. She still believes that to be true.

Joy uses Kate’s anger to get Kate to go on the talk show.

In 1995, Mallory takes Kate to the roller rink. Mallory is the new assistant manager and has shut down the rink for the two of them.

Back in 1993, Jamie and Kate have stopped in front of a house that happens to be Mr. Harris’s. Jamie had to use the bathroom. Mr. Harris offers to help them out and drive them home.

Mr. Harris is about to drop Kate off, and Kate asks him for some advice. She wants to know if she should let out a secret that she has been hiding. He tells her to let it out when she is ready.

When Kate gets home, Joy is sitting up waiting for her. She is angry and told everyone to leave. She also thinks Kate has been drinking because she can smell it, but that was Jamie’s drink. Rod comes in, and Kate starts to say what she saw her mother doing in the kitchen with Scott Jones.

We go to Mr. Harris’s house. He is watching television and can not stop thinking about Kate.

In 1994, Joy and Rod talk about how happy they are that Kate decided to go on the show. Rod tells Joy to remember that Kate is both of their daughters and that if she doesn’t believe that, that she better start believing it soon.

We go back to 1993. Joy is trying to tell Rod that Kate is lying about the affair. Kate and Joy have some words. Joy slaps Kate for calling her names.

Rod does not step in or do anything because Joy says that she will deal with Kate as her mother.

In 1995, Kate and Mallory return from the rink. Mallory asks Kate to have the printer that her family is planning to throw away because she doesn’t have one. Kate says yes because it is broken. Mallory figures out that it isn’t broken, just jammed.

Cruel Summer Season 1, Episode 7: What is in the printer?

Mallory takes the crumpled page out of the printer. They are both shocked by it. Kate goes downstairs to talk to her mother. The crumpled page says, “Liar.” Kate’s mother wrote the note.

Ashley and Derek are together in Ashley’s dorm room. Ashley goes to shower, and Derek goes on the computer to check his email, but he comes across the message board. He reads all of it.

He prints it all out.

Kate is now yelling at her mother for starting a narrative. She also tells Joy that the way she was raised helped to make her Mr. Harris’s victim. We then find out that the talk show they spoke of is how she and Jeanette got into their legal battle.

Joy says that she printed the letter to protect Kate. She wanted her to take the lawsuit seriously.

We go back to 1993. After Joy hits Kate, Kate packs a bag and leaves the house. Joy eggs her on and tells her to get out. Only Kate doesn’t go to a friend’s house. She goes to Mr. Harris’s.

In 1994, Mr. Harris manipulates Kate into thinking that he is a better caretaker than her parents.

In 1995, Derek goes home to Jeanette and hands her the computer message board transcript.

In 1993, Kate walks up to Mr. Harris’s house and says that she is scared to go home. She also said her mom hit her. He welcomes her inside. Jeanette has also given this bit of information to the message board, which Jeanette now knows about.

What are your thoughts? Does Kate going to Mr. Harris’s house willingly really change anything? Leave a comment below!

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