When Cruel Summer was canceled after two seasons, it was met with mixed responses. Maybe it going the anthology route led to some not being too concerned, but there were plenty of fans out there who wanted to see another story.
Well, Hulu has decided that Cruel Summer is worth saving, but not as the anthology route that it started to go in. We’re going back to a character from the first season, which does suggest the streamer knows why the show didn’t quite get the same reaction during the second season.
Cruel Summer season 3 is happening
According to Variety, Cruel Summer season 3 will happen, with Olivia Holt returning as Kate Wallis. This moves away from the anthology direction that season 2 offered, and it continues the story from the first season. As of right now, it’s not clear if others from the first season will also join the cast.
The first season followed Kate, who mysteriously went missing one summer. Nerdy Jeanette Turned, played by Chiara Aurelia, is accused of being connected to her disappearance, and she has to prove her innocence. Told across the events of three summers, and we learn all about what happened to Kate the fateful night she went missing.
We’re getting into SPOILERS from this point.
In the end, Kate was still alive. We also learned that Jeanette had nothing to do with her disappearance. Instead, it was someone Kate trusted.
Cruel Summer has a chance to delve into the aftermath
Yes, Kate survived her ordeal. She had been taken and isolated by Martin Harris, a man she turned to after a fight with her mom. The first season did offer some of the aftermath of her story, including the way the public viewed her experience.
Cruel Summer season 3 has a chance to delve more into that. It’s not clear how long after the events the third season will take place, but it has been four years so far since the first season aired. Let’s assume that season 3 will come out in 2026, that means five years has passed in our time, so it would make sense to have the main storyline take place five years after the first season.
Of course, we’re still expecting multiple timelines. Even season 2 offered dual timelines to tell the story, and that’s something that is intriguing when it comes to writing to help us get to know characters and start guessing about the events.
Cruel Summer is available to stream on Hulu.