Cruel Summer – Welcome to Chatham

By starrymag | June 12, 2023

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

This episode’s events occur on July 16, 1999, December 15, 1999, and July 16, 2000.

 

July 1999: Meet Megan (Sadie Stanley) and her mother Debbie (KaDee Strickland). They’re cleaning out a trailer and Megan isn’t thrilled about it. At Debbie’s behest, they’re hosting an exchange student named Isabella (Lexi Underwood). Debbie thinks it’ll be good for the whole family, and they’ll become best friends. Megan responds by saying that she already has a best friend named Luke (Griffin Gluck). Still, Debbie says she should keep an open mind because Isabella coming here could be the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

 

We flash forward to the winter right before the Y2K, (if you were born after 1998 some folks thought the end of the millennium might mean the end of the world). Megan is watching TV and Isabella runs in with a surprise for her. It appears Debbie was right and the girls did become friends. Isabella hands Megan a big envelope from the University of Washington. Not only was she accepted but she has a scholarship. The girls celebrate and Megan says this was she’s glad to share this moment with Isabella and tells her that her coming here was the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Then, Megan and Isabella vow to have the best spring break ever and get into trouble.

 

There’s another flash forward to the summer of 2000 and things seem a bit bleak unless you’re into piercings and dark clothes which Megan wasn’t really before. Megan is on her computer in her room and then glances out of the window and spots the sheriff. The sight of him leads her to hightailing it out of the window.

 

Now it’s time to go back to the summer of 1999 when Isabella came to Chatham. But first, we meet Luke. He and Megan walk on the docks where she vents to him about how annoyed she is that her mother is trying to import a new BFF for her. Luke says the best friend position is already taken, but maybe Isabella won’t be so bad. Megan is not convinced and says that only someone with no friends and nothing going on would voluntarily spend their senior year in a foreign country. Then, in a moment of dread, Megan suggests taking a boat and running away to the sea. Luke says she’d never make it because she can’t live without her computer.

 

They reach the end of the docks and meet up with more friends. Freddy (Jason Fernandes) teases Megan about being eternally sober and celibate. Luke invites her to go boating, but Megan says her mom will kill her if she’s not there to greet Isabella. Before she goes Luke reminds her that this is their last summer of high school, and they shouldn’t let anything ruin it. As Megan is leaving, we get a small flash forward. It is winter, and we see Megan and Luke holding hands and kissing. He congratulates her on the scholarship and tells her not to forget him when she’s a famous coder.

 

Flash forward to the summer of 2000 and we see Megan is considerably less optimistic and goes to a boy’s house. She demands to know if he talked to the cops because the sheriff’s asking questions. He swears that he didn’t, but Megan is still annoyed. She takes what looks like a floppy disk (think of it like a clunkier flash drive) out of her bag and tells him if he still wants it she’s now charging extra.

 

Let’s review Isabella’s introduction to the Landry family…Lily (Jenna Lamb), Megan’s little sister, and Debbie really like Isabella and are eager to welcome her to town. Megan is unimpressed and struggling to hide it. We learn that Isabella’s parents are diplomats and although she was born in the States due to her parents’ work, she has spent very little time in one place. After the getting-to-know-you gifts are swapped, Megan goes into the trailer where Isabella will be staying and goes through her things. Isabella catches her looking at her passport which is filled with stamps and is a little annoyed. Megan is embarrassed and apologizes and hastily leaves the trailer.

 

An unspecified amount of time later things shows are a little more friendly between the girls. They’re on borrowing each other’s clothes terms and Megan tells Isabella she loves shopping in her closet. Isabella says the dress she’s planning to borrow for a Christmas party looks great on her and she never even needs to ask. They talk about how happy Megan is and Megan tells Isabella that ever since she got the scholarship that she feels like this weight has been lifted off of her. Now that the pressure’s off Megan says she wants to do something that she was previously afraid to do, but she’s not such a rule follower thanks to Isabella.

 

Flash forward to a more somber Megan being asked by Lily for money for the movies. Megan isn’t sure about it because Lily shouldn’t have wasted her babysitting money, but Debbie says to let her have some fun. Reluctantly she agrees, but not before telling her to change her shirt because she looks slutty. Lily says she’d rather look slutty than like a freak. She storms off and then Debbie says she shouldn’t be so hard on her, but Megan says she’s trying to protect her.  Megan says that if she gets a reputation now that she’ll never shake it. Then, she puts a bunch of different medications into a pill box.

 

Going back to the summer of 1999 Debbie asks Megan again to give Isabella a chance and offer her a tour. Megan doesn’t want to rearrange her schedule for her but reluctantly agrees. On the awkward car ride Isabella tells her that she’s always wanted to live in a small town and her mother’s letter was lovely. She’s always wanted to have the American high school experience, but Megan says it’s pretty boring in Chatham, so she hopes she’s not disappointed.

 

Later in the winter Megan and Isabella go to the cliffs. Isabella reminds her she’s afraid of heights, but Megan says she’s not so afraid anymore. Then, she makes a mini toast to Isabella for being the best friend she’s ever had and the ultimate ride-or-die. After that they start taking off their clothes, weather be damned, because she wants to finally go cliff diving. Megan and Isabella promise that they’re ride of die, link hands and then jump into the water.

 

We head to the summer of 2000 and Megan is staring at a bulletin board. She’s specifically looking at a missing person’s poster that’s been ripped in half. She is then approached by Parker (Lisa Yamada). It’s not clear yet who went missing but Parker says none of this would’ve happened if “she” hadn’t come to town. Megan says she thinks about that all the time. Back to the summer of 1999 when Megan takes Isabella to the Shoreline Cafe – the place where Megan works. Megan is annoyed because she’s getting fewer shifts, but her boss is giving them to a girl who flirts with him. When they leave Megan tells Isabella about the computer science program at the University of Washington. Post-grad Megan says she plans to go to Silicon Valley and try and get a job at Apple, Google, Yahoo or another startup. Isabella explains that she’s more of a student of life and that she just likes to live in the now. Megan says that sounds terrifying, but Isabella explains it’s actually pretty liberating and that Megan should try it.

 

Flash forward to the winter of 1999 again and Debbie tells Megan how proud she is of her. Debbie says that Megan is going to be the first woman in their family to go to college. She shares that she admires her passion and drive and wishes she’d had it. Speaking of that, Megan tells her mother that she plans to have a job at school despite the scholarship. However, Debbie says that’s not necessary as she wants Megan to let her be the adult for a change.

 

Back in the summer of ’99 when Megan and Isabella’s college talk is interrupted by Luke and he’s with Sheriff Myer (Sean Blakemore). At first Isabella wonders if Luke was arrested, but in reality he says he’s just doing a ride-along program at his father’s insistence. About Luke’s father, he owns most of the businesses in town so in Chatham it’s work for Luke’s father or be a waiter forever. At any rate, Luke invites Isabella to the Bloom, a/k/a an event where the town checks out the Bioluminescence present in the lake. Isabella tells them she’d love to come.

 

In the summer of 2000, Megan is picking up a prescription for her mother. Behind her she hears that the police have discovered a body in the lake. This info causes her to rush to a cabin where, before she gets out of the car, she finds what appears to be a fake ID for Isabella. Then, she goes inside the cabin and starts scrubbing what looks like blood off of the floor in a panicked state.

 

Crica 1999 it’s the summer again and we meet Steve (Paul Adelstein), Luke’s father and Debbie’s boss. They talk about a work project and Debbie thinks it’s a risk. Luke says he appreciates the caution, but he thinks the deal could be good for the whole town. Then, they talk about Luke and Megan and how they can’t believe they’re seniors already. The trip down memory lane gets invited because Steve has to take a phone call from a Senator named Joe and Debbie leaves.

 

Flashforward and it seems business isn’t going well for Steve. He’s telling Debbie that investors are getting cold feet. Debbie suggests that he turn on some of the Chambers’ charm, but Steve says that it is gone. She replies that half of the women in Chatham would leave their husbands if they even looked at them and they share a kiss.

 

In 1999 Isabella meets more Chatham residents, namely Luke and Megan’s friends. Kellie (Pavia Sidhu), Amy (Tedra Rogers), Luke’s brother Brent (Braeden De La Garza) and Jeff (Nile Bullock) who carries around a camcorder. Next, it’s time to flash forward and Luke and Megan are fooling around in the cabin. It’s after Megan’s received her acceptance letter and Luke is lamenting that they’re not going to the same college. Although Megan points out they’re only going to be an hour away from each other, so they’ll see each other every weekend. The NC-17 activities are interrupted when they hear gunshots. They get dressed and go outside to investigate and see a man shooting a rifle. Luke calls him a freak, but Megan says that freak is coder royalty.

 

On the day in 2000 when the body is discovered Megan is stuck in traffic heading to the pier. An ambulance speeds past her and she decides to follow it on foot.

 

At the 1999 Christmas party it is a formal event. Steve is mingling and tells Debbie she looks beautiful. He’s pulled out all of the stops for investors. The parents look over at Luke and Megan and Debbie comments on how cute they are together. Steve says they are for now, but they’re both a little young to get tied down. However, Debbie says it could be the real thing. Then, we cut away to Isabella, Luke and Megan who are plotting on how to score some drinks from the bartender. Plus, Jeff is still filming for his documentary and might have a crush on Isabella.

 

Going back to Bloom in July 1999 the lake is glowing blue when Megan and Isabella walk up to it. Isabella says it’s beautiful and Megan notes to enjoy it while it lasts. Then the topic turns to Luke when Megan asks if they’re dating. Megan says no and that they’re practically family. After that the group has a laugh about how Megan never drinks, which feels like it’ll be an important detail for later.

 

At the Christmas party Luke, Principal Bowers (Wonita Joy) and Steve talk about his college plans and Luke seems less than thrilled about going to the college his brother is attending. Steve says Branson University has a great business program and he’ll love it. Megan suggests he tell his father he doesn’t want to major in business, but Luke isn’t confident that he’ll listen. She tells him that if he decides to tell his father he’s not into the business program she’ll have his back. Luke absent-mindedly says that’s why he loves her, and Megan is surprised and says she loves him, too. Isabella comes over to tell Megan about the cute but dumb bartender.

 

The night of the Bloom it seems like everyone is having fun but Megan. Luke tries to talk to her about it and he gently points out that she’s not always good at letting people in. Megan says there’s nothing wrong with Isabella, but she can’t picture them being friends. But at the 1999 Christmas party, Megan and Isabella sang karaoke together. Going back to before they got close, Isabella asks Megan if she’d mind if she hooks up with Luke. Megan says to go for it, but when she watches them flirt she looks sad.

 

We flash back to the Christmas party and Steve makes a speech. He explains that the Christmas party was a tradition he and his wife started for just them and their boys and then it grew through the years. He thanks everyone for showing up and then things take a turn for the uncomfortable when he turns on the Christmas movie. Instead of his dead wife’s family-friendly favorite film, the crowd sees a sex tape. At first, it’s not clear who’s on it, but some girls spot Isabella’s sweater and then Luke comes on screen. Steve demands someone shut it off. Megan is horrified, grabs the tape from Luke and then runs out of the party. Isabella tries to go after her, but Megan tells both her and Luke to stay away from her.

 

Then it’s the summer of 2000 again and the police are pulling a body out of the lake. Steve makes his way through the crowd and when the bag is unzipped, he says it’s Luke. Megan takes in the scene and looks horrified. Isabella comes up next to her and tells her that they need to get their stories straight.