I Can't Stop Screaming About The "Cruel Summer" Season 1 Finale, And I Need To Talk About It

    THAT. LAST. SCENE.

    Jen Abidor
    by Jen Abidor

    BuzzFeed Staff

    🚨 MASSIVE spoilers ahead for the Cruel Summer Season 1 finale! 🚨

    Content warning: This post contains mentions of suicide and grooming.

    Before I get started, I have to warn you that my heart is still racing from the adrenaline of watching the Cruel Summer Season 1 finale — dare I say a ~perfect~ finale to a truly excellent season.

    Cruel Summer @cruelsummer

    Secret by secret, it’s all coming out. #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @cruelsummer

    Let's jump right into it, shall we?

    So, for the majority of the finale, it seemed like the pieces were truly falling into place and the many fan theories were coming true — we got the answers to SO many questions plaguing us for the entire season.

    Jeanette on the Marsha Bailey show with the caption "me innocently smiling because some of my theories came true"
    Freeform

    For example, we learned who — or, actually what — Annabelle was...and how Kate ultimately escaped.

    Martin saying "this is annabelle"
    Freeform

    With the police closing in (still unclear how the police knew yet...) Martin had decided the only way out was to use "Annabelle" (his family gun) to kill himself. However, he couldn't go through with it and dropped the gun, which gave Kate the opportunity to pick it up and shoot him. If you'll recall, Kate has perfect aim. Man, this show. 

    Turns out that was the gunshot that Jeanette, Jamie, and Vince heard and there never was an actual police shootout. 

    We also learned the truth behind who saw Kate. While Jeanette was, of course, there on Christmas Eve in 1993, Mallory had followed her and actually made eye contact with Kate, and Kate assumed it was Jeanette since she had just seen her.

    Mallory on her bike
    Freeform

    Fans had also theorized this truth about Mallory based on the way the show really focused on her bike with the card on the wheel. 

    One thing I truly do love about the writing here is that the writers allowed our theorizing to pan out. With a good mystery, fans SHOULD be able to figure some things out with the right clues. 

    In the 1995 timeline, in the midst of their court case, Kate and Jeanette meet up at Martin's house to finally hash things out — a conversation that probably should have happened months ago.

    Jeanette and Kate side by side
    Freeform

    This whole time I've been hoping for Jeanette and Kate to team up and ultimately realize they're not enemies, and for a moment here it really did feel like it was happening. It was a truly heartbreaking moment when Kate realized it was Mallory who saw her, and I teared up when she apologized to Jeanette — and also when Jeanette told Kate she wasn't the bad guy for shooting Martin.

    And it's turns out I was TOTALLY AND ABSOLUTELY 100% BAMBOOZLED!!!! But I'll get there in just a moment.

    Okay, before we get to the ending, a couple other important things that happened. First, Ben approached Vince to try to fix things after Jamie, of all people, had to point out that Vince did literally nothing wrong and deserves the ENTIRE WORLD. (Okay, Jamie didn't say that, but I did.)

    Ben saying he was terrified and Vince says "You think I'm not scared? I'm Black and gay in Texas"
    Freeform

    Ben says he wants to work on earning Vince's trust back, and I'm sure we'll see more from them in Season 2.

    Also, Kate forgave Mallory pretty quickly, after Mallory explained that she thought Kate was Martin's girlfriend or sister and didn't piece things together until Kate was rescued. And at the end of the episode, Mallory and Kate share a kiss.

    Kate and Mallory kissing
    Hulu

    Okay, okay, okay, so at that point I'm thinking, It's a little unfair that Kate forgave Mallory in an instant for something Jeanette suffered over for an entire YEAR.

    BUT THEN, in the final moments of the show, we get a creepy as fuck flashback to 1994 where we learn that in another one of Jeanette's weird visits to Martin's house she quite literally HEARD KATE SCREAMING FROM THE BASEMENT AND ASKING FOR HELP. She then proceeded to linger on the doorknob and chose NOT to set Kate free, and the season ended with a totally sociopathic smirk on Jeanette's face.

    Jeanette in the last moment of the season
    Freeform

    AHHHHHHHH! When I SAY I GASPED! Anyway, I'm obviously not the only one left absolutely reeling over that finale. Here's what Twitter had to say about it:

    1.

    ✌🏾😙 @siarrasprite

    well, she said she never saw her #cruelsummer

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    Twitter: @siarrasprite

    2.

    Victimized by Jeanette Turner @thisiskick

    so jeanette willingly cut her hair like that? #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @thisiskick

    3.

    Stefan Salvatore ☹️❤️ @STELENADIARIE

    Jeanette dressing up as her and going on the show and rewording it EXACTLY like her #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @STELENADIARIE

    4.

    sev @crypticconnor

    My opinion after watching the #CruelSummer finale

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    Twitter: @crypticconnor

    5.

    T @taypaypage

    OMGGGG NO CAUSE I FELL FOR JEANETTE’S ACT #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @taypaypage

    6.

    Olivia ❀ @oliviarose_03

    I KNEW IT WAS MALLORY CAUSE WHY ELSE WOULD THEY ZOOM IN ON THAT CARD IN THE FIRST EPISODE??!!!! #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @oliviarose_03

    7.

    alyssa 💋 @alyss_uhhhh

    Jeanette i was rooting for you 😭 #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @alyss_uhhhh

    8.

    🐹Blurryface👾 @alyblurryface

    Martins ghost watching Kate and jennette arguing at his house #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @alyblurryface

    9.

    cheyenne @disneybl0ndie

    The whole cast did an amazing job…..but miss olivia holt..??? ALL THE AWARDS 👌🏻🔥 #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @disneybl0ndie

    10.

    ツ @_monalisavito

    So let me get this straight.. Kate wanted to annihilate Jeanette for "seeing her" but when she found out it was actually Mallory she was just like cool cool cool #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @_monalisavito

    11.

    olivia holt @olivia_holt

    literally same #cruelsummer https://t.co/vEQnA0m4D0

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    Twitter: @olivia_holt

    12.

    Dave Quinn @NineDaves

    An iconic day in pop culture

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    Twitter: @NineDaves

    13.

    Lisbeth Bonilla @lisbethobonilla

    Did no one else find it creepy and weird how she literally wore the same outfit as Kate for the interview … even the pearls #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @lisbethobonilla

    14.

    mallory higgins hate account @kendellsmith__

    I feel bamboozled, hoodwinked and swindled rn #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @kendellsmith__

    15.

    Brittany Sims @bsims8

    Me at the final seconds of @cruelsummer. I was right. I was wrong. And then I was just plain blindsided #cruelsummer

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    Twitter: @bsims8

    16.

    baecathy🇳🇬 @_baecathy

    Me tuning into the Cruel Summer season finale #CruelSummer

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    Twitter: @_baecathy

    The GREAT news is that Cruel Summer was officially renewed for a second season, so we'll get even more questions and hopefully more answers in Season 2. But, until then, what are your thoughts on the finale? Any lingering questions and theories? And what did you think about THAT ending?