Cruel Summer: 10 Best Fan Theories On Reddit

When watching a juicy teen mystery, it’s hard not to wonder about character motivations, and with the hit Freeform show Cruel Summer, there are many fan theories out there. Viewers think about the characters who seem the least trustworthy and wonder who is lying: Kate Wallis, who was kidnapped by her assistant principal, or Jeanette Turner, who became just as popular as Kate during one eventful summer?

The question at the core of this story is, did Jeanette know that Martin was keeping Kate in his basement, or did Kate make it up? Before the season finale airs and fans find out more about the legal case that the teenage girls are involved in, it’s fun to think about some fan theories that have been posted on Reddit.

10 Kate Saw Jeanette, But Jeanette Never Saw Kate In The Basement

Before she went missing, Kate was the prettiest and most popular girl in town, and once she came back home, it was clear that she hated Jeanette. Fans were shocked to learn that Martin was keeping Kate in his basement and that she had experienced a lot of trauma there.

One fan theory is that the mirrors in Martin’s basement are two-way, so Kate saw Jeanaette but Jeanette never saw Kate. The fan explained that it seems like Kate lied because she didn’t like that Jeanette took her boyfriend, friends, and essentially her life. This makes a lot of sense and seems like the most logical explanation, but with a show with so many twists and turns, it might not be the truth.

9 Kate Created Annabelle Because Of The Trauma

Fans want to know who Annabelle is, as Kate listened to some therapy tapes and realized that she had spoken about someone with this name. She couldn’t remember who she was referring to, and this definitely freaked her out, as no one wants to feel like they have lost some memories.

Several viewers wonder if Kate created Annabelle due to the trauma that she was experiencing. She could be an “alter ego” or maybe Kate was in an “alternative reality” in her own mind. There are some other fan theories about Martin dressing up as someone he called Annabelle, but the theory about Kate seems more likely.

8 Mallory Set Jeanette Up

Another fan wondered if Mallory was responsible for Jeanette’s bad reputation. They thought that Mallory could have set Jeanette up, as she was angry that their friendship was over. Viewers also mentioned that Mallory has some stake in this mysterious game as she didn’t like Kate, and she didn’t like that Jeanette took over Kate’s life, either.

Fans wonder if Mallory saw Kate in the basement, and it does seem possible, as it’s strange that Mallory would become such good friends with Kate after claiming to hate the popular crowd. There’s definitely more to the story here.

7 Was Cindy Part Of Kate’s Kidnapping?

A fan wondered on Reddit if Cindy was involved in Kate’s kidnapping. They wrote, “She wanted Jeanette to be as popular as she was. But even with Jeanette’s new hair, contacts, clothes, she couldn’t be popular while Kate was still there.” They also mentioned that Cindy and Joy have some bad blood between them as they have known each other since high school.

This is a smart theory, as Cindy became more and more overwhelmed and angry as her daughter’s reputation worsened. She was much more upset than her husband, who originally seemed to believe that Jeanette was innocent, and she felt that she was totally alone in her thoughts and feelings.

6 Martin Could Have Blackmailed Jeanette

From the moment that fans saw Martin in Cruel Summer, he had a creepy air about him, and after learning that he kidnapped Kate and kept her for months, it was clear that he was a horrible person. He could have been awful toward Jeanette as well, so a fan theory about him seems logical.

A fan wondered if Martin could have blackmailed Jeanette as he didn’t seem to like her very much, and maybe she did see Kate in the house after sneaking in and he made sure she didn’t tell anyone.

5 Jeanette And Jamie Went To Martin’s House

After Kate came home, Jamie punched Jeanette, which was a shocking and terrible moment. A fan posted on Reddit wondering if Jamie and Jeanette had sex in Martin’s house and that explained why Jamie was so mad and upset. He would have been incredibly guilty.

While other teen dramas like Gilmore Girls have great love interests, the same can’t be said of Jamie. He didn’t wait very long after his girlfriend Kate disappeared to start dating Jeanette, and he acted like he liked Jeanette so much more. This was very strange behavior — wasn’t he worried about Kate?

4 How Did Kate Get The Necklace?

Kate’s biggest piece of evidence is that she had a kitschy necklace that belonged to Jeanette. This seemed to make everyone think that Jeanette was definitely in Martin’s house and had seen Kate there. Kate suggested that Jeanette had dropped the necklace.

A fan posted on Reddit that maybe Kate stole the necklace from Jeanette’s house. There are some other fan theories about how Kate got the necklace, including the suggestion that Kate went to the mall and bought another one. Some other viewers wonder if Mallory gave the necklace to Kate.

3 Mallory And Kate Used To Be BFFs

Another interesting fan theory suggests that Mallory and Kate were best friends in the past.

The Reddit post explains that this could account for how upset Mallory was when Jeanette became interested in Kate and wanted to be as pretty and popular as her. It would also explain why Mallory became so close with Kate later on. It seems possible, and maybe if this theory is true, then this history will come out before the season finale.

2 Kate And Martin Were Dating Before The Kidnapping

A fan theory suggests that Martin was “grooming” Kate before the kidnapping and that they were seeing each other secretly. Kate was okay with this as she wanted to be with him, but then it became very abusive and dangerous.

Actor Olivia Holt shared in an interview that Kate had a lot of problems and hard times, although people in town assumed that she was always happy and flawless, and it seems like viewers will learn more about Kate and Martin in the next few episodes.

1 Jeanette Really Did Think Kate Had Died

When Jeanette was told that Kate had been found, she immediately thought that Kate’s body had been discovered. No one knows if Jeanette was lying and if she knew that Kate was alive, but a fan posted on Reddit that maybe Jeanette really did think Kate was dead because that’s what Martin told her. Maybe she broke into Martin’s house while Kate was in the basement and Martin lied to her to get her to go away.

Jeanette thought so highly of Kate and seemed like a good person before the events of the next summer happened, so perhaps Jeanette was telling the truth here.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1730 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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