Cruel Summer – 205 – All I Want For Christmas [RECAP/REVIEW]

Excuse me?! Did you see the “previously on” Cruel Summer before the episode started?! All I want for Christmas is to learn what happened to LISA! Well, this episode 100% delivers.

Cruel Summer – Summer 1999

Cruel Summer’s “All I Want For Christmas” sets the tone beautifully with the tone perfect with GooGoo Dolls’ “Slide” playing in the background while Isbella writes a letter to Lisa. Did you also catch that close-up photo of Isabella and Lisa together? I guess that means she’s real. Everyone is headed to Christmas in July, but before they go Isabell and Megan talk about Jeff. Megan thinks Jeff is nice and all, but they’re not soulmates. Which no one is surprised about. Then, Isabella mentions how she can tell Luke doesn’t like her and Jeff together. Isabella can 100% feel a vibe between Megan and Luke, but Megan continues to deny it.

This is when this episode takes off. In a surprising turn, Isabella has a visitor – Trevor (Olly Sholotan – Bel Air). Who also happens to be Lisa’s brother! Everything about this interaction is awkward, but no one says anything and he joins them for Christmas in July. Trevor and Isabella try their best to keep things normal by talking about nude beaches in Santorini, Schools in London, and more. Finally, Isabella confronts Trevor about coming to town. Of course, Luke walks up trying to sus out the situation and the toy boys end up in a pissing contest. It’s incredibly obvious that Isabella and Trevor use to date, but refuse to mention it. So, things just keep getting more tense and awkward.

Eventually, Trevor mentions last winter which Isabella quickly pivots to a different story. She talks about how she was arrested in Abeeza for public intoxication and peeing in public. Trevor, of course, bailed her out. From Trevor’s reaction, that’s not the story he was wanting her to tell. So, the two of them head off to talk. Trevor and Isabella’s conversation is tense but vague. When Isabella tells him that Megan is her best friend she’d do anything for he’s upset. Isabella admits that things last winter got out of hand. They shouldn’t have kept their relationship from Lisa. The Foreign Police still have many questions about that night, but neither of them says anything more. Then, Isabella tells Trevor she loves him and kisses him. Of course, Megan sees this – what is she going to do?

Trevor continues to push for answers, but Isabella doesn’t budget saying, “It doesn’t matter what I say” and walks away. Megan immediately confronts Isabella about the kiss. Isabella lies and says Trevor kissed her and she pushed him away. That they are done for good. Then, Isabella and Luke head to the cabin. There…they have sex, Luke losing his virginity to Isabella. Afterward, he compares sleeping with her to taking the Red Pill in The Matrix. You know, the one that opens your mind to the truth and world around you. Isabella seems unsettled by this.

Later, we see Megan sitting at her computer staring at an image of Luke. An AIM message pops up confirming that the person she’s been secretly talking to is the crazy guy in the woods. When Isabella comes home, Megan confesses that when she saw her kiss Trevor part of her was happy. She figured Isabella would end things with Luke. Megan has finally accepted that she does have feelings for him. However, she feels awkward after this and asked Isabella if she can take it back. That night, the girls meet in the kitchen and Isabella shares she can’t stop thinking about what Megan said about Luke. Then, Megan also makes a The Matrix reference confirming how Isabella has been feeling. So, Isabella tells Megan that she and Luke are soulmates and Isabella is no longer interested.

Cruel Summer – December 1999 (Blue Filter)

It’s Christmas and the girls are looking at an adorable photo album together – which also happens to be Megan’s gift to Isabella. However, when Megan opens Isabella’s gift things get more awkward. Isabella got her a really nice, top-of-the-line computer screen from Circuit City. The expense and price difference of their gifts makes Megan really comfortable. Later, we learn the course in school that Megan is failing is AP European History. Which, I’m weirdly okay with. However, this is when we get to see Megan’s hacker skills as she changes her grade. Isabella comes into her room to try and smooth things over about the gift. They also talk about Luke and plans later, but things are awkward and Megan lies saying she has to work. Isabella obviously knows she’s lying. So, instead of going to look at Christmas lights, she follows Megan to find out the truth.

It turns out Megan has been hanging out with the guy in the woods. She even brings him a Christmas present! What is going on?! Also, if Megan was pregnant is he the real baby daddy? Cut to, Luke coming over to hand out with Megan, but she’s not there. Instead, he and Isabella hang out on the couch and talk about his dad. Apparently, Steven and Debbie are taking a break. Also, his dad has been a huge jerk ever since losing that big deal. Isabella shares she’s concerned about Megan cause she’s hiding things from her. Luke agrees saying she’s been cold to him as well. Isabella then shares about seeing Megan in the woods with the creepy guy right before she walks in. Of course, since Megan is hiding something she projects that insecurity onto Luke and Isabella with an, “Am I interrupting something?”

Isabella leaves that hostile environment to find Debbie “putting away laundry” aka snooping in her room. Debbie found a ton of unsent postcards for Lisa. When asking about it Isabella makes up this wild story that makes no sense. Debbie chooses to believe her, for now. Then, Isabella confides in Debbie about how things have been weird with Megan and she’s been pulling away. After her advice, Isabella goes to talk with Megan who is annoyed that her mystery novel reading is being interrupted. However, later that night the girls share Christmas cookies to a cover of Blink-182 and things seem to be okay.

Cruel Summer – Summer 2000 (Green Filter)

It turns out that it was Isabella’s lawyer who leaked the pregnancy information. Isabella is pissed because that was never supposed to be released. Then, Isabella explains away the money back saying she’s being framed. Supposedly Isabella had the money in the airstream and someone stole it and planted it in the cabin. Later, Isabella and Megan meet (even though they’re not supposed to) and Isabella apologizes for the pregnancy leak. She also shared she found out on New Year’s because she saw Megan’s positive test in the trash. Then, Isabella is super ominous about how she and Megan are tied together. Apparently, the more the police learn about New Year’s the more they’re going to learn about her. Megan doesn’t care because to her their friendship is dead.

Megan then goes to her mother asking to have Isabella leave. They talk about the pregnancy, but Megan stays vague while asking her mother to finally be on her side. Debbie goes to speak to Isabella who apologizes to her for the pregnancy news getting out. Debbie lets Isabella know that she needs to find somewhere else to stay until this all blows over. Isabella lies saying they’re on the same page, and that she’s packed and waiting to be picked up. However, before she leaves Isabella tells Debbie that there’s something under her bed in the airstream she’s going to want to see. Then we see Isabella crying and frantically packing up her things.

Then we see Isabella with her lawyer who ends a phone call with the office in France. Things are heating up because the Sheriff keeps asking around about St. Barts. It’s getting stressful and they’ve been hiding the truth for a year – “It’s only a matter of time.” Then, in the final moments of the episode, we see that Megan gets a letter from Trevor. Inside, is a truth bomb. There is a note and newspaper clippings about Lisa, who drowned in St. Barts!

Cruel Summer – 205 – All I Want For Christmas – REVIEW

FINALLY we get some answwer to who is Lisa and what happened to her. We are also starting to see the cracks in Isabella and Megan’s friendship. One of our big questions has always been what happened that pushed these two besties apart. At this point, it seems Megan’s secret. However, I feel like there has to be more.

I’m so glad Debbie and Steve are taking a break. Her disgust as his protection of Brett was palpable last week. I appreciate that the writers didn’t allow her character to brush it under the rug. I don’t love this secret relationship between the guy in the woods and Megan. He’s too old to be hanging out with a teenanger, even if it’s as a “mentor”. Having Olly Sholotan show up as Lisa’s brother, Trevor was a GREAT move. This allows another eye witness part so that Isabella can’t lie her way out of the truth when confronted with it.

I cannot WAIT to see what happens next week when Megan confronts her about Lisa’s drowinging. It is all way too close for comfort. That said, Isabella and Megan are the obvious suspects. We’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.