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Mystery

The Best Episodes of Cruel Summer Season 1

Every episode of Cruel Summer Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Cruel Summer Season 1!

The Best Episodes of Cruel Summer Season 1

Taking place over three summers - 1993, 1994, 1995 - in a small Texas town, a beautiful popular teen, Kate, is abducted and, seemingly unrelated,...
  1. 8.6/10(637 votes)

    #1 - A Secret of My Own

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    S1:E9

    Kate's closely held secrets and fragmented memories of her time in Martin's captivity are brought to the surface.

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  2. 8.4/10(758 votes)

    #2 - Hostile Witness

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    S1:E10

    Kate and Jeanette's worlds collide as the court date arrives, finally forcing the two young women to answer the question on everyone's mind, but the answer comes with a price that not everyone can pay.

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    Director:Bill Purple
  3. 7.8/10(719 votes)

    #3 - A Smashing Good Time

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    S1:E2

    It’s time for the annual Skylin Garden Club Party! Year after year after year, the residents of Skylin struggle with the truth around what happened to Kate, keeping their secrets buried and maintaining appearances.

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    Director:Bill Purple
  4. 7.7/10(848 votes)

    #4 - Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner

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    S1:E1

    Taking place over 3 summers in the 90s when a popular teen goes missing, and a seemingly unrelated girl transforms from a sweet and awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town, eventually becoming the most despised person in America.

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    Director:Max Winkler
  5. 7.6/10(528 votes)

    #5 - Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis

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    S1:E7

    Kate struggles with a family secret she’s been holding on to. Joy tries to convince Kate to go on “The Marsha Bailey Show.” Mallory has a birthday surprise.

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  6. 7.4/10(589 votes)

    #6 - You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat

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    S1:E4

    Kate, reeling from the lawsuit, prepares her defense and finds friendship in an unlikely source. The annual Wallis hunting trip becomes the setting for an important first meeting.

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  8. 7.4/10(533 votes)

    #7 - An Ocean in Me

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    S1:E6

    A new deposition threatens Jeanette’s case. A discovery causes Cindy’s suspicions about her own daughter to reach new heights as her relationship with Greg becomes further strained.

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    Director:Kellie Cyrus
  9. 7.4/10(517 votes)

    #8 - Proof

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    S1:E8

    On the first day of school, everyone learns that the drama of the summer is anything but over and that some people will pay more for the consequences of Jeanette and Kate's deception than others.

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  10. 7.3/10(642 votes)

    #9 - Off with a Bang

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    S1:E3

    Victim or villain? Jeanette continues to add fuel to the fire as her reckless behavior causes her friends and family to question her even more.

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  11. 7.3/10(548 votes)

    #10 - As the Carny Gods Intended

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    S1:E5

    Jeannette and Kate cross paths at the Skylin High takeover of the County Fair, where one is desperate to prove herself and the other to lose herself.

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"A Secret of My Own" is the best rated episode of "Cruel Summer" season 1. It scored 8.6/10 based on 637 votes. Directed by Alexis Ostrander and written by Matt Antonelli, it aired on 6/8/2021. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Hostile Witness".