It is not a summer time and not using a contact of cruelty to it. Throw in an exciting thriller, some shady suspects, and lots of heart-pounding twists and turns, and you have got Freeform’s addictive homicide thriller, Merciless Summer season.
The return of this sleeper hit kicked off a model new case that may excite and hold us guessing.
And primarily based on the set-up of Merciless Summer season Season 2 Episode 1 and Merciless Summer season Season 2 Episode 2, loads of secrets and techniques are rising to the floor. We have a summer time of intrigue and drama awaiting us, Merciless Summer season followers.
For Merciless Summer season Season 2, lots of the identical parts from Merciless Summer season Season 1 returned. Like the colour grading via the years, the pc intro (which I am calling the “archive”), and the time leaping.
These elements labored earlier than, so I am glad they weren’t dropped for the brand new story. These items make Merciless Summer season really feel like Merciless Summer season.
One factor that stunned me was how shut the completely different durations had been in time.
Merciless Summer season Season 1 centered on the summers of three years, however this thriller solely focuses on three time durations in a single yr. We’re following Megan’s and Isabella’s journeys in Summer season 1999, Winter 1999, and Summer season 2000.
We’ve got to get our tales straight.
Isabella
It is an fascinating alternative as a result of it exhibits how severely the characters modified in a brief period of time.
Luke’s disappearance (and now homicide) harm the city a lot that everybody modified in a method or one other. Simply take a look at Megan and Isabella for probably the most indicators; they are not the identical individuals who began within the Summer season of 1999.
There’s pleasure in discovering what the characters will do within the shorter home windows. The time between summer time and winter is small, however the scenes teased one thing large occurred.
And in an analogous Merciless Summer season fashion, the most important factor to beat for any viewer is determining which period interval is which.
The sequence normally depends on three primary items: (1) the colour grading, (2) the music, and (3) the hair/make-up/fashion. For those who can rapidly determine one among these items per interval, it will get simpler to know when one season adjustments to a different.
I discovered again on Merciless Summer season Season 1 Episode 1 that the perfect is the hair and the colour grading.
Curiously, Winter 1999 had the darker coloration model, whereas Summer season 2000 performed with a yellowish tone. My finest guess is the darkness represents Luke’s impending homicide, and the yellow tone is a touch on the police warning tape and the way murky the whole lot has turn out to be since.
One other large change was how the 2 primary leads spent a lot of the scenes collectively.
Throughout our chat with Lisa Yamada, who performs Parker, we discovered that there could be a extra important presence to have Isabella and Megan spend extra time collectively. It was an unlimited change from Kate and Jeanette’s story, the place they did not have an enormous second collectively till Merciless Summer season Season 1 Episode 10.
I appreciated this transfer as a result of it added extra depth to their relationship and the way it affected the plot. The time-jumping appears to be loads about how two BFFs crumbled below the burden of this homicide thriller.
It might’t be a rehash of Kate and Jeanette, who had legitimate causes to not be collectively all through the three years. This story warrants Megan and Isabella’s bond to be the main target, so it’s going to be curious to see how the format will have an effect on nearer pals.
Talking of their friendship, let’s break down their three seasons.
Megan was unusually harsh to Isabella, like slightly extra than simply being a young person. Positive, she did not need Debbie to welcome a overseas alternate pupil, however Megan may’ve tried tougher since Isabella was already there.
She could not even disguise the frustration on her face.
Megan: I hold making an attempt to determine who would’ve completed this.
Isabella: I can consider one native filmmaker with a grudge.
Megan: Jeff? Actually?
Isabella: I imply, they all the time discuss girls scorned, however males are even worse.
Megan: I don’t know. It doesn’t look like his fashion.
Isabella: Properly, whoever it’s, we’re gonna discover out.
Typically issues are out of your management, however she may’ve made the perfect out of a nasty state of affairs. And Isabella appeared like a cool individual to hang around with, somebody who was her age and down to hang around.
Megan bought fortunate within the end result (within the Summer season of 1999).
I beloved the stability between Megan and Isabella. Each had been enjoying the opposites appeal to/balancing BFFs trope.
One buddy is normally the enjoyable and carefree extrovert, whereas the opposite is the intense introvert. We have seen this a couple of occasions, like Betty and Veronica on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 9, Schmidt and Nick on New Woman, and Wednesday and Enid on Wednesday.
We did not even want the time soar to study that they might turn out to be BFFs. It was written within the stars (or extra like Luke’s borrowed fireworks) for them to begin their friendship journey.
Not less than their time on the pool occasion is beginning to chip away on the wall Megan constructed up.
Megan and Isabella have nice chemistry collectively! Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood, who play Megan and Isabella, respectively, appeared to get alongside nicely.
The identical goes for his or her pairing with Luke (Griffin Gluck).
It made sense that Isabella and Luke would gravitate to one another; they hit it off very well throughout their first assembly. However Megan ought to’ve admitted the reality to Isabella about her emotions for Luke. You could possibly simply inform from all of the longing stares that she loves her oldest BFF.
And if she had instructed her, their friendship may’ve began immediately. Sturdy friendships begin with some clear boundaries.
For the primary large twist, who do you suppose created the intercourse tape of Megan and Luke?
Whoever did it needed to be harm and petty towards one (or each) of them. Enjoying the tape on the vacation occasion was meant to disgrace them in entrance of everybody. So, it needed to be somebody with an emotional connection.
Steve: Is it the one tape?
Luke: I believe it’s best to ask your primary son.
Brent: Ahh, Dad! Luke…
Steve: Is that the one tape?!
Luke: That’s a lie. No, that’s a lie!
Brent appears extra like a small-thinker, not somebody who would take the chance. I am glad Isabella and Parker bought revenge by smashing all his stuff. If he did report Parker with out her consent, which looks as if the case since he did it with different ladies, he deserved the whole lot he bought.
He is trash, his tapes are trash, and he can comply with swimsuit by going with them to the rubbish bin on the curb the place he belongs.
However did he plant the tape? It is too early to inform, however there’s extra to his shady story. He is not clear, no manner.
The identical goes for his or her buddy, the videographer, Jeff.
Look, we do not know something about him but. He is one other one of many mysteries that would play a component in what occurred to Luke.
In the course of the Summer season of 1999, he did one thing to make the ladies consider he was scorned. My finest guess is that he has a significant crush on Megan. He stored recording her along with his digital camera, so it would not be shocking if that got here to gentle.
Jeff appears an excessive amount of like a pink herring to make the reply that simple. It will both be him, or it is a twist the place it’s going to result in another person.
Isabella pretending to be on the tape to guard Megan will little doubt come again to hang-out them. If Fairly Little Liars taught us something, it is that sophisticated secrets and techniques are likely to rise to the floor.
Solely three individuals know the reality: Isabella, Megan, and Luke. It solely takes one among them to spill the beans, regardless in the event that they’re “experience or die” with one another.
I’ve a sense Isabella will inform Debbie, which can, in flip, trigger a domino impact for the story to return out. Megan solely modified by the Summer season of 2000, so it is potential everybody turned towards her when the reality got here out.
It would clarify why Megan and Isabella are now not pals by then. You realize, along with Luke’s disappearance and homicide.
The large twist of the Merciless Summer season Season 2 premiere was Luke being the lifeless physique within the lake. Did anybody see this coming?!
My jaw dropped as a result of the pacing and modifying made it closely look like Isabella was the lifeless physique. Even slight aspect characters like Brent and Megan’s sister Lily appeared like potential choices. Plus, Parker’s ominous phrases to Megan sealed the deal.
However when Steve confirmed it was Luke’s physique, and Isabella walked up beside Megan, it was like a one-two punch of a shocking twist.
A wonderful emotional cliffhanger to maintain us hooked on a must-watch thriller.
Both one (or each) of Megan and Isabella killed Luke. This end result felt just like the strongest risk as a result of each characters had been so affected by his physique being found; you would really feel the strain within the air at any time when they talked.
Plus, Megan cleansing all that dried blood was not a coincidence. She was both cleansing as much as shield somebody or doing it as guilt for what she did.
Isabella: Mother.
Isabella’s Mother: It’s late. Is the whole lot okay?
Isabella: I want your assist. I’m in hassle.
My first prediction is that Megan killed Luke, and Isabella is defending her like she stated she would all the time do as her “experience or die.”
The previous BFFs are holding onto a secret, and Megan appears to be probably the most indifferent concerning the state of affairs. She probably accepted what she had completed.
It is nonetheless too early to make a last accusation. We want extra clues and scenes of what occurred on the New 12 months’s Eve occasion. Additionally, we’d like tons extra music drops and Y2K trend. Convey on all of the references!
Final Ideas From The Archive:
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As I stated, the music was superb! Loads of nostalgia and selections, like The Spice Ladies reference.
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Isabella must be careful as a result of Sheriff Myers appears to be like able to arrest her. He’ll little doubt use her previous and no matter she did with these drugs to seal her destiny.
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What was Isabella doing with these drugs?! She had a number of them to solely merely be utilizing them.
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Debbie and Steve had been cute collectively. Hopefully, they’ll make their relationship work.
Now, over to you, Merciless Summer season followers.
What did you consider “Welcome to Chatham” and “Journey or Die”?
Who murdered Luke? Who recorded the intercourse tape of Luke and Megan? Is Isabella being framed for the crime?
For those who missed the newest episode of Merciless Summer season, you may watch Merciless Summer season on-line by way of TV Fanatic. Come again right here and share your ideas within the feedback beneath.
Justin Carreiro is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe him on Twitter.
