It isn’t a summer season with out a contact of cruelty to it. Throw in an exhilarating thriller, some shady suspects, and plenty 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 can excite and hold us guessing.
And based mostly 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 got a summer season of intrigue and drama awaiting us, Merciless Summer season followers.
For Merciless Summer season Season 2, most of the similar components from Merciless Summer season Season 1 returned. Like the colour grading by way of the years, the pc intro (which I am calling the “archive”), and the time leaping.
These facets 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 intervals had been in time.
Merciless Summer season Season 1 targeted on the summers of three years, however this thriller solely focuses on three time intervals in a single yr. We’re following Megan’s and Isabella’s journeys in Summer season 1999, Winter 1999, and Summer season 2000.
Now we have to get our tales straight.
Isabella
It is an fascinating selection as a result of it reveals how severely the characters modified in a brief period of time.
Luke’s disappearance (and now homicide) damage the city a lot that everybody modified in a technique 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 season and winter is small, however the scenes teased one thing large occurred.
And in an identical Merciless Summer season type, the largest factor to beat for any viewer is determining which period interval is which.
The sequence normally depends on three major items: (1) the colour grading, (2) the music, and (3) the hair/make-up/type. If you happen to can shortly work out considered one of these items per interval, it will get simpler to know when one season modifications to a different.
I realized again on Merciless Summer season Season 1 Episode 1 that the most effective is the hair and the colour grading.
Curiously, Winter 1999 had the darker shade 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 all the pieces has turn out to be since.
One other large change was how the 2 major leads spent a lot of the scenes collectively.
Throughout our chat with Lisa Yamada, who performs Parker, we realized that there could be a extra important presence to have Isabella and Megan spend extra time collectively. It was an enormous change from Kate and Jeanette’s story, the place they did not have a giant second collectively till Merciless Summer season Season 1 Episode 10.
I preferred 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 quite a bit about how two BFFs crumbled underneath the burden of this homicide thriller.
It may’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 focus, 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 somewhat extra than simply being a youngster. Certain, she did not need Debbie to welcome a overseas alternate scholar, however Megan might’ve tried more durable since Isabella was already there.
She could not even cover 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 at all times discuss ladies scorned, however males are even worse.
Megan: I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be his type.
Isabella: Properly, whoever it’s, we’re gonna discover out.
Typically issues are out of your management, however she might’ve made the most effective out of a foul 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 steadiness 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 number of instances, like Betty and Veronica on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 9, Schmidt and Nick on New Lady, and Wednesday and Enid on Wednesday.
We did not even want the time soar to be taught that they’d turn out to be BFFs. It was written within the stars (or extra like Luke’s borrowed fireworks) for them to start out their friendship journey.
At the least 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 effectively.
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 possibly can simply inform from all of the longing stares that she loves her oldest BFF.
And if she had advised her, their friendship might’ve began straight away. Robust 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 damage and petty in opposition to one (or each) of them. Taking part in 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 file Parker with out her consent, which looks as if the case since he did it with different women, he deserved all the pieces he bought.
He is trash, his tapes are trash, and he can observe go well with 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 might play a component in what occurred to Luke.
Throughout the Summer season of 1999, he did one thing to make the women consider he was scorned. My finest guess is that he has a significant crush on Megan. He saved recording her along with his digital camera, so it would not be shocking if that got here to mild.
Jeff appears an excessive amount of like a crimson herring to make the reply that simple. It’s going to 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 inclined to rise to the floor.
Solely three folks know the reality: Isabella, Megan, and Luke. It solely takes considered one of them to spill the beans, regardless in the event that they’re “ride or die” with one another.
I’ve a sense Isabella will inform Debbie, which is able to, in flip, trigger a domino impact for the story to come back out. Megan completely modified by the Summer season of 2000, so it is doable everybody turned in opposition to 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 massive 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 seem to be Isabella was the lifeless physique. Even slight facet characters like Brent and Megan’s sister Lily appeared like doable 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 superb 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 could possibly really feel the strain within the air every time 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 all the pieces okay?
Isabella: I want your assist. I’m in bother.
My first prediction is that Megan killed Luke, and Isabella is defending her like she mentioned she would at all times do as her “ride 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 closing accusation. We’d like extra clues and scenes of what occurred on the New Yr’s Eve occasion. Additionally, we want heaps extra music drops and Y2K trend. Convey on all of the references!
Final Ideas From The Archive:
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- As I mentioned, the music was wonderful! Loads of nostalgia and decisions, like The Spice Ladies reference.
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- Isabella must be careful as a result of Sheriff Myers seems 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 quite a lot 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 “Ride or Die”?
Who murdered Luke? Who recorded the intercourse tape of Luke and Megan? Is Isabella being framed for the crime?
If you happen to missed the newest episode of Merciless Summer season, you’ll be able to watch Merciless Summer season on-line by way of TV Fanatic. Come again right here and share your ideas within the feedback under.
