The pilot episode of Cruel Summer is perfectly crafted and sets up an exciting first season, as viewers learned about the mystery surrounding Kate's disappearance. When it turned out that Kate was kidnapped and Jeanette might have known about it, no one could stop talking about the potential reasons for it.
With characters who are both good and evil and the season 1 finale quickly approaching, it's fun to take a look at what it was like filming the teen drama and what the actors have said in interviews about the mystery everyone is talking about.
The Showrunner Loves The Fan Theories
Cruel Summer has many fan theories and it's a lot of fun to watch each new episode and see if anything comes true. Tia Napolitano shared in an interview with Complex that it has been great hearing fan theories about Cruel Summer.
She said it has been wonderful seeing how much the audience is enjoying the series, and she explained, “The fan theories are just so much fun. I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me. They’re going to get all the answers."
Season 1 Was Filmed During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Olivia Holt, who plays Kate Wallis, shared with Complex in the same article mentioned above that the first season was filmed during the pandemic. She said that they would film every timeline in one day and that proper and safe procedures were followed, including face shields and masks.
Holt said that the cast and crew are so proud of what they have created, and the show has made a huge impression, as viewers have many questions that they want the answers to.
Harley Quinn Smith Is A Huge Fan Of The '90s
Mallory seems like she would be a great friend, as she's smart, loyal unless she feels wronged, and compelling. The actress who portrays her, Harley Quinn Smith, has given some interesting interviews about what it was like filming the show.
Many people feel nostalgic about the 1990s and that's exactly how Harley Quinn Smith feels. The actress loves the '90s and told Collider that it was really cool to be on a show that was set during this decade.
The Actors Were Given Each Script Fairly Close To Filming Days
Harley Quinn Smith also told Collider that the actors were given the script for each episode a few days prior to filming, or maybe a week before.
The actress said that it was tough to wait, as everyone wanted to see what was going to happen, and that was especially true of the script for the final episode of season 1. Fans can definitely relate to this, as it's a very addictive show and it feels impossible to wait to see what happens next and how the mystery is wrapped up.
Olivia Holt Had No Clue About Walkmans
Many people love watching TV shows about the '90s and it's a lot of fun to see that Cruel Summer is set in this time period. So many elements are totally accurate, from teenagers spending time in malls to Jeanette and Kate's fashion sense.
But Olivia Holt didn't know about walkmans and told People, "My character has a Walkman on the show, and I had to have [the] props [team] teach me how to use it. I was like, 'I don't know what this is nor do I know how to use this thing.'"
The Showrunner Shared That Fans Would Get More Answers From Episodes 7 to 10
The experience of watching a TV mystery often includes wanting all of the episodes at once, but also wanting to watch them slowly so they can be truly savored. This is a fine balance that happens with Cruel Summer and viewers are waiting for the mystery to be solved.
Tia Napolitano explained that from episode 7 on, fans will get more answers. According to Yahoo! Movies, the showrunner explained that episodes 1 to 5 are "more intrigue than pay off" and that in episode 7, some answers would be revealed. She promised that the season 1 finale will answer what fans want to know.
Chiara Aurelia Didn't Expect To Be Cast As Jeanette
Fans can't get enough of this Freeform drama and that's thanks to the compelling characters on the show, including Jeanette Turner.
Chiara Aurelia does an incredible job portraying the many sides of this character, as fans see her three ways: as a sweet teenage girl who is a bit goofy and nerdy in 1993, a girl who wants to be just like Kate in 1994, and a girl who has suffered a lot and got pretty dark in the final timeline. Aurelia shared that she didn't expect to be cast on the show and thought, "They're not going to like me. I'm not going to be right for this." Of course, she won the role.
The Show Is Filmed In Texas
Since Cruel Summer takes place in Skylin, Texas, the series filmed season 1 in Texas. According to Cheat Sheet, some important locations include the Interskate Roller Rink, which is located in Lewisville, Texas, and One Nostalgia Tavern in Dallas is the setting of the bar that Angela owns.
The setting is great, as it really does look like the characters live in a pretty small town in which appearances may matter more than other things.
The Showrunner Phoned Sarah Drew To Offer Her The Role Of Cindy
April had many sad and deep quotes on Grey's Anatomy and fans of the hospital drama are glad to also see Sarah Drew playing Derek and Jeanette's mother, Cindy Turner, on Cruel Summer.
It turns out that Sarah Drew and Tia Napolitano worked on Grey's Anatomy together, and Napolitano phoned Drew to see if she would be interested in taking on the role of Cindy. In an interview with Refinery 29, Drew said that the showrunner said, "I promise this character is so interesting and complex." Drew says she was "hooked" and knew she had to play this part.
Producer Jessica Biel Is Thrilled To Work On The Show
Jessica Biel serves as a producer on the series and she shared that she loves working on Cruel Summer. In an interview with Indiewire.com, Biel said that when she was younger and starring on 7th Heaven, it wasn't typical for someone to go from being an actor to producing, writing, or directing TV.
She said that it's different now and she loves having this opportunity to work behind the scenes. Biel explained, “Changing the creative narrative … I didn’t have that power at all."