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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!

Binge this in 7h 15mPeaking at 8.5/10

Taking place over three summers - 1993, 1994, 1995 - in a small Texas town, a beautiful popular teen, Kate, is abducted and, seemingly unrelated, a girl, Jeanette, goes from being a sweet, awkward outlier

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Seasons2

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 1 - Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner
    7.7/10(869 votes)

    #1 - Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner

    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.

    Director:Max Winkler

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  2. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 2 - A Smashing Good Time
    7.8/10(738 votes)

    #2 - A Smashing Good Time

    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.

    Director:Bill Purple

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  3. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 3 - Off with a Bang
    7.2/10(661 votes)

    #3 - Off with a Bang

    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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  4. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 4 - You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat
    7.4/10(607 votes)

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

    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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  5. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 5 - As the Carny Gods Intended
    7.3/10(565 votes)

    #5 - As the Carny Gods Intended

    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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  6. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 6 - An Ocean in Me
    7.4/10(550 votes)

    #6 - An Ocean in Me

    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.

    Director:Kellie Cyrus

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    The 20 BEST Episodes of Cruel Summer

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  8. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 7 - Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis
    7.6/10(546 votes)

    #7 - Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis

    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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  9. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 8 - Proof
    7.3/10(534 votes)

    #8 - Proof

    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. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 9 - A Secret of My Own
    8.5/10(663 votes)

    #9 - A Secret of My Own

    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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  11. Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 10 - Hostile Witness
    8.4/10(785 votes)

    #10 - Hostile Witness

    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.

    Director:Bill Purple

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner" is the best rated episode of "Cruel Summer" season 1. It scored 7.7/10 based on 869 votes. Directed by Max Winkler and written by Bert V. Royal, it aired on 4/20/2021. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "A Smashing Good Time".