Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Springing a Leak

Megan needs to start working on her poker face. Her secrets are spilling out faster than her computer takes to boot up.

The sheriff’s latest interrogation uncovered a monster of a secret on Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 4.

This twist is the type of reveal that makes you question the suspects’ intentions. If there’s one thing we learned about Megan, she’s keeping a treasure trove of secrets.

“Springing a Leak” was an aptly-named chapter. This thread of this mystery was all about exposition and giving us more reasons to doubt the main characters.

Was it an exciting episode? Not particularly; much of the plot was filler except for the big reveals. However, we needed the secrets to fill out the gaps in the mystery.

For example, Megan and Isabella’s night out in the summer of 1999. Right now, the club part was a bit of filler.

Don’t get me wrong, seeing them bond and flesh out their BFF status was important to give depth to their relationship. We got a greater sense of how they turned from frenemies into BFFs. This part helps the mystery between the summer and winter of 1999.

And that Megan developed the skill of creating fake IDs. (We’ll get to this shortly.)

On the other hand, Megan learning what a body shot was probably won’t be important later on. These scenes flushed out time to pepper the background. It’s always better when filler doesn’t feel like filler.

I could see these scenes having weight to them if the night leads to something significant.

What if Sheriff Myer saw Megan and Isabella at the bar? Or did Megan use her skills of creating the IDs as a new side business?

Megan: I would?
Isabella: You don’t have to drink it. Just hold it. It’ll make you look cool.

During Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 1, we learned that Megan is doing something shady on the side to make some money.

Her family is suffering financial issues, like on Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 3, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for her to do it. She has the skills, and she needs the money.

The Megan in the summer of 2000 is entirely different.

And the same goes for her flirtation with Jeff.

Whatever happened between them was nothing but a memory by the summer of 2000. The few moments of them flirting and the longing look from Luke started the other complicated love triangle we don’t know much about yet.

Megan flirting with Jeff and kissing him might be a response to Isabella pushing her to take a risk. Old Megan would’ve been too shy to do it; new Megan is trying something new.

Plus, she has been pushing her feelings down about Luke, so this could be her way of getting over him.

She said that she found it easy to be herself with Jeff. After their computer flirting, it’s not surprising that something started. They felt natural and comfortable with each other; they had some chemistry.

However, Jeff’s trash attitude during the winter of 1999 can’t be forgotten.

Something messy is going to happen that tears them apart. We’ll have to grab some popcorn and wait and see until it all comes crashing down in Chatham.

If Cruel Summer Season 1 is an example, someone will feel betrayed and heartbroken.

During the winter of 1999, these portions felt like they were retreading the same drama. Sure, all three periods don’t have to be jampacked, but the pacing needs movement to keep up with viewers.

The awkward dinner scene at Steve’s house was done more to get the characters caught up on all the shadiness. And the drama casts doubts on the main character’s motives.

Megan: Why didn’t you tell me?!
Debbie: I didn’t want to stress you out.
Megan: Okay, you can’t have it both ways! You can’t lean on me to pay for things and then keep me in the dark. For once, it would be nice for you to be the grownup here.

Like, how far would Steve go to protect his family’s reputation? Is Megan wrong to doubt Isabella, or could Isabella and Luke have secretly hooked up in the past?

And will Debbie sweep Brent’s actions under the rug now that Steve paid to repair her house’s pipes?

It was a lot of telling us things and getting the other characters caught up. We’ve known some of this info for a while now. Let’s hope the winter 1999 portion keeps moving forward.

Megan’s actions during the winter of 1999 were the most frustrating. Why is she constantly lashing out at people? And why does it feel like it comes from a place of moral superiority?

I like Megan, but she’s built up such a wall that she uses it to judge everyone else. She’s had to work hard and be an adult sometimes, which must have led to her frustration. However, the wall is hurting her too.

Isabella: Are you really asking me that?
Megan: Yeah, I guess I am.
Isabella: You know, I’ve let this whole town call me a slut and a lousy friend. Everywhere I go people whisper behind my back all so that you can keep your scholarship. And now you think I’m sneaking around with Luke? Are you kidding me, Megan?!
Megan: I’m sorry. It’s just the stuff with the pipes has me stressing out.
Isabella: I don’t care! Okay, how far do I have to go to prove my loyalty to you? And what? Do you need me to kill for you?

Debbie is still her mother and made a tough call regarding the emergency funds.

Isabella took the blame for a sex tape. Isabella wouldn’t have offered the plan if she was betraying her by sleeping with Luke. No way would she help the girl she was screwing over.

Megan needs to trust the people in her life and remember she can’t control everything. Debbie and Isabella want to help however they can.

The summer of 2000 was the juiciest part of “Springing a Leak.”

Something about an interrogation scene keeps us on the edge of our seats! It’s like a cat-and-mouse game. And exciting stuff can come out of an interrogation, like what happened on Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 3.

Sheriff Myer doesn’t trust or believe Megan. His truth is all over his face; his energy radiates with it.

She knows it. We know it.

Her story about Luke running away is the type of tale that seems believable enough.

He’s a teenager, his father is overbearing and controlling, and his brother is a jerk. Plus, with Steve’s pressure, Luke wanting to escape him could’ve been a real option.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke did want to run away. His being murdered and wishing to escape don’t necessarily have to be connected. Leaving could’ve been what he wanted all along, and he got murdered before leaving.

Megan keeping the secret could be a red herring.

On the other hand, the twist about the pregnancy? Shocking! Jaw on the floor.

When Sheriff Myer dropped that news, it changed everything.

If Luke had planned to leave, it would open up the possibilities of how people would react. Steve would be furious over the pregnancy, Megan would be heartbroken if Luke went, and Debbie and Isabella would be upset with Luke for not stepping up.

Sheriff Myer: Luke was the love of your life, but by all accounts, your relationship was never the same after the sex tape. Too many secrets. Too many lies. And it only got worse when you found out you were pregnant.
Lawyer: Sheriff, I need to…
Sheriff Myer: I believe you and Luke went to the cabin. You told him you were pregnant and he rejected the idea of a baby with you. A future with you. So, you killed him.

This is all based on the closest people in their lives and if Megan kept the child. We haven’t considered the side characters like Brent, Jeff, and Parker. We don’t know how they play a part in that twist yet.

With the sex tape and this pregnancy, it could all be the spark for how Luke died at the cabin.

Last Thoughts From The Archive:

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  Megan’s lower grade could threaten her scholarship. Either her side business is creating fake IDs, or she’s hacking into the school to change grads for a profit.
  
   
• 
  Who could be her secret computer teacher? Someone in town will probably play a part in the mystery.
  
   
• 
  Take the money! Isabella needs to live at the house, too; it’s a gift that benefits everyone.

Now, over to you, Cruel Summer fans.

What did you think of “Springing a Leak”?

Is Sheriff Myer correct in his theory about Megan? What will the police find on Megan’s computer? Is the story about Luke running away the truth?

If you missed the latest episode of Cruel Summer, you can watch Cruel Summer online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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