Cruel Summer Season 2: Shocking Twists Unveiled in Epic Finale

Warning: The following article contains spoilers from Cruel Summer season 2, episode 10.

Summary

In a stunning twist, the Season 2 finale of Cruel Summer unveiled that Isabella, rather than Brent as previously believed, was the one responsible for Luke's demise. Ingeniously, Isabella framed Megan for the murder by skillfully manipulating the evidence before making her escape from town.

Megan has uncovered the truth on a tape and is likely going to hand it over to the police. However, Isabella has fled the country, potentially avoiding arrest. As Cruel Summer season 2 concludes, fans now have clarity on the events of the night Luke went missing and died. Throughout the season, nearly everyone was a suspect, with certain characters appearing more suspicious than others. Yet, the last episode brought unforeseen revelations that left viewers stunned. Following the pattern set by the first season of this Freeform anthology show, the season 2 finale delivered its most shocking twist in its closing moments.

Who Killed Luke In Cruel Summer Season 2?

Let's take a moment to recap what viewers already knew about the events leading up to the final scene of New Year's Eve. Isabella and Megan devised a plan to seek revenge on Luke by capturing him in the cabin, drugging him, and recording his confession. Luke, on the other hand, had done some questionable things including making a sex tape, kissing Isabella, lying about it, and boasting to his friends about his influence over Megan and Isabella. Tensions escalated at the cabin when Luke admitted to sleeping with Isabella, resulting in Isabella shooting him in the ear. After Isabella left, Megan revealed to Luke that she was pregnant before departing herself. Luke managed to free himself and made his way to the dock, where he contacted a mysterious individual through a page, leaving viewers curious about what will unfold in Cruel Summer season 2.

Cruel Summer season 2, episode 10, started off from where episode 9 left off — with Luke being met by someone at the dock. It was revealed that Luke had called Brent for assistance to get home. However, before further details about the brothers' encounter could be revealed, the episode fast-forwarded a few hours to show Brent damp and sitting in the Chambers family's kitchen, while Luke was nowhere to be found. It seemed likely that Brent had a role in Luke's demise, and their father, Steve, had been hiding the truth right from the start. Nevertheless, as fans discovered by the end of the finale, not everything was as it appeared.

After Brent and Steve were arrested in the season 2 finale, Megan went to the water to bid farewell to Luke. As she turned to head home, she noticed that one of Ned's cameras was aimed at the dock. Megan managed to retrieve the footage and made a shocking discovery — it was not Brent who accidentally killed Luke, but Isabella who had deliberately murdered him.

Following Luke's fall into the water after being shoved by Brent, he somehow washed up on the beach, barely clinging to life. Isabella, who had been searching for Luke to talk things out, came across him. Instead of seeking assistance, she made a calculated decision and chose to eliminate him once and for all. With her foot, she pushed Luke's face into the water, causing him to drown. Isabella made good on her previous statement in the ninth episode of Cruel Summer season 2 — there was no room for both Luke and Isabella in Megan's life, and Isabella ensured that it was she who would remain.

Isabella Framed Megan & Skipped Town

Throughout Cruel Summer season 2, the revelation that Isabella was Luke's killer appeared too simplistic. However, it turned out to be a shocking twist as the writers cleverly utilized reverse psychology to deceive the audience. Isabella's concerning behavior and warning signs regarding her obsession with Megan were actually genuine. Their friendship had become highly toxic, built on codependency and a willingness to sacrifice everything for each other. Whenever Isabella discovered that Megan wouldn't prioritize their relationship or felt even a hint of jealousy, she betrayed her.

Initially, Isabella revealed to Debbie that Megan was the one in the sex tape with Luke, not her. Later, she disclosed the existence of the blood-stained sheets to Debbie (leaving fans curious about how Megan explained this to her mother). Finally, when Megan refused to give Isabella another chance, she handed the police the New Year's Eve tape, which she had previously promised to destroy. Manipulated to make it appear as though Megan had shot Luke, this video ultimately led to Megan's arrest.

Meanwhile, Isabella made her way to Ibiza, fabricating her past in Chatham while en route and adopting the alias of Lisa. Michelle, Isabella's newfound companion, remained oblivious to the perilous situation she had unknowingly entered by befriending "Lisa." Isabella seemed to attract trouble wherever she ventured, prompting one to ponder whether she had previously caused the demise of Lisa in St. Barts prior to her ruthless act of murdering Luke in the anticipated second season of Cruel Summer.

The Confrontation Between Luke & Brent At The Dock Explained

After arriving at the dock to bring Luke home in the 10th episode of Cruel Summer season 2, Brent and Luke engaged in a heated confrontation. Luke proceeded to recount the events of that fateful night involving Megan and Isabella, acknowledging his own shortcomings and likening himself to Brent and Steve, both of whom he considered to be "bad guys." Furthermore, Luke confessed to being responsible for playing the sex tape at the holiday party, mistakenly believing it to be one of Brent's tapes. Unsurprisingly, Brent was furious about being wrongly accused, leading to a further escalation of tensions as they aired out their deep-seated grievances.

The turning point occurred when Luke broached the topic of their mother's demise, revealing that she had been under the influence while driving at the time of the accident. Steve, in order to safeguard the family's reputation, opted to fabricate a story, falsely accusing eight-year-old Luke of distracting their mother and thus causing the tragedy. Tired of perpetuating this lie, Luke confided in Brent, who, unwilling to accept the truth, forcefully shoved Luke, causing him to fall and hit his head on the metal ladder of the dock before plunging into the water.

Frantically, Brent dove into the water, desperately searching for his brother. However, the darkness hindered his efforts, rendering them futile. Eventually, Brent conceded defeat and returned home, where Steve discovered him upon his arrival, as depicted earlier. Overwhelmed with guilt about the accident, Brent was urged by Steve to conceal Luke's death. Steve intended to create the impression that Luke had run away and subsequently implicated Isabella by manipulating Brent into planting her bag of money at the cabin. Nevertheless, Brent's conscience ultimately took hold of him in the second season of Cruel Summer.

Why Brent Turned Himself In

Megan was arrested by the police for Luke's murder in Cruel Summer season 2, episode 10, thanks to Isabella and the tape. However, Brent refused to allow her to take the blame for the crime. Instead, he decided to confess to killing Luke behind his father's back. Brent explained to Megan the events of that fateful night, and although she claimed it was an accident, Sheriff Myer still apprehended Brent. In a turn of events, Steve was also taken into custody by the police for his involvement in covering up Luke's death.

Despite Isabella being the actual murderer of Luke, both Brent and Steve are likely to face jail time for lying to the authorities. While it appeared that Brent had undergone a transformation after the tragic incident, Steve remained a deceitful and neglectful father. Perhaps serving time in jail will help Steve reevaluate his actions and provide him with some clarity in Cruel Summer season 2.

What Will Megan Do With The Tape From The Dock?

Cruel Summer season 2 concluded with Megan viewing the footage of Isabella causing Luke's drowning, leaving the subsequent events open to interpretation. It is likely that Megan would not allow Brent to continue believing he had taken his brother's life and would probably hand the video over to the authorities. Alternatively, she might have taken matters into her own hands, determined to locate Isabella and seek retribution. In any case, Megan would not conceal the tape as her love for Luke and Brent was too strong to let Isabella go unpunished for her crime. However, considering Isabella's escape to another country, it is possible that the police were unable to apprehend her, but it can be assumed that the truth was known to at least everyone.

The Cruel Summer Season 2 Finale Contained A Season 1 Easter Egg

In Cruel Summer season 2, fans speculated about its connection to the first season. Despite the absence of Kate Wallis or Jeanette Turner, a subtle reference to one of the original characters was made in the season 2 finale. Just before Megan's arrest, she picked up her keys to leave her house, and those keys were resting on a book written by Kate. The book was titled "Out of the Basement: The Kate Wallis Story" and appeared to be a memoir recounting Kate's harrowing ordeal with Martin Harris. If Freeform decides to renew Cruel Summer for a third season, it's possible that Megan's story may be told through a book in the next finale.