Cruel Summer (2021) s01e05 Episode Script

1
Previously on "Cruel Summer"
Widow Falls.
- So that's where you're from.
-
Kate's been through something awful.
Maybe she's not exactly in
her right mind right now?
Jeanette's not who you think she is.
Try me, try me, huh?
You and I both know that
necklace belongs to Jeanette.
And our daughter just lied
about it to the police.
Kate's back now.
Can you at least ask her to talk to me?
You know I can't do that.
If you ever need to talk, I'm here.
I don't need advice from the local
bartender who's screwing my dad.
You stole my life because
yours was pathetic.
But you're seriously gonna come after
my family's money with this lawsuit?
Joy: We have to be careful.
She's startin' to nose around.
Are you okay? I'm Martin.
I'm Kate.
This was taped to the front door.
Who would possibly send that?
- Joy: Exactly. Who?
-
What did you and the guys end up
doing after the garden club party?
Why do you ask?
I mean, I don't usually confuse things.
Sylvia: Especially after
a traumatic experience.
We can misremember things.
We can replace a memory with a version
that makes us feel more
comfortable, more secure.
Sylvia says listening to your
own tapes can be really scary.
My own memory of my time down there
is the only reference I've got.
- Sylvia: Who is Annabelle?
- Kate: I can't remember.
(modem beeping, buzzing)
(Spin Doctors playing "Two Princes")
Yeah ♪
One, two princes kneel before you ♪
That's what I said now ♪
- Princes, princes who adore you ♪
-
Just go ahead now ♪
One has diamonds in his pockets ♪
And that's some bread now ♪
This one said he wants
to buy you rockets ♪
- Ain't in his head now ♪
- Yeah ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
- ("I Walk Alone" by Mecca Normal playing)
-
I walk ♪
I walk by myself ♪
(giggles)
I go downtown ♪
I go it alone ♪
I walk alone ♪
- Walk alone ♪
- I walk alone ♪
But I'm not alone ♪
- Walk alone ♪
- This city's my home ♪
- Walk alone ♪
- This city's my home ♪
("Weak" by Skunk Anansie playing)
Weak as I am ♪
No tears for you ♪
- Weak as I am ♪
-
(knock on door)
Derek: You used all the hot water!
So? Sue me.
Weak as I am ♪
Liar.
(gasps)
(discordant soundtrack plays)
Sylvia (on tape): Do you have
memories of Martin Harris,
before the kidnapping?
Kate (on tape): We talked sometimes.
I lied about that to the cops.
I guess because I thought
it made me look bad.
Sylvia: Kate, you're a minor.
There isn't a single thing you
could have done to be at fault,
in any way, for what happened to you.
There is no "looking bad".
Do you have specific memories
of talking to him?
Kate: Once was at the County Fair.
I think of that sometimes,
because it was just
exceedingly normal.
More depositions are
coming up fast and furious.
Goody.
I sense some exasperation?
Wow. You must have ESP.
Jeanette, we are paying
an arm and a leg for every
minute of Ms. Harper's time.
Could we have a moment alone, please?
You need people to remind
the world, on the record,
that you are a human being
with a heart and a soul.
People who believe you.
Vincent Fuller was great.
What about Mallory Higgins?
Mallory's a nonstarter.
Well, find someone who isn't.
Multiple somebodies.
I'm your gun for hire, Jeanette.
But I need you to feed me the bullets.
(pop music playing)
Are you sure this is a good
setting for a first date?
Skylin High Takeover at the County Fair,
when they literally only let in
high-schoolers and chaperones?
Kinda perfect first date territory.
But what will we even talk about?
I mean, Gideon isn't even from here.
Also perfect. He's a newb,
- which gives you the social upper hand.
- But I
Vince and I already
completed this list item,
making your chickening out very uncool.
I'm not chickening out!
I'm not! You guys got
to do a double date,
which means you got to do
your list item together
and I'm all alone, which is very uncool.
Mallory was not focused on
me in that movie theater.
- (Jeanette gasps)
- What is that supposed to mean?
Nothing. It's just a stupid rumor.
Mallory: Out with it!
Word is, while me and my date
were busy watching the movie,
you and yours was busy
going to second base.
Gross!
Eww, mouth stuff?
No. Second base is hand stuff.
Uh, then what's third base?
- Well, third base is doing it.
- No, that's home base.
- Duh.
- No, it's not
I went to zero bases with
that pimply weirdo! Okay?
Just teasing, jeez.
Quit stalling. We should go now.
I want to ride the Gravitron
before it gets too pukey.
Vincent: Good point.
(country rock music playing)
(riders screaming, cheering)
Hey, I'm sorry, by the way.
For what?
Picking you up late.
My mom's been on my ass
about doing all those
extra chores, so
Yeah, well, I guess that's what you get
for punching your ex-girlfriend.
Yeah. Can we
Can we just move on from that?
Did you know that the opposite
of love is indifference?
Not hate?
Do you really want to be with me, Jamie?
Why would you even ask that?
Or do you just feel bad moving
on from poor Kidnapped Kate
with the girl who stole my life?
Jeanette Turner is a psycho.
I don't associate with people like that.
Then why were you
kissing her in the park?
I love you.
That's real.
And what about Jeanette?
What about Jeanette?
I I didn't kiss her.
Not since before.
Okay, I promise you
I wanna believe you, but
You can believe me.
I don't know what you've heard,
but I'm telling you right here
I didn't hear anything.
I followed you that night.
What?
I saw you with my own eyes.
So, what, you've just been
sitting on this for weeks?
No. I've been working up the
courage to ask you about it.
Is this the therapy talking?
Jamie, you said that
therapy was good for me.
Yeah yeah
That I should That I should
stay grounded in reality.
Yeah, reality, not
made-up stories, Kate.
Hey. Hey
Kate!
(honking horn)
(riders screaming)
Do you think Jamie will be here?
He can't resist the Dunk Tank.
Oh, are you the one
sitting in the hot seat?
- That's not funny.
- Yeah, you're right, it's not.
I went postal on that
girl-punching loser for you,
- so why are you chasing him?
- I'm not.
It was just a question, relax.
Yeah, you know Dad will
murder Jamie and you
if you even glance in
his direction, right?
- Dad's not here.
- Yeah, well, I am.
And last I checked, Jamie's still
with Kate so even if he is here,
- won't she still be with him?
- That's kind of the idea.
Jeanie, I swear!
- Look, I know what I'm doing.
- Yeah.
- Stalking Kate Wallis is what you're doing.
- Shhh!
Calm down, okay?
Look, I can't just swing by her
house or give her a phone call.
I don't like this.
It's gonna be fine.
Hey, thanks for hanging
out with me, by the way.
I know it's kind of social suicide,
but that's about to change.
Wait I
Wait, I thought I was just
giving you a ride, Jeanie?
Jeanie!
- (riders screaming)
- First, thrill
- both: Rides.
- Next, fuel
both: Corn dogs.
Then domination!
- both: The Dunk Tank!
- (Jamie laughs)
Natural order of things.
As the Carny gods intended.
And look how short the lines are.
- Turn around.
- Hmm?
- Jamie, turn around, look!
- What's up?
What are we looking at?
Well, nothing now.
Well, what were we looking at?
My mom and Scott Jones.
Do they seem weird to you?
Yeah, super weird.
They're chaperoning.
- I'm gonna go get a funnel cake.
- Ooh.
Before the Gravitron?
Big mistake.
- Let's just go. Come on.
- Yeah.
Hi.
Rumor has it Jeanette is planning
to sit in the Dunk Tank
at the fair to pay her legal fees.
Come on, that's too good.
Deliciously pathetic.
Wanna watch Clerks again?
Maybe later.
Do you wanna go to the fair?
I quote you directly when I say
that the fair is "a
cesspool of mediocrity".
Yes, it's still true.
But I need to confront
someone incredibly mediocre.
No way that shut-in loser
actually dares show her face.
What if she cracked?
What if you're right
and she did send the "liar" letter
and now she's just going
out in public to taunt me?
You're serious?
Dead. Come on.
(Mallory sighs)
How 'bout them Boys, am I right?
Cowboys.
Emmitt Smith? Troy Aikman?
- Mallory: (whispering) Come on, get out there!
- Vincent: It'll be fine.
- Football, Gideon.
- Oh.
Uh
- Um
- Gideon: Hey, Jeanette.
Hi.
So, Gideon, how's your grandma?
Happy I made a fr-friend this summer.
Well, make sure that you
say hi to the Stevenson
and the Wallis kids
if you see them, okay?
Yeah, we'll be sure to do that.
Let's just go, guys, come on.
Just take it, just take it, yeah.
Bye!
(door closes)
Oh, she's blossoming. Be happy for her.
Let her blossom!
Yeah.
(giggles)
You just gonna stand there
or are you gonna say something?
Ms. Harper was talking to me
about people on my side.
And it got me thinking.
Are you
still on my side?
Are you even on your own side?
- Obviously.
- Well, it's hard to tell,
the way you've been treating this case
like it's that Algebra
2 class you tanked.
This has been hard for me.
It's been a real picnic for me.
I I know.
Jeanette, you said Kate Wallis
is lying, and I believed you.
The whole town turns on you,
I remained on your side.
The world turns on you, I doubled down,
hired a fancy lawyer
so that you can sue
the pants off that girl.
Being on your side
cost me my job
my reputation
my family as I once knew it.
Betcha it'll probably
cost me this house, too.
So that's a yes?
If anyone asks, you were
the perfect daughter.
Your first word was "Dada".
And you've never hurt a fly.
Thank you.
That I know of.
So what kind of cat fight
should I be bracing for?
Hair pulling? Scratching?
What? No.
I don't want to hurt Kate.
You don't?
No. And I never did.
I just I want to clear all this up.
I mean, maybe Renée and Tennille
are twisting Kate's words
like always and we can
figure this out together.
Or she'll stick to her version of events
and all hell will break loose.
No. She won't do that because
her version of events never happened.
I can't promise I won't pound Jamie.
- No pounding.
- Then why the hell do you even need me?
You're my witness.
Great.
Vincent and Mallory are your pals?
Yeah.
Uh, yeah, they're pretty dope.
Dope?
Yeah.
Dope.
(bell rings)
Vincent: There you go.
(Mallory giggles)
Hi.
Gideon: Sorry. I'm nervous.
You're you're like the coolest girl.
- (laughs breathily)
- Jeanette: Oh, uh
That's Kate Wallis. Uh
If you think I'm cool,
she's the coolest.
Gideon: You're friends with her?
Jeanette: I'm getting
in with her whole group.
There's Jamie Henson. He's
like the big man on campus.
And you actually know him?
Yeah.
I do.
Dope.
Yeah.
(girls shriek)
carny: There we go! There we go!
- Down in the water! Who else wants
-
Look, that's them.
Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Wallis?
Do you have a minute to talk about Kate?
Do I look like I have a moment?
You look like you're holding
it together incredibly well
considering the circumstances.
Well, my Kate is just tough as nails.
Rod: She gets that from
my wife here, I assure you.
- (camera shutter clicking)
- Jamie: Kate! Kate!
Hey, step off, man! Leave her alone.
- photographer: Easy!
- Would you step off, too?
- You wanna hear this, all right?
- No, I don't think that I do.
Hey, no, Jeanette, I met up
with her at the park, okay?
That part's true. Okay?
She wanted to talk to me
And I know I shouldn't
have done it, but I just
I felt bad for her. Okay?
Kate, I didn't kiss her.
I swear.
But I saw you.
We both know your memory's
been shaky since the trauma.
Don't you think it's possible
that you didn't see
what you think you saw?
It's bad that you kissed
Jeanette, Jamie.
- I didn't kiss Jeanette.
- But making me doubt myself
is so much worse.
It's over, Jamie.
Congrats. You can kiss
whoever you want now.
Kate!
(door opens and closes)
Excuse you.
Garbage belongs where it belongs.
Did you see the reporter
vultures circling outside?
It's almost trial time.
They're out for fresh blood.
Let's go out. I know a place.
Great. It'll be you,
me and the vultures.
Oh, I can handle the vultures.
You need somebody on your side
you gotta let somebody in.
You somebody?
You got a lot of other options?
Mallory: Holy shit.
Is that actually Jeanette?
Guess rumors do come true.
Hey! Show your face.
Kate?
Hey.
Wait, wait!
- (Kate strains)
- (Jamie screams)
(audience applauding)
host: Bill, you don't seem
to be hearing your wife.
- Bill: Because she's yammering all the time.
- Ah, boo!
You're too good for Bill, Michelle.
- Just
- host: Let's hear what the audience
Thought we were renting
us a movie for tonight.
- Uh
- (turns off TV)
I don't like it there anymore.
The video store?
Someone spit on my car
in the parking lot
while I was in it.
And then they said a whole
bunch of stuff about Jeanette
that I will not repeat because you
know how I feel about cuss words.
And saliva.
Since when did we start
drinking before 5:00?
Since someone spit on my car.
The kids are at the fair, it's fine.
Hey, you know what? Since
we're asking questions,
I've actually got one for you.
- Okay.
- So
what happens when someone dies
on a commercial air flight?
What happens when what?
They move the body to an
empty row, if it's available,
and most of the time that row
winds up being in first-class.
(snickers)
God, can you imagine?
Paying all of that money
for a first-class ticket
and then you wind up
sitting next to a corpse?
- Nope. I'm afraid I can't.
- (Cindy sighs)
You know what, why don't I
why don't I go rent us a movie?
Cindy: Okay.
Jeanette: We're dumping a dead body?
Angela: Ha ha ha.
It's grunge. Grunge is in.
I can't believe my dad
let you take his car.
I didn't ask.
Let's go.
(doorbell jingles)
Hey, what's up, Mr. Turner?
Hey, Vincent.
Uh, do you guys happen to have
the new Meg Ryan movie?
I think Cindy could really use
I don't know what.
A couple copies in New Releases.
Oh
Um, do either of you
drive a white sedan?
Oh, that'd be me.
Oh, shit. I hit it. I'm really sorry.
I'm late to see an apartment
and I was backing up
and I'm I'm sorry.
Stuff happens, right?
Wow, uh yeah.
Uh, I'll write you a check
because the car is not
You're looking for a new apartment?
Yeah. I'm new to town.
I'm Greg Turner.
The best real-estate agent in the town
that you're new to.
Angela.
Prescott.
And I'm Vince.
Hi, Vince.
- (riders whooping)
- (carnival music playing)
You're my hero.
It felt good, but dunking Jeanette
would have felt so much better.
Still a sweet consolation prize.
(chuckles)
Molly: I'm hearing no one's seen
Jeanette Turner in months.
Actually I thought I saw
her at the drug store
buying black hair dye. (giggles)
I also heard that Jeanette isn't even
coming back to school next year.
So she's not just a shut-in
with a bad haircut,
she's a dropout, too.
(giggles)
- (monkey laughing)
-
(laughter echoing)
Hey! (giggling)
Hey!
I-I think I need some space right now.
- We get that.
- Totally.
Jeanette: Kate!
Hey, uh, we can lose her in here.
- Jeanette: Mallory?
- Hey! Come on.
I can't be seen chasing Kate Wallis
through a funhouse, okay?
- Neither should you.
- I have to.
All right, your funeral.
(girls giggling)
- gruff voice: Danger ahead!
- (electronic SFX pinging)
There is no escape!
Kate!
(girls' laughter echoing)
Someone's behind you!
Mallory?
Kate! I just wanna talk.
- (exotic animals calling)
- (lion snarling)
Excuse me.
Hey, watch where you're going.
Sloppy.
Jeanette: Mallory?
Where'd you go?
(derisive laughter echoing)
(creature snarling)
woman, sadistically: Watch your step!
- Mallory!
- (laughter echoing)
- (muffled moaning)
- (creature growling)
sinister voice, laughing: Slow down!
(animals screeching)
(sinister laughter)
(castanets rattling)
Run away!
Hi.
(carnival music playing)
sinister voice: There is no escape!
woman: Please make sure to
check out our new exhibit
featuring artwork from local students
Shoot.
Derek: Hi.
You need to drop this.
Come on, Derek, be a good brother.
I am.
I'm gonna let you in on
a little secret, okay?
The Wallises
always win.
Whether they deserve it or not.
But
as your witness
I believe you.
Ah, whoa. No public affection, okay?
Not ever since that movie usher
thought that you were my girlfriend.
- Ah, funny.
- Yeah, remember that?
Nasty, nasty.
Eww. Right?
Look, you want my advice
stop chasing Kate.
Stop chasing Jamie.
Remember the geeky Jeanette
no one ever noticed?
Try being her again.
I can't.
Time to go watch Clerks?
No, not yet.
I wanna listen to one thing first.
(tape rewinding)
Sylvia: Tell me more about
that night at the fair.
Kate: Martin Harris was running
some silly game booth,
raising money for school.
Hey, how's it going, Jeanette?
Good. Uh, this is my friend Gideon.
- Hey.
- Do you go to Skylin High, too?
No, sir, uh Visiting for the summer.
Ah, an out-of-towner. I'm new here, too.
You're from Widow Falls, right?
Yeah. How do you know that?
Oh, my dad must have mentioned it.
You kids wanna try your luck?
Uh
Yeah. Let's try our luck.
- All right, step right up.
- Okay.
Let's do this.
(bell rings)
(Jeanette giggling)
Okay.
- (electronic SFX chirping)
- All right, Jeanette is in the lead.
But it is still anyone's game.
(Jeanette laughing)
All right, Gideon is pulling up.
Coming up! It's too close to call.
Gideon pulls ahead!
(Gideon gasping)
And that's it for this round!
- (bell ringing)
- I win, I win!
I win ♪
Is that like your geek boyfriend?
I win, I win ♪
No.
But you are here with him, right?
- Well, sounds like dating.
- Yeah.
- (Gideon laughing)
- Um, no, he's just some loser
who's playing the game
at the same time as me,
we don't even know each other.
(upbeat country music
playing on jukebox)
Are we supposed to be in here?
Um, the person who would bust us
is me.
Can I have a whiskey and Coke?
Coke, no whiskey, coming up.
I already took your dad's car.
I can't return you drunk, too.
What do you see in him?
I see a good person
going through an
incredibly difficult time.
You?
I try to see who he used to be.
That, I'm afraid, is
a recipe for disappointment.
What's that?
It's called a karaoke machine.
You sing?
Well No, not really.
I'll go first.
Martin: I don't think she's coming back.
Jeanette's a nice girl.
She probably just got sick or something.
Do you need a ride home?
No, thanks.
I have my bike.
Kate: Lots of kids played, not just me.
Sylvia: But you weren't "lots of kids"
to Martin Harris, were you?
Step right up, Miss Wallis, for
the chance to win a grand prize!
That's weird, huh?
Kate: Gimme a minute?
Hey.
Hey.
Jamie, what are you doing?
Uh, some kid bet me a six-pack
I wouldn't dare steal the banner.
Hmm. Right.
Yeah.
And you can't turn down a dare.
Yeah.
Whoa, are you okay?
I mean
Are you?
It's kind of hard to tell
which way is up these days.
Hey, Kate
I need to tell you something
that is a long time coming.
You were right.
Jeanette
in the park last summer.
We kissed.
And I lied to you about it.
And I thought that I was like
protecting you or something
by covering it up, but
you deserve the truth,
so
yeah.
I knew it.
I knew it.
You did.
And I'm really
really sorry.
I don't really know what else to say.
Do you wanna hit me?
Say it again.
I was lying.
The other part.
You were right.
That's the nicest thing
you've ever done for me.
You have done this
before, look at that aim.
- (Kate laughs)
- You're in the lead.
You are the only player,
but you are winning.
- (Kate laughing)
- Good aim, I'm impressed.
- (bell rings)
- We have a winner.
(chuckles)
Pick your prize.
I think I'm a little old for this.
They come with 50 tickets.
You can trade them in for snacks.
- (laughs)
- There you go.
Hey, I hope I've
rehabbed my image since
the first time we met?
Earlier in the summer?
Yeah. It was a pretty embarrassing
and lame first impression.
That wasn't my first impression of you,
if it makes you feel any better.
It wasn't?
I noticed you at the garden club party.
You were with some moms and I
Never mind.
You what?
Nothing. Nothing.
Okay, well, I'm not
leaving till you tell me.
Just the way that you were
mingling with the adults,
I thought
I mistook you for one of them.
One of the moms?
One of the adults. And
it was just for a minute.
Well, why didn't you say hi?
I didn't know you then.
Well, you know me now.
Hi.
I'll see you around, Mr. Harris.
Hey, Kate.
Sylvia: Are you familiar with
the concept of "grooming"?
Looking forward to it.
Kate: Are you saying
Martin befriended me
because he planned to kidnap me?
Sylvia: On some level, yes.
So Gideon just got sick and left?
- Yeah.
- We've all been victimized by the Gravitron.
Jeanette: I-I think
this is the wrong way.
It's a cut-through.
Jeanette?
A word?
What about?
Beats me.
Jeanette, I want you
to think about Gideon.
I'm sure he's feeling rejected,
humiliated, and alone.
Would you want to feel like that?
No.
Vincent: That's weird.
Yeah, that is weird.
I'm I'm really sorry, Mr. Harris.
I'm not the person you
need to apologize to.
What's that? Is that yours?
Oh. (laughs)
No. Yeah, funny story.
Kate Wallis left it behind,
and I was gonna give it back
to her when school began.
I I'll see her before then.
Of course you will.
So I can take it?
I don't see why not.
Thanks.
You in trouble or something?
Uh, no.
Mr. Harris just wanted me
to return Kate Wallis's scrunchie.
You don't know Kate Wallis.
I'm just keeping her scrunchie safe.
Take a chill pill.
I know just the one to play next.
The walls in your house, paper thin,
so I know you know
every word to this one.
No excuses.
(4 Non Blondes playing "What's Up?")
25 years and my life is still ♪
Trying to get up that
great big hill of hope ♪
For a destination ♪
Maybe we light up first?
Later. I wanna be lucid
for this and so do you.
Shit, we're not gonna
Yeah, we are.
So I cry sometimes
when I'm lying in bed ♪
Just to get it all out
what's in my head ♪
And I, I'm feeling ♪
A little peculiar ♪
And so I wake in the morning
and I step outside ♪
And I take a deep breath
and I get real high ♪
And I scream from
the top of my lungs ♪
What's going on? ♪
And I said, hey-ey-ey ♪
Hey-ey-ey ♪
I said, hey ♪
What's going on? ♪
(song stops)
- Breathe.
- I can't do this.
It's okay. You are okay.
Why are you doing this?
You deserve kindness, Jeanette.
I don't want it.
You've built a fortress around yourself,
with good reason.
But if you never leave the fortress,
even to sing a little karaoke
it's a prison.
(exhales shakily)
Kate.
Here's your scrunchie back.
No. No problem at all.
Yeah. Hanging out sounds dope.
Mal, I don't know if I can do this.
Of course you can. You're on fire today.
I'm over the nightmares,
and I'm over seeing
him everywhere, but
No "buts". You deserve to get
on with the rest of your life.
Let your anger rip.
Put an end to this and never look back.
(spits)
(straining)
("What's Up?" playing)
Angela and Jeanette: 25 years
and my life is still ♪
You know, Mr. Harris
you look awfully young to
be an assistant principal.
for a destination ♪