Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first two episodes of Cruel Summer!
Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt) and Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia) are at the center of the mystery at focus in Cruel Summer, but there’s intriguing evidence pointing to Mallory Higgins (Harley Quinn Smith). The new Freeform thriller, notably produced by Jessica Biel (The Sinner), follows Pretty Little Liars‘ footsteps by following a group of teens linked to a girl’s mysterious disappearance. In this case, Kate was the one who disappeared, but there are clear signs Jeanette shares some guilt with the abduction. With only two episodes released thus far, the full truth will eventually unfold. Surprising figures will probably have a deeper connection to the crime in focus, and right now, Mallory should draw early suspicions.
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Cruel Summer documents June 21st over the course of three different years–1993, 1994, and 1995. The first episode is told from Jeanette’s perspective, jumping back and forth between the years while showing just how much her life changes in that short span. First presented as a nerdy outcast, Jeanette then claims Kate’s status as queen bee following her classmate’s disappearance. By 1995, Jeanette is the most hated person in the country after being accused of seeing Kate locked in the basement owned by Martin Harris (Blake Lee) but refusing to tell anyone. By then, she lost the support of her best friends, Mallory and Vince Fuller (Allius Barnes).
At first, Mallory is presented as one of Jeanette’s harmless best friends in the 1993 timeline. The fellow nerd embraces her social status as she remains excited to spend the summer with her closest pals. A year later, she seems to despise Jeanette and the kind of person her friend turned into. Though Mallory isn’t heavily in focus in the 1995 story, it’s assumed she still isn’t on good terms with Jeanette. However, certain sequences suggest Mallory isn’t solely angered by Jeanette, but instead, Kate. Though Kate may be telling the truth regarding Jeanette’s failure to unearth her whereabouts while trapped in the basement, it’s possible Mallory is involved.
When Mallory witnesses Jeanette chatting with Kate at the mall in the 1993 timeline, she seems significantly bothered. It becomes clear Mallory is no fan of Kate, later confronting her former friend the following year about how she transformed into Kate. While talking to Vince, Mallory reiterates her distaste for the missing girl, implying they have a rocky history that hasn’t been touched on yet.
It’s also interesting how Mallory has a connection to two physical pieces in Kate’s disappearance. The empty house Jeanette and her friends break into in 1993 turns out to be the recently purchased property of Martin. Mallory is the one who encourages her friends to break the law as part of their summer to-do list, and she’s the one who directly steals the realtor’s key. Jeanette is the last one seen with the key, but Mallory could’ve reacquired it for access into Martin’s house. There’s also the necklace Mallory gave Jeanette, which Kate unveils as evidence to confirm Jeanette’s involvement in the abduction. Seeing as Mallory and Jeanette weren’t on good terms, she could have taken the necklace back since their friendship was shattered.
It’s possible Kate was always a villain in Mallory’s eyes. Maybe she’s the one who truly witnesses Kate locked up in the basement, but she frames Jeanette as revenge for the pain she caused. In a way, it would be payback pointed at both Kate and Jeanette in the mind of Mallory. There’s also a chance Mallory and Jeanette were both at Martin’s house, but Mallory allows her former friend to take the brunt of the accusations. It might still be early in Cruel Summer season 1, but there’s plenty of reasons to keep an eye on Mallory.
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