It will once again feel like a Cruel Summer on Freeform this, well, summer.
Season 2 of the anthology series will premiere Monday, June 5 at 9/8c with two back-to-back episodes, before moving to its regular 10 pm timeslot the following week, Freeform announced on Monday.
The upcoming installment of the psychological drama features a fresh mystery and an all-new cast, led by Sadie Stanley (The Goldbergs), Lexi Underwood (Little Fires Everywhere) and Griffin Gluck (Locke & Key, Private Practice).
Season 2 is set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest and follows “the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship,” per the official synopsis. “Approaching the story from three different timelines surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the early friendship between Megan (played by Stanley), Isabella (Underwood) and Megan’s best friend Luke (Gluck), the love triangle that blossomed, and the mystery that would impact all of their lives going forward.”
KaDee Strickland (Private Practice), Lisa Yamada (Little Fires Everywhere) and Sean Blakemore (General Hospital, Greenleaf) round out the ensemble. Paul Adelstein (Private Practice) also recurs, reuniting him with Strickland and Gluck, who played his wife and son on Private Practice.
Additionally, Freeform revealed that grown-ish will return with the first half of its sixth and final season on Wednesday, June 28 at 10 pm. Justine Skye (who plays Annika) and Tara Raani (Zaara) have been promoted to series regulars for the show’s swan song.
The network’s summer slate also includes the debut of the adult animated comedy Praise Petey on Friday, July 21 at 10 pm, with two back-to-back episodes airing each week as part of Family Guy Friday. Featuring the voice of Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), the series follows Petey, “a New York City ‘it’ girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: She’s going to ‘lean into’ modernizing his small-town cult.”
The voice cast also includes John Cho (Cowboy Bebop), Kiersey Clemons (The Flash), Stephen Root (Barry), Amy Hill (Magnum P.I.) and Christine Baranski (The Good Fight).
Praise Petey hails from writer/creator Anna Drezen, who served as a head writer of Saturday Night Live.
Would have been happy to watch a continuation of first season Cruel Summer with that extraordinary cast but even this iteration’s description and actors list is beyond boring. It’s a firm ‘no’ from me.
SAME.
They could’ve easily gotten a second season out of the former cast.
Aside from the title, is there anything linking season 2 to season 1? Aren’t the writers even different? They should have at least kept it based in Texas so that the whole vibe didn’t change.
Season 1 started off strong, but the end was weak. They didn’t even pay off some of the setups from the premiere, like they changed directions midway through. Hopefully season 2 has a tighter story arc.
I wanted to see a continuation of the first season of Cruel Summer and its cast. Its story wasn’t over by a long shot. I will not be watching season 2. As far as I’m concerned, this series only had 1 season.
And to me the teaser at the end of season – was kind of unecessary as I felt that janette probably did know she was in there and did nothing so she could become popular
Anthology? Was it always set up to be that way? I thought we’d get the same cast back and a continuation of the story. It didn’t seem wrapped up to me.
It’s been known since the last episode aired that it would be a new story and cast.
So excited for cruel summer. And I’m sad grown ish is ending
Will KaDee Strickland and Paul Adelstein play Luke’s parents? This would be an awesome Private Practice nod.
The first season was stellar – I like that they’re not trying to continue the previous story, that could have been a mess. I’m interested in watching season 2