Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic On a standout episode of the new season of “And Just Like That,” Max’s continuation of the “Sex and the City” franchise, Carrie faces a conundrum. She’s been roped into recording the audiobook of her memoir — a retelling of the past year or so of her life as a new widow. A character beloved for her say-everything ethos, from her frank talk with friends to her newspaper columns that we once heard in voiceover, finds herself unable to speak. It’s a moving moment, one that leverages both the deep connection viewers feel with the character, and Sarah Jessica Parker’s somehow still-underrated winsomeness as a performer. And it represents the promise of the ungainly, odd show “And Just Like That” has shaped up to be. On this series, an often-frustrating clunkiness not only coexists with moments of real power, it burnishes them: The strangeness and sublimity of “And Just Like That” lies in how its flaws feel predictable and knowable, like the contours of a friendship.
Freeform’s ‘Cruel Summer’ Returns With a Tepid Second Season: TV Review
06.06.2023 - 18:15 / variety.com
Joshua Alston Limited series have become the equivalent of trial marriages for cable networks and streamers. When they don’t catch fire — or run hot initially only to smolder by season’s end – they complete their self-contained stories and disappear into the void. (It’s technically not a cancellation!) But when the audience falls in love with a limited series, networks are more than happy to extend the runway, even when doing so is narratively prohibitive. Such is the case with Freeform’s “Cruel Summer,” the intelligent, twisty teen mystery that debuted in 2021 and became the most-watched series since the network’s 2016 rebrand. Technically, “Cruel Summer” wasn’t announced as a limited series, but it came to such a comprehensive conclusion that extending it after its wrapped up state would have reeked of desperation. After considering multiple options, including having the same ensemble return as new characters, the producers opted to anthologize the show, promising new stories and new casts with each season.
The elements of Season 1 that survived into Season 2 can now be considered the show’s foundation. It takes place in the recent past, post-internet but pre-social media. There’s still a fractured narrative that bounces around in time and features a pair of teenage girls with diverging perspectives on traumatic events. There’s also an underlying dialogue about what sexuality and consent look like for young adults just beginning to develop their sense of agency. “Cruel Summer” is essentially what “Damages” would have been if Glenn Close and Rose Byrne’s characters had met in 5th-period pre-calculus instead of at a corporate law firm. This time, the fateful meeting takes place in Chatham, an idyllic Pacific coastal
Taylor Swift celebrates Father’s Day amid confirmation of ‘Cruel Summer’ single
Taylor Swift had plenty to celebrate over the weekend during the Pittsburgh stop of her Eras Tour. During her Saturday show at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Swift was joined by The National’s Aaron Dessner for the first live performance of her song, "Seven," and gave a Father’s Day shout out.
Taylor Swift to release Cruel Summer
Taylor Swift will release 'Cruel Summer' as her next single. The 33-year-old singer had initially planned to release the track - which featured on her 2019 album 'Lover' - in summer 2020 but her plans changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and after being left "truly perplexed" by the song's sudden surge in popularity on the streaming charts, the 'Shake It Off' hitmaker has confirmed it is finally getting an official release. Speaking on stage during her 'Eras' show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (17.
Taylor Swift thanks fans for ‘Cruel Summer’ streams boost that secured it as her next single
Taylor Swift has thanked her fans for streaming her ‘Lover‘ song ‘Cruel Summer’ so much in 2023 that it has persuaded label bosses to release it as her next single.Swift told fans last night (June 17) at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium that the song was her “pride and joy” and her “favourite” off her 2019 album. But it never got released as a single.“The weirdest, most magical thing is happening,” Swift said from the ‘Eras‘ tour stage [via Billboard].
Taylor Swift Confirms 'Cruel Summer' Is Her Next Single, Talks Song at Pittsburgh Eras Tour Show
Taylor Swift has confirmed that “Cruel Summer” will be her next single!
‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2 Makes A Splash On Freeform With Network’s Top Telecast In 2 Years
EXCLUSIVE: Cruel Summer has made a splashy return to Freeform, with the Season 2 premiere marking the network’s top telecast in two years — since the Season 1 finale of the hit series in June 2021.
Megan and Luke’s Parents Face Off in Tense Moment Over Isabella’s Sex Tape on ‘Cruel Summer’: Watch
Luke’s sex tape — which seemingly features Isabella — continues to cause ripples throughout season 2 of Cruel Summer.
Stevedreez returns with funky new single “CRYSTAL BALL”
After a handful of singles in 2022, Virginia-based Stevedreez is bringing us his first release of the year. Produced by Jazen Saga, "CRYSTAL BALL" is a soft-sung love song that feels both nostalgic for '70s synth-pop while remaining contemporary.
‘The Righteous Gemstones’ TV Review: HBO Comedy Returns With Confident, Hysterical Third Season
“Succession” may be over, but there’s another show still on HBO about a wealthy patriarch with three meddlesome children that seems only to be growing in popularity. And this one shows no signs of ending soon.
Cruel Summer’s Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood Reveal Their Conversations With Season 1 Cast, Tease What Fans Can Expect in Season 2
Their time to shine. Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood opened up about making a statement with their Cruel Summer debut — and offered a glimpse at the conversations that took place between them and the season 1 cast.
‘Winning Time’ Season 2 Teaser: HBO’s Sports Drama Returns With A Focus On One Of The NBA’s Greatest Rivalries
“Winning Time” is a sports drama series for folks who aren’t necessarily big sports fans. With a ridiculous cast, incredible style, and a storyline filled with the highest highs and lowest lows, there’s really something in this HBO series for everyone, sports fan or not.
Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, ‘A Country Label With a Punk Rock Attitude,’ Returns With New and Archival Releases
Mark Guarino Chicago’s Bloodshot Records was a powerful and pioneering force in the alt-country movement of the 1990s and beyond, defining the genre with a roster of breakthrough artists including the Robbie Fulks, Old 97s, Alejandro Escovedo, the Waco Brothers, Neko Case, Justin Townes Earle, and the Bottle Rockets. In 2021, 27 years after its first release, label co-founders Nan Warshaw and Rob Miller sold Bloodshot to Exceleration Music, a global investment group that either owns the catalogs of or has strategic partnerships with other legacy labels like Alligator Records and Kill Rock Stars. At the time, Exceleration said it planned to largely manage and monetize Bloodshot’s back catalog. But this month it is releasing “Music Man,” a new album by Layng Martine Jr., a veteran Nashville songwriter who has written hits for legends like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, and the Pointer Sisters, among many others. It is one of five new albums Bloodshot is set to release this year, said Dave Hansen, an Exeleration principal.
'Below Deck Down Under' Returns With Season 2: See the New Crew Joining Captain Jason
is back with season 2, as the Bravo reality series continues to follow Captain Jason Chambers and Chief Stew Aesha Scott for another charter season off the coast of Cairns, Australia. Set to premiere Monday, July 17, the upcoming season in the nautical upstairs-downstairs franchise will also be full of new faces, with six new crew members joining the team. Among the new recruits are Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph, Bosun Luke Jones, Deckhands Adam Lukasiewicz and Harry Van Vliet as well as Stews Laura Bileskaine and Margot Sisson.
Who Is Sadie Stanley? 5 Things to Know About Megan in Season 2 of Freeform’s ‘Cruel Summer’
A scene-stealing performance. Sadie Stanley is leaving a lasting impression as one of the leads of Freeform’s Cruel Summer following a series shake-up.
What to Watch the Week of June 4: Cruel Summer S2, Kaley Cuoco in Based on a True Story, and More
Cruel Summer, that is. from executive producer Jessica Biel is with a new cast, a new mystery, and a new location. This time Sadie Stanley (The Goldbergs), (Little Fires Everywhere), and Griffin Gluck (Red Band Society) are the new kids on the block, but they more than hold their own in this complex and twisty drama.
‘Cruel Summer’ is back with another shocking twist in Season 2
Chiara [Aurelia],” Gluck, 22, told The Post. “She’s phenomenally talented, and I’m a bad friend because I actually didn’t watch the show until I booked the job!“While I was watching [Season 1], I was like ‘This is good. Oh wow, I can see why everyone is praising Chiara and [why] she’s nominated for awards.’ When I got to the last episode, I genuinely was like ‘Oh my lord, what a great twist! This is awesome!’’” The first season of “Cruel Summer” was Freeform’s most-watch debut ever, snaring nearly 4 million viewers.
Lexi Underwood Traces Similarities Between Her ‘Cruel Summer’ and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ Characters: They ‘Seek External Validation’
Note: the following contains mild spoilers for “Cruel Summer” Season 2 Episode 1In Freeform’s “Cruel Summer,” Lexi Underwood stars as Isabella, a wealthy and well-traveled exchange student eager to kickstart the typical American high school experience when she arrives to the Pacific Northwest in the summer of 1999 to stay with the Landry family. While Megan Landry (Sadie Stanley) is initially hesitant to let the outsider into her tight knit community, their relationship intensifies throughout the coming months — until a sinister discovery threatens to tear it all apart.
Who Is Lexi Underwood? 5 Things to Know About Isabella in Season 2 of Freeform’s ‘Cruel Summer’
At the center of the mystery. Lexi Underwood is making waves as Isabella LaRue in season 2 of Freeform’s anthology series Cruel Summer.
‘Cruel Summer’ Cast’s Dating Histories Through the Years: Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Griffin Gluck and More
Freeform’s Cruel Summer is known for its toxic relationships — but its cast has faired much better when it comes to their offscreen love lives.