Cruel Summer Review: A Secret of My Own (Season 1 Episode 9)

This review discusses an episode that deals with sexual assault, grooming, and rape. 

Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 9, “A Secret of My Own,” is one of the most important episodes of TV ever to air on Freeform, and one of the most impactful hours of TV that I’ve ever watched. 

Per Refinery29, this is in large part because its writer, Dr. Sheila Modir, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Cruel Summer goes a step beyond the “expected” minimum of hiring a consultant when dealing with potentially triggering or sensitive topics, and the art is better for it. 

We need to make it clear that Kate is Martin’s victim from the moment he lays eyes on her. He begins grooming her from Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 2, “A Smashing Good Time.”  

So, even though Kate tells her therapist she went to Martin’s house willingly, thinks she was in a relationship with him for about 119 days, and appears to be lying or wrong about Jeanette seeing her when she broke into the house on Christmas Eve — Kate is still a victim. 

Cruel Summer is depicting child abuse, sexual assault, and rape. Yet, it’s easy to see how a teenager could so quickly believe she is living in domestic bliss.

When she arrives at Martin’s house her world is in shambles. A responsible adult would know to call her parents as soon as possible and then maybe let her vent about it before taking her home. That is never in Martin’s plan. 

He puts the onus on Kate from the very beginning. Even if she had gone to school, he would have just taken another path while abusing her. Making Kate feel bad is just a control mechanism. 

Martin is very quick to supply Kate with alcohol and dare her to kiss him (but pretend that he’s not). 

Cruel Summer is also quick to jump from Day 2 to Day 21, but Martin is just as quick to lay out the life he and Kate will have when she turns 18 so that her captivity has a false purpose in her mind. 

While watching “A Secret Of My Own” for the first time, (I watched twice before writing this), chills of disgust and fear ran down my spine when clear signs of abuse appeared. For example, when Martin dares her to kiss him and when Kate so easily falls into Martin’s arms during their hide-and-seek game on Day 21. 

The situation is genuinely scary because of how effortlessly Cruel Summer shows us that this could happen to anyone, especially teenagers. 

Kate thinks she’s living in Martin’s house. Like most teenagers, she must daydream about living away from her parents with someone she loves.

There are also signs throughout the episode that Kate subconsciously knows that what is happening is beyond “wrong.” 

The mention of elephants in captivity being mistreated makes me gasp. Olivia Holt’s delivery of “my old house” when referring to her actual home is absolutely heartbreaking. 

She’s is a child, no matter what she thinks. Her constant references to school and her parents are undeniable proof of this. We don’t need anymore, but we get it because when Kate does briefly escape the first place she goes is home. 

Watching Kate watch her parents have a  laugh is crushing. But it’s also a necessary reminder that Cruel Summer is all about perception, specifically the perception of teenagers. 

If Kate had stayed a few seconds more, she would have witnessed Joy and Rod’s ocean of pain — but teenagers react quickly. 

That might be why it’s a possibility that Kate actually believes that Jeanette saw her and failed to tell the police. It’s definitely why she thinks it’s smart to accuse Jeanette on national television. 

This show suggests there are two victims here at the very least.

Part of me wants to include Cindy, Greg Turner, Rod, and Joy Wallis into that equation, especially because the former couple’s marriage ended and Cindy’s discovery of Jeanette’s lies ruined her relationship with her daughter. 

But adults are responsible for their own actions and mistakes, so if the truth ever does come out, Cindy will have to live with herself. I think the woman she’s become can handle it. 

We now know there’s a narrative reason why Martin Harris is dead. Interrogating him might make the truth of Jeanette’s story come out. On the night in question, Kate is not even under any duress. 

No matter that it serves a dual purpose, it’s still a responsible choice to kill Martin in 1995. Suicide can be perceived as selfish and an easy way out. But we truly don’t need to see any more bad men getting portrayed in a sympathetic light on television, so I don’t need to see him defend himself. 

Blake Lee does brilliant work portraying a preditor, though. Plus, the fact that Kate’s therapist helps us process everything happening to her is much appreciated. 

I’m not sure if Freeform has ever won an Emmy, but Cruel Summer deserves one. 

It’s proving to be so much more powerful than Jeanette and Kate’s lies. This is a show we can trust for authentic representation of marginalized communities, and to portray responsible discussions of vital but difficult topics.

As sad as it is, TV is still starving for nuanced shows like this.

What did you think of this episode of Cruel Summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Cruel Summer airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on Freeform.

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