'Cruel Summer' stars Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood talk Season 2 and tease satisfying finale

"Cruel Summer" followed up its popular first season with an enthralling Season 2 that's about to come to a satisfying conclusion. Gibson Johns interviews Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood, the two primary stars of the Freeform hit's second season, about working together on the show, feeling pressure to live up to expectations after that breakout first season and finding the hearts at the center of their characters. They also discuss fans' critique of Megan and Isabella's friendship, what it was like stepping into the shoes of Y2K teens and what we can expect from the upcoming season finale.

Video Transcript

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GIBSON JOHNS: Hi, guys. Welcome back to "We Should Talk," a pop culture interview series from "In The Know." I'm your host, Gibson Johns, and today on the podcast, we have Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood, from the second season of "Cruel Summer," which is currently airing now on Freeform and streaming on Hulu.

The second season is completely different story, cast, location, time period than that first season, which was great. And I think it was really smart of them to do that, because as the creator said, like the first season kind of felt really wrapped up. There was no point in trying to extend it just for the sake of extending it. So give us a totally new show it. It has a similar vibe, but it's very different, and I'm loving it.

You know, and Sadie and Lexi are the friendship at the heart of this season, playing Megan and Isabella. And it was really fun to get some time with them to talk about their characters, what they thought of Season 1, and how they thought about bringing some of that magic into Season 2, while also making it a lot different. What it's like to be on a teen show, where there's this kind of intense fandom around it? What some of the fans are saying, how they've reacted to the finale that we have yet to see?

We had a great conversation, and there are two really promising up-and-coming young stars. Lexi you probably recognize from "Little Fires Everywhere," and Sadie you probably recognize from "The Goldbergs." So they have both really promising careers. They're really talented, and they're both fantastic on this show. So catch up on the second season of "Cruel Summer," on Hulu now, and please, keep listening to my interview with Lexi Underwood and Sadie Stanley from "Cruel Summer." Thanks, guys.

So we're here with Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood from "Cruel Summer," Season 2. You guys, I was a huge fan of the first season, and then when I heard that Season 2 was coming back with a totally new cast, totally new story, I was so excited. But I was also very intrigued for how they were going to do that, how they're going to replicate some of that same kind of energy that we love from that first season. So how did you guys kind of first react to, OK, we're coming back for Season 2-- we're coming on for Season 2, what does that look like? How do we take some of that season one magic but also make it different?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Yeah. It was definitely-- just like a lot of other people, I was a fan of Season 1 as well, and I was super ecstatic when I heard that they were doing a Season 2. And just like you, I was equally intrigued. When I read the script, and I got to talk to the people, everybody that is behind the show, I knew that we were in good hands.

I feel like we've gotten the question a lot of is there any pressure, or did we feel nervous like stepping into something that was already established? But I think the beautiful thing about this project is the mere fact that a different set of artists is able to tell a story in the same format, same tone, but bring something new to it and bring some new magic that we did not see the last season, just like if next season. If there's a next season, going to be a whole new wave of actors that are going to bring some magic to it that we didn't in the other season. And I think being able to see other artists like have that opportunity is really, really cool.

And I think that there's also some beauty in just letting things be as well with the first season, kind of coming up with your own interpretation of where you think that the characters go and, you know, where you think life would have taken them next, and same for this season. But yeah, we all like loved Season 1 so much, and it was definitely an honor to be able to come in and step in after the Season 1 cast. And I hope that we did it justice.

GIBSON JOHNS: You very much did. Sadie, do you feel the same way?

SADIE STANLEY: Yeah, absolutely. I'm a big fan of Season 1 as well. I didn't watch it until I'd already booked Season 2, but I loved it. I sat down, and I watched it in three days. It is an extremely bingeable show, and I was like, OK, this is what I'm getting myself into. I'm here for this. I'm down.

Yeah. I think it was awesome that we kind of had like so much inspiration from Season 1 to pull from, and we were in the same hands that the original cast was. So we knew it was going to be good, and we knew they were going to come back. They felt the pressure too. They were like, I don't-- they didn't want to continue with the original storyline, because it felt finished to them. And so they knew they had to step up and like pull out something good for Season 2.

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SADIE STANLEY: Grateful to be on that ride.

GIBSON JOHNS: And I think that one of the things that kind of helps with kind of separating them in a really great way, obviously, in addition to the story and the cast, is like we're now kind of around Y2K, and there's all this amazing music. And there's a lot of like kind of cultural touchstones from that time period. Was that also fun to kind of be able to step into that time? Because the music is just so good in and of itself. Like what was it like kind of being like, oh, this is what it's like being a teenager kind of around the turn of the millennium?

SADIE STANLEY: Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. It was really-- I was so excited when I realized they were going to set it around Y2K. I thought that was such a strong choice, because everything from that time period is like coming back right now. I feel like it's-- I was already like in that space, and so to get to do that even more was so much fun.

The wardrobe alone was like so, so fun to do. Like hanging out in those fitting rooms was great. And then yeah, the music was such a huge inspiration to all of us. I know Lexi and I both made like three different playlists for our characters for the--

GIBSON JOHNS: Amazing.

SADIE STANLEY: --of like what these teenage girls would be listening to at the time. Like I wasn't listening to any songs past 2000. Yeah, 2000.

GIBSON JOHNS: Amazing.

SADIE STANLEY: Yeah. It was just fun to like step into that, and we were playing lots of like throwback tunes in between takes and in between setups and in the green room. And it was a huge inspiration to us, and just like really fun.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, totally, and on a recent episode, you guys had the group coreo to "Genie in a Bottle," which was amazing. That was the moment that was like, damn, like I kind of wish that I was, you know, whatever age they are at that time period. Because it's like, they were just kind of-- there's like an innocence almost to that period.

I know there's kind of like some obviously dark themes that happen on the show, but like there's also this innocence. And I think it kind of speaks to where these characters are in their life. They're kind of caught between times, a little bit.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Completely agree. Now, the group choreography, I was like, oh my gosh, this is so like early 2000. Like you know?

Like where you all like practice in the living room, and it's like we're going to put on a show for our parents. That's what it gave. I was like, I remember doing this with my friends,

SADIE STANLEY: I did that with my friends too.

GIBSON JOHNS: So did I.

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SADIE STANLEY: Such a teenage kid thing to do is like put a little dance together. I don't know.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, 100%. OK. So I saw somebody describe "Cruel Summer" just generally as television's equivalent to a bingeable beach read, which I think is such a compliment. Because I think that it's so digestible, but is also full of twists and turns.

And there's something simultaneously comforting about it, but also kind of something that keeps you on your toes. Right? And I think that it plays both of those things. Would you agree with that sentiment, that it's almost like a page turner, if it was going to be in book form? Like it was-- how do you kind of think about the show holistically and kind of what it gives audiences?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Yeah. I mean, it is. The show did so well the first season, because it's just something that's so new and so different from what we have seen on television before. Michelle, Bill, Purple, and Jess, they did something really special with kind of what we've already seen, of like the murder mysteries, the drama, the teen, like coming of age type of thing, but just upping the stakes.

I think that tonally and the structure, being able to see a story over the span of a year. In the first season, it was over the span-- if I'm not mistaken-- three years?

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. I think you're right. Yeah.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Yeah, and so just being able to see like how a story starts and then how it ends and everything in between is just so fun as an audience member, and then also as an artist, to be a part of, to go on that journey. And I think that every season, it's something new, and it's something different. They constantly up the stakes, and just when you feel like you have something figured out, it's always something else. And so I love watching shows that keep you on your toes, but it's even cooler being able to be a part of a show that keeps you on your toes as well and being able to see people go on that journey with you.

GIBSON JOHNS: Definitely, and I think that one of the things that I really appreciate about "Cruel Summer" is something that I prefer these days, which is that it's dropping episodes week to week, and that's kind of like a very technical thing. But I think if you really think about it, I think it helps build the anticipation. It helps build, OK, what is that finale going to be like, and then what's the big reveal going to be?

As actors who are in the show, and you've put so much time into it, do episodes dropping week to week like this, does that help kind of-- I don't know. Is it is it affirming at all? Does it help kind of the experience of being on your end of like, OK, people are really kind of-- it's built, and people are digesting it over time. And maybe they're finding it during when episode five just aired. Like speak to me about what it's like from your perspective with these episodes dropping week to week.

SADIE STANLEY: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's really fun, because it kind of prolongs the experience for us. We get to like-- I mean, we spent so much time on this. So for the show to just drop, and then like we just throw it out into the world and to see what happens, would-- I don't know.

I mean, that's the only experience I've had before is with movies and TV that I've done. So I think this is like this is kind of a new thing for me. I mean, other than "The Goldbergs," obviously, coming out week to week. But this is really fun, and it allows the audience to build up anticipation.

It allows them to come up with theories. It allows like the conversation to continue. And I think that's worked a lot with shows recently, with "White Lotus" or with "Succession" or with "The Last of Us" or whatever these shows that come out week to week. I've been enjoying it, and I didn't know if I was that kind of person, because I'm such a binger.

But it's really fun to have something to look forward to week to week and to talk to your friends and be like, have you seen the new episode? It's crazy. It comes out this Friday. Like come over, and we'll watch it.

So I like that aspect of it. I like the idea of people getting together and watching it together. But I am excited also for when all the episodes are out, because I think a lot of people will find it then too. I think that the show is built in a very bingeable way. I watched the first season in three days, myself, on the couch. So it's like, I think it's--

GIBSON JOHNS: It works both ways.

SADIE STANLEY: It works both ways, which I think is great. So I think we'll really how people feel later on, when all the episodes are out.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right. For sure. So obviously, we're not there yet, and no spoilers, but can you speak cryptically to me about how each of you reacted to when you found out about what happens and how this season wraps up? What was the first reaction from each of you?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: I was so satisfied.

GIBSON JOHNS: OK.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: I was real satisfied.

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SADIE STANLEY: Yeah. I agree. It's a shock. You think you know all of these characters. You think you know everything, and you think you can't be surprised anymore, but you are. And that was the fun part of us not knowing, that we didn't know until the very end, until we needed to know, and it was crazy. It was a wild ride. I think the fans will be surprised. I think. Yeah.

GIBSON JOHNS: OK. All right. I'm excited, and obviously, a huge component of "Cruel Summer" Season 2 is the relationship between your two characters. And you know, I'm curious what it's like again as actors. Where you're probably getting really close off camera, and you're spending a lot of time together on set, both YouTube but also the cast in general.

But the friendship between your characters is kind of at very different stages in each of the three periods that we're in. They're getting to know each other. Then, they're super close, and then there's this sort of weird-- we're not really sure exactly, obviously, what happens to get them to that point, kind of a year later. So what's it like for you two, where you're getting close off camera, but then in front of the camera, you can't really always be as warm and fun with one another? What's that like kind of playing between those two?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: It's fun. I mean, it's-- I don't know. I'm like I don't feel like we had trouble, like you know, like jumping in and out of it. Sadie and I, like we are close. Like our bond is like Isabella and Megan.

Like we definitely are like all-- the whole cast, I'm like we're all like ride or die for each other. So being able to tap back into that space after like doing like an argument scene wasn't hard. But she's a professional. I'm a professional. I mean, you know, we've got a job to do. It's like, it doesn't really matter like how close y'all are.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. Of course.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: You come in, you do your thing, and then we immediately go back to being besties, but it's really cool. I love the fact, especially as we get a little bit more deeper into the season, we get to see that, even when we think that friendship is like fully done, there still is like a little bit of hope, a little bit of chance that they both still-- you can obviously see that they still have love for each other, and [INAUDIBLE] going on that like friendship [INAUDIBLE] is very fun and also very authentic, because that is--

GIBSON JOHNS: I was about to say, very real. Exactly.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Like that's friendship. No friendship is perfect. You know?

GIBSON JOHNS: No, especially for teenagers. I think it's so volatile. You know? And it's funny, because if you click on the "Cruel Summer" hashtag, on Twitter, it's like one of the prevailing sentiments is that Megan doesn't deserve as good of a friend as Isabella. Like that's sort of like one of the things that a lot of people seem to be saying.

At least maybe after this last episode, that seems to be some of the top tweets and comments are about that. What do you guys make of that? Do you do you agree with that sentiment? Do you disagree? Where do you stand on the balance of their friendship?

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SADIE STANLEY: I get that sentiment, for sure. There were moments when I was reading the script, where I was like, Megan is not appreciating what Isabella is doing for her, and it feels like she always has something she's mad about and whatever. I think, without being like, I don't know, not too cryptic or anything, I think-- again, everything you're seeing is not exactly as it seems. And so just keeping that in mind always, I do think Isabella is a good friend to Megan, but there there's just layers to this stuff. OK? It is complicated.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: It's definitely an unhealthy friendship on both ends. Honestly, during filming and getting the scripts, I don't think that I picked up on it. But it's not until I'm watching, and I'm like, oh, like at the dinner table, like Megan telling like Isabella to stay out of it. But they're literally talking about the tape, and like Isabella is like, you know, like literally taking the fall for the tape. I think that it's really interesting.

If you go further in depth, I've had conversations, and I've seen things on Twitter as well, where people will really like tap into it. And I think that it's interesting that, especially when you have a dynamic like that-- or as well when you have like things like privilege, and when you have like class and race like a part of the story, there are certain things that also just you've got to pick up on it.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, for sure.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: It was a great point on Twitter somebody made. It was kind of the same circumstance or scenario that like Pearl was in for "Little Fires." Like Pearl had already been through like a friendship that necessarily like wasn't reciprocated on that, and you see that again happening.

And I think that it goes to show also I think there's a lot of microaggressions as well, if we're going to be honest. And I think that insecurities and those things play out. And while you're not necessarily being conscious of it, it just comes up in the moment.

So I think that there's a lot of different layers, when it even comes to the way that Luke handles other people, the way that Isabella handles people. Everybody is messy, everybody is complicated, and there's so many things that like really play into the story. But I think that you got to give everybody in the story a chance, because nobody is a good friend to anybody, in my opinion, and everybody's messed up.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right. Right. Right, and I also think, adding to the layered and the complex nature of it, which is like this takes place 24 years ago, 23 years ago. And so now, we have the 2023 mindset of looking back at some of these things, and I think it's just really interesting conversation to have.

So it's also, I think as actors, it's probably very interesting to balance recognizing that your characters are flawed and make mistakes and maybe do bad things, while also trying to like find that heart and find a way to sympathize with them and kind of find what their driving force is. Can you speak to that as well? Because again, like I think it must be rewarding to play a flawed person, because it's more complex, a more complex performance, but again, you want to find that heart. So what's that like for you guys?

SADIE STANLEY: Yeah. I mean, I think we always want to root for the character that we're playing. Everybody wants to like play the hero and be the good guy, and you want your character to make the best decision for themselves. But like that's just not as fun, sometimes. That's just not how humans are. We are not perfect people, and so we're not going to play perfect people.

And talking about two teenage girls who are experiencing all of this for the first time, and they don't know what to do with it either. So it would just trying to make it as authentic as we can and make it feel like these girls are really like they're winging it, because that's what everybody does. You know? And they also are both products of the way that they grew up. They're products of the people around them, and that makes them flawed inherently. You know?

So maybe Megan has picked up on things in her life, and Isabella has picked up on things in her life. And that's why they have these clashes, and their perspectives are different. And that's normal, but it makes for a really, really interesting relationship.

GIBSON JOHNS: Lexi, what about for you?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Yeah. We don't really get to see much before Isabella's arrival to Chatham. Like we don't see what Megan's dynamic was in her household before Isabella's. We don't get to see Isabella and how she interacts with her parents or how she interacted really like with Lisa. And so I think that we have to keep in mind that there are a lot of traumas and certain things that a lot of these characters are taking into certain scenarios, and just like any other human being, like everybody is flawed.

Everybody is going through things. Everybody actively trying to heal, and sometimes with it, it gets messy, and we project things on to other people. And we have moments of outbursts and not necessarily knowing how to properly navigate our emotions and feelings. And I think that it's always a joy when you get to play a real human being, outside of something where it feels like, OK, like this was written by somebody.

It's like, wow, I can relate to this, and my friend can relate to this, and my cousin can relate to this. Like that's just what being a teenage girl and not knowing what you're doing is like. It gets messy. It gets complicated. There's so many things that goes on your day-to-day basis. And I think that just being able to see two girls like messing up, and you know, like going through all the things that we go through is cool, and it's important to see that imagery.

GIBSON JOHNS: For sure. We have time for one more question, and you know, I've been a long time fan of teen shows. Like whenever a show about teenagers comes along, like I'm probably going to tap into it. I'm probably going to be enjoying it. I'm 30 years old, and I'm still loving it.

But you know, I think that something that comes along with a lot of these shows that center around teenagers and cater to that age demographic are kind of an intense fandom, and the conversation can get intense. And then I'm sure that you guys have experienced like just that influx of people just becoming fans of you guys as actors but also people who just love the show. What's it been like from that perspective of just seeing the popularity of the show and kind of tapping into a big fan base that probably follows along for a lot of these shows, and "Cruel Summer" fits right into that puzzle?

LEXI UNDERWOOD: Yeah. No. It's just fun like when you're making something that especially like your generation is going to be tapped into.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.

LEXI UNDERWOOD: I don't know about Sadie, but beforehand, like for me, I feel like the people that watch like the projects that I was a part of, it's either like really little kids or people from an older generation. So it's just really fun like being able to like talk to people that are my age. And they can relate to it, or like they're picking up on like the things that I was picking up on. It's just really cool I'm such a big fan of like kind of like, you know, like having like those followings, like being a part of like where it's a community. You know?

Like I feel like a community. I've been like that for certain shows, where I'm just like, yeah, I'm going to be tapped in every week, and I'm going to tweet my theories. It's just fun, and it's something that for people to be able to come together like one day a week and just like tweet for an hour and talk for an hour. Like it's just it's really fun, and it's a joy, especially when you get to see like the people that look like you and that are going through everything that you're going through, like being able to relate and connect with it as well.

GIBSON JOHNS: Sadie?

SADIE STANLEY: I think it's, yeah, I completely agree. I think it's really fun to be a part of something that I would watch myself. Like I always want to be like a fan of my own work, and this show is like it's so cool, because it is that YA space.

It is very digestible. It's very easy to watch. It's very like young people will enjoy it, but I feel like we take that YA like teen drama to it, and we add something special to it. And it has a little bit of edge to it and a little bit of like a crime thriller aspect, and it just feels heightened and more high brow.

I don't know how to explain it. It's just like it's just I think we bring something special to the YA space. So I'm really proud to be a part of it, and I'm excited. And it's been a weird thing, because this is kind of like my first big like press push in that space.

And as an adult actor now too, I'm 21 now, and so like a lot has changed. And it's really exciting to put yourself out there, but it's also very scary. I don't know what to do with all that attention. So I'm just winging it as well.

GIBSON JOHNS: Just ride the wave. Ride the wave. You know? Yeah. Exactly. Well, Sadie and Lexi, this has been so much fun chatting with you. I'm really loving this season, and I'm excited to see-- hopefully also be satisfied by the ending, as you two were. But yeah, thanks for taking the time, and hopefully, we'll chat soon.

SADIE STANLEY: OK. Thank you so much.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. Bye, guys.

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Thanks for tuning in to "We Should Talk." I hope you enjoyed the interview. You can find out more about "In the Know" at intheknow.com. You can follow me, Gibson Johns, at gibsonoma, on Twitter and Instagram, and you can listen to all of our interviews, past and future, by searching We Should Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Hope to see you next time.