Spoiler-Free Review of “Cruel Summer” Season 2 on Freeform: The Dangerous Secrets Return

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You coming here has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me…”

Cruel Summer season two premiered on Freeform on June 5th 2023 (episodes also stream on Hulu) with the first two episodes. The series is set to air ten weekly episodes. It stars Sadie Stanley, Lexi Underwood, Griffin Gluck, and KaDee Strickland. Each episode runs for approximately 46-48 minutes.

The events we witness take place over one year from 1999-2000, involving a new set of characters and a new murder mystery to untangle.

Here is the trailer:

Cruel Summer is back and presents us with another mystery told from two perspectives across different timelines, but does it pack the same punch as the first season? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Likable characters for the most part…

I’m not sure that anyone can outshine Jeanette and Kate from season one, but so far I like the characters of Megan and Isabella and I think the actresses are doing a good job with their portrayals. The friendship is a lot different this time around and so are the circumstances, which will make things feel fresh and new…even though it’s an already familiar premise.

I’m not a huge fan of the character of Luke, but I didn’t really like that actor on Locke & Key either so maybe that’s why. The other supporting characters aren’t really adding too much to the series yet. We need another Mallory to really shake things up…

I’m hopeful that we’ll get there.

The soundtrack is on point!

Similar to season one, season two is doing a solid job of bringing us back in time with some fantastic music. From Sugar Ray to Lit to The Spice Girls! The show is channeling this time well and I’m looking forward to the rest of the soundtrack in the remaining episodes. Some movie references would be nice too!

The Cons:

The mystery needs more edge.

Cruel Summer season one was so addicting and I had so many working theories throughout my watch, which made it a lot of fun. While we have lots of drama and scandal in season two, the mystery just feels kind of lukewarm. We need a lot more to live up to season one.

The time jumps are trippy once again and maybe even more so this time around. They also feel a little rushed since this series takes place over one year rather than three summers.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Cruel Summer season two has some potential and is doing just enough to lure me back for more, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the mystery in season one.

Either way, it should make a fun summer watch to indulge in!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Cruel Summer (season two) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Locke & Key” season three on Netflix: Plays it Safe for the Final Season

*This is a spoiler-free review for season three so feel free to read on!*

“I think there might be something magical about it…”

Locke & Key season three premiered on Netflix on August 10th 2022 with eight new episodes available to stream now. The supernatural mystery series stars Emilia Jones, Connor Jessup, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield and Aaron Ashmore. Each episode runs for approximately 35-45 minutes.

The Locke family is back for its final season as they discover new keys and more evil around them, forcing them to make a powerful and life-changing choice.

Here is the trailer:

Locke & Key season three wraps things up for the Locke family, but is it worth a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Some new keys to spice things up.

I personally loved the feel of the first season. It was so much fun discovering what each key did and I think that season three did a good job of introducing us to some important keys we haven’t seen yet, which was a lot of fun. I’m usually not a fan of introducing time travel into shows that have lost their way, but I think that the plot didn’t steer off too much with this.

More character development.

The Locke family dealt with a lot from their past in season three, which helped develop their characters more and we even got to see some familiar faces return for the final season. I would have liked to have seen more with Kinsey, but I think that each character got enough screen time to shine.

The Cons:

Still can’t live up to the villain from season one…

Dodge is probably one of my favorite villains on any television show. She was ruthless and fascinating. Season two was disappointing because Dodge possessed Gabe, which really watered down the intimidating feel.

I am a huge fan of Kevin Durand and I think he did a solid job being the new villain in season three, but he still didn’t live up to Dodge for me. I didn’t really understand his motivation for opening up the portal, which was frustrating.

I also thought that the ending really played it safe and I wanted something major to happen to shake things up. Everything was resolved, but I wanted something surprising as well and that didn’t happen unfortunately.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Season three was my least favorite season and while things were wrapped up for the most part, I wanted a lot more from this series finale. Season three never captured the magic from season one and even though there were some great moments for our favorite characters and shorter episodes this time around, I still felt like things had truly fizzled out for the Locke family.

Either way, I enjoyed this series for the most part. I just wanted it to end a lot stronger.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Locke & Key season three in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Locke & Key” season two on Netflix: Growing Up Isn’t Easy

*This is a spoiler-free review for season two so feel free to read on!*

“I found a new key…”

Locke & Key season two premiered on Netflix on October 22nd 2021 with ten new episodes available to stream now. The supernatural mystery series stars Emilia Jones, Connor Jessup, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield and Aaron Ashmore. Each episode runs for approximately 48-50 minutes.

The Locke family is back, but they realize that evil is still lurking in the shadows, determined to make a dangerous new key that could threaten the lives of everyone around them.

Here is the trailer:

Locke & Key season two has matured into a darker story, but does it still have enough magic in it to keep us entertained? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Supporting characters get their chance to shine.

In season one, I was mostly intrigued by the Locke siblings and the villainess, Dodge. A lot of the other characters felt mostly filler and we didn’t really learn much about them. I appreciated that we actually got to devote some serious time to their development in season two (particularly Uncle Duncan and Nina Locke).

This helped solve the slight disconnect I had with season one and I actually really enjoyed their story-lines!

Dark fast-paced plot.

Season one of the series really had an innocence to it. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air and I felt like I was transported right along with the Locke siblings into each one of their new adventures.

There is a different feel to season two and it mirrors the struggle some of the Locke siblings are having when it comes to magic and growing up. Even though it was different, I still liked the overall plot. Things just felt much darker in season two. I loved a lot of the elements thrown our way and I thought that the episodes were fast-paced enough to keep me invested in the mystery at its core.

The Cons:

Downgraded villains…

Laysa De Oliveira as Dodge was such a good villainess in season one. Things just didn’t have that same wicked quality in season two with our above partners in crime. I thought that Eden was a lot stronger than Gabe (plus she wore some killer heeled boots), but there was more of a whiny feel to them. They just seemed like teenagers acting as villains, where De Oliveira was the epitome of evil.

A lot to keep track of…

I felt like I needed to take notes just to keep up. If you are thinking of skipping the recap…don’t! I needed the recap and I probably should have re-watched the entire first season because there was so much crammed into season two and I had a difficult time remembering things. Maybe I need a memory key too…

The plot was good, but it was also slightly all over the place. We know that season three has already been confirmed so it could have been possible to carry over some stuff into the next season rather than jamming it all into season two, which was slightly overwhelming.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my watch. I think that the Locke siblings really work well together and you genuinely care about their well-being. The magic was still there, but it had a more mature feel and that’s okay.

I had some reservations about certain elements but there was enough happening to keep me entertained throughout my watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Locke & Key season two in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Locke & Key” on Netflix: Unlocking the Door to your Next Binge-Watch

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

A dark, magical adventure filled with heart, leading us past our imagination with some worthy evil threats thrown into the mix.

Locke & Key premiered on Netflix on February 7th 2020 with 10 new episodes (40-45 minutes in length). It stars Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield, and Laysla De Oliveira.

The show is based on the graphic novel series written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez. After the tragic death of their father, three siblings move into his old mansion with their mother, unlocking past secrets and discovering some magical keys that light the way to their new potential destiny. However, there is an evil lingering inside the well of Keyhouse that threatens them all.

This is not the first time we have seen a plot like this and there are a lot of similarities to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Haunting of Hill House, and Stranger Things. That being said, I absolutely love all three of those, so I welcomed this familiar plot with open arms.

However, does Locke & Key unlock its way to its own identity? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Locke and Key Netflix 5 — Images courtesy of Netflix

The Locke siblings are the heart of the show.

I loved the family aspect of The Haunting of Hill House and we get a young adult friendly version of that in Locke & Key. The relationship between the siblings is heartwarming and believable. All three of these characters are absolutely fantastic and you almost feel like you are a part of their family. The performances are well done and the family drama isn’t overly exaggerated.

Locke and Key Netflix 8 — Images courtesy of Netflix

The mystery is intriguing and entertaining.

From the very first episode, we get a sneak peek of what’s to come for the Locke family, as they explore Keyhouse with brand new eyes. The house is breathtaking, but the Locke siblings quickly discover that there are more secrets hidden within the walls of their father’s old home.

Locke and Key Netflix 6 — Images courtesy of Netflix

Evil looks good on our Villainess.

The villain in this series is beyond entertaining. She’s absolutely fantastic and will lure you over to the dark side for sure. She is cunning, powerful, and mysterious, as the Locke siblings are forced to really think outside the box to stop her, but do not underestimate her for one second. I love a good Villainess and Dodge or “Well Lady” certainly exceeded my expectations.

The Cons:

Locke and Key Netflix 7 — Images courtesy of Netflix

The rest of the characters fade into the background.

Unlike Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which has an endless amount of extraordinary characters, the rest of the group in Locke & Key are just kind of okay and very forgettable. Even Mrs. Locke seemed all over the place and I almost felt like they didn’t really know what to do with her character.

I did enjoy Scot the most out of the friend characters, who had the most adorable nickname for our girl Kinsey, Rocky Road, but the supporting characters seemed underdeveloped and uninspiring. That being said, the Locke siblings and Dodge certainly made up for that and stole the show.

Some plot holes and unanswered questions.

I wouldn’t say that this was a major con, but I found myself asking more questions about the keys and where they came from. A lot of things are explained in the end and we are left with a major cliffhanger, so I’m hoping for some more background information if we get a second season.

So am I in or out?

Locke and Key Netflix 1 — Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in! This series was so much fun and I watched it all in one day. It has a lot of heart and so many twists and turns that will keep you thoroughly invested throughout the show.

While it may not be the next Stranger Things, it doesn’t have to be. Locke & Key creates its own separate identity and has the potential to become my new favorite show with possible future seasons. Now about my key…

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Locke & Key in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural? Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery? Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon! Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well. I really hope you enjoy!

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The 2020 Mid-Season TV Premieres I am most looking forward to: Bring on the new episodes!

Greetings TV Fans! As we approach Mid-January, some of our absolute favorite shows will be returning with new episodes and we can also look forward to some brand new shows as well that have a lot of potential. Looking to find out when they all start? You came to the right place!

While some of our favorite returning shows already have 2020 premiere dates announced, others are still giving out a TBD 2020 response, as I vigilantly keep checking to see when they will be premiering. It looks like we have several new shows with a lot of potential and some of our returning favorites seem very promising as well.

Without further delay, the 2020 Mid-season TV premieres I am most looking forward to are:

The Outsider

Premiere date: January 12th 2020

Where to watch: HBO

Based on Stephen King’s novel, this series will follow the murder investigation of a young boy, which leads a seasoned cop to question everything after discovering some supernatural forces and threats along the way.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Part 3)

Sabrina Netflix — Image courtesy of Netflix

Premiere date: January 24th 2020

Where to watch: Netflix

Sabrina Spellman is back and we can’t wait to see what she does next! Will she finally find a balance between being a mortal and a witch or will she lose herself to dark magic completely?

The Stranger

Premiere date: January 30th 2020

Where to watch: Netflix

Adam Price seems to have it all. That is, until a stranger approaches him one night and reveals a shocking secret that will change his life forever. This new mystery thriller looks binge-watch promising for sure!

Katy Keene

Premiere date: February 6th 2020

Where to watch: The CW

A spin-off of Riverdale? Yes please! Oh wait and it stars Pretty Little Liars’s Lucy Hale? I’m in!

Locke & Key

Locke and key Netflix — Image courtesy of Netflix

Premiere date: February 7th 2020

Where to watch: Netflix

Based on the graphic novel, this show follows a group of siblings who move into Keyhouse after their father is murdered, which leads to some creepy findings of their own.

Homeland Season 8 (Final Season)

Homeland Showtime — Image courtesy of Showtime

Premiere date: February 9th 2020

Where to watch: Showtime

It seems like it’s been quite some time since we’ve last checked in with Carrie Mathison, but it’s about time. I can’t wait to see how it all ends!

The Haunting of Bly Manor (The Haunting of Hill House Season 2)

The Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix — Image courtesy of Netflix

Premiere date: TBD 2020

Where to watch: Netflix

The second season of The Haunting of Hill House already looks extremely promising based on the premise. Much like the AHS anthology, we will see several of the stars return from season one as we are welcomed into a new story, which will loosely follow The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Can’t wait!!!!

Cursed

Premiere date: TBD 2020

Where to watch: Netflix

A fresh take on the Arthurian legend starring 13 Reasons Why’s Katherine Langford? I’m definitely in! This show is based on Frank Miller’s novel and will center around the Lady of the Lake (Nimue) story in a re imagined way.

Lovecraft Country

Premiere date: TBD 2020

Where to watch: HBO

A Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams team-up seems too good to be true, but that’s what we have here for this highly anticipated horror drama. Based on the novel by Matt Ruff, this story follows Atticus Black, who is searching for his missing father.

Westworld (Season 3)

Premiere date: March 15th 2020

Where to watch: HBO

Season 3 will bring us into a whole new world and if Aaron Paul is around for it, I’m in!

Little Fires Everywhere

Premiere date: March 18th 2020

Where to watch: Hulu

Starring the talented and amazing Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, this limited series will follow the fears of suburban mothers, which may give us some Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives nostalgia for sure. I’m in!

Stay tuned for reviews, recaps, and top five moments! I don’t know about you, but I am very excited for new episodes to return and I am really looking forward to exploring these new promising shows!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post the shows you are looking forward to premiering in 2020 in the comments below. I always love discovering new shows and that’s where you come in! Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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