#Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 6 Review: An Ocean Inside Me

Jeanette Turner’s secret isn’t such a secret anymore. The key to Martin’s house might be the smoking gun that unravels it all.

Greg and Cindy Turner were faced with that harsh truth on Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 6.

The parents love their daughter, but the key caused a huge wave of doubt in Jeanette’s story. “An Ocean Inside Me” is a new layer to the mystery that puts her honesty into question.

Before Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 6, the only other people beyond Jeanette who knew about the key were Vince and Mallory. And Vince was the only person Jeanette confided in about her obsession with sneaking into Martin’s house.

Based on recent events, Jeanette’s time in Martin’s house wasn’t a tightly kept secret. Who else knows about her sneaking in?

Cindy probably told Angela during their late-night drinks. Mallory must have spilled to Kate about their earlier trip to Martin’s house on Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 1.

Jeanette needs to get rid of that key if she still has it. The key will only cause her more trouble in her case if discovered.

One thing was made clear during all the doubts about Jeanette and the key: the rumors about Jeanette weren’t the main reason that Greg and Cindy’s marriage imploded.

Sure, the stress of the rumor and being a town pariah caused extra damage to the marriage. And, the doubts sped things up for them separating. However, Greg and Cindy weren’t on the same page about their kids or their life.

Cindy: I think this is the key to Martin Harris’ house.

Greg: It’s a little bit of a stretch, don’t you think?

Cindy: I know, just … call it a mother’s intuition. I feel it in my bones.

Did anyone else find Greg so condescending to Cindy?

All Cindy wanted to do was chat with Greg about the POSSIBILITY of Jeanette being in the wrong. When she had real evidence to doubt Jeanette, Greg dismissed her yet again. He was too happy with playing the nice guy and brushing everything under the rug.

Cindy needed a partner to talk to about something huge in their family’s life. That should be Greg, not her mother or Derek.

Greg’s behavior was eye-opening because it revealed he’s a character that we can’t fully trust.

When it comes to Jeanette, Greg will protect her and look the other way. He kept her secret about Vince stealing the CD at the mall. And, he didn’t let slip in 1995 that he knew about Martin’s key since 1994.

Greg let his entire life crumble, including his marriage to Cindy, because he couldn’t face the possibility of Jeanette doing the horrible things Kate accused her of.

Him knowing about the key puts a new light on his tearful speech during Cruel Summer Season 1 Episode 5. Greg may have been mad about Jeanette having the key, but he decided not to confront her about it.

Cindy, on the other hand, came across as more of a sympathetic character. Cruel Summer Season 1 so far had made it seem like Cindy abandoned her family because of the Jeanette rumors, but the truth wasn’t like that at all.

The accusations opened her eyes to her family, her marriage, and her aspirations in life. The marriage crumbled naturally due to decisions made by Greg!

Cindy: I like you, Angela. I can see why Greg likes you. You’re so smart, you’re open, and you’re bold. Bold freaks Greg out a little bit, but deep down he likes it.

Angela: I like you too.

Cindy: I’m glad, and surprised that we can just sit here together like this. Cheers!

[They cheer glasses]

I loved the bar chat between Cindy and Angela. They got along so well and understood each other, even though in an awkward situation like an ex-wife and the current girlfriend hanging out.

We need more Cindy and Angela scenes together. Hopefully, this will lead to Jeanette reuniting with her mother and talking again.

Jeanette’s friendships with Mallory and Vince also became much clearer in the grand scheme.

Vince and Jeanette were best friends, while Jeanette and Mallory were just friends. Their personalities were too different, and Mallory wanted to be the dominant one in the friendship who could do rebellious things together. Jeanette wasn’t that person.

Mallory liked being an outsider and didn’t care what others thought. Jeanette liked doing bad things in secret, but she understood the repercussions. And, she cared too much about what others thought.

Jeanette: You seem happy.

Vince: Insanely.

Jeanette: Okay, good! Then we’re all happy! You can tell Ben we’re all happy, okay?

Vince: Okay.

Jeanette’s 1993 chat with Vince was a good first sign that her friendship with Mallory was coming to an end.

Jeanette speaking to Vince about Mallory was her attempt at gauging the frustration level. She knew Vince wasn’t feeling the same way, so she backed off. Those thoughts weren’t the first time she was frustrated with Mallory, so it will only grow from here.

I love how easily Vince and Jeanette’s friendship works. Even when they haven’t talked for a long time, they quickly get back together like nothing was wrong.

By 1994 and 1995, they weren’t close friends anymore, but they still offered to help and chat when needed.

The 1994 scene in the video store was so heartwarming because Jeanette accepted Vince without any discussion or questions. She instantly knew Vince liked Ben and embraced it because she loved her best friend. Jeanette was there for him when he wanted someone to talk to.

The same goes for the 1995 hangout. Sure, he ventured a bit into Greg’s territory by lying to protect her earlier, but “An Ocean Inside Me” established Vince/Jeanette as a sibling-type friendship that felt closer to how the Turners were.

Jeanette’s move to blackmail Tanya into keeping her secret both worked for and against her.

She’s cunning and resourceful enough to do whatever it takes to protect herself, so it’s not out of the question whatever else she’s willing to do. Like, maybe ignoring finding Kate in the basement so that she can keep her popular life?

That blackmail threw another wrench into her honesty believability.

Even her lawyer, Denise, was having doubts about Jeanette. (By now, she’s probably dreading this case with every ounce of her being.)

On the plus side, Jeanette squashed a damning piece of evidence that would’ve destroyed her deposition case.

If Tanya had revealed her finding Jeanette in Martin’s closet, that would prove everyone lied to protect Jeanette and that she had been back in that house more times. It would be a slippery slope that would paint a bad picture, regardless if she was guilty about Kate or not.

Cindy: I think your sister is lying and I think your dad is afraid to admit it. I know I shouldn’t tell you that.

Derek: Mom, no. No, you shouldn’t.

Cindy: Well, I have to because there is this ocean inside of me and it is spilling over and I need somebody to talk to, and I need to talk about it!

And even if Jeanette started spilling the truth about Tanya coming on strong on Martin or Tennille’s real father, the damage would be done to her case. Jeanette would never win.

She’s lucky that Tanya was more afraid of the possible paternity lawsuit than Jeanette was of losing her case.

Last Timely Thoughts:

• Renee and Tennille are terrible friends! They’ve grown into being one of the biggest villains on Cruel Summer Season 1.
  
  
   
• Jamie and Jeanette’s meeting for the first time was pretty cute. It’s not surprising that they clicked so quickly after Kate went missing. They had chemistry.
  
  
   
• Sarah Drew is killing it in her role as Cindy Turner. A great mix of emotion, frustration, and happiness from her character during her scenes.
  
  
   
• How someone didn’t find out about Tennille’s real father by now is a complete surprise. Tanya was spilling that truth like it was a messy cup of tea.

Now, over to you, Cruel Summer fans!

What did you think of “An Ocean Inside Me”?

Does Greg secretly think Jeanette saw Kate within Martin’s house? Will Jeanette ever speak to her mother again? Would Cindy and Greg’s marriage have imploded regardless of the Jeanette situation?

If you missed the latest episode of Cruel Summer, you can watch Cruel Summer online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.