Cruel Intentions: Season 1 – Summary/ Review

Network	Prime Video
Number of Episodes	8
Creator	Phoebe Fisher, Sara Goodman
Based On	Cruel Intentions
Genre(s)	Drama, Romance, Young Adult
Character Name	Actor
Caroline	Sarah Catherine Hook
Cece	Sara Silva
Lucien	Zac Burgess
Beatrice	Brooke Lena Johnson
Annie	Savannah Lee Smith
Professor Chadwick	Sean Patrick Thomas
Blaise	John Kim

Plot Summary

At Manchester College, we focus on Delta Phi Pi and Alpha Gamma Zeta, the two major Greek organizations on campus, and give special attention to Caroline, president of Delta Phi Pi. She is the queen bee type, with her right hand being Cece. When the series starts, everything is in bliss, but a hazing incident threatens the existence of Greek life on campus, and through manipulation, backstabbing, and sex, Caroline and her associates defend their shared interests while willingly backstabbing each other for their gains.

Review

Our Rating: Positive (Watch This)

Audience

“Cruel Intentions” is for those who love messy stories where friend and foe flip from episode to episode; there are characters you love to hate, alongside some who live perfectly in the gray. Alongside that, if you are the type who finds yourself latching onto one, hoping for the best, and always prepping for the worst, you are in for a wild wide.

Highlights

Sarah Catherine Hook as Caroline

Caroline is one of the best “I love to hate them” types of characters we’ve seen this year. As the leader of Delta Phi, you can see the girls are expendable to her; just look at how she treats Cece! Then, to add insult to injury, you see she doesn’t only play in the affairs of her kingdom but also in Alpha Gamma, Lucien’s personal life, and all with this Jekyll/Hyde appeal.

Generally speaking, most characters in “Cruel Intentions” will bounce back and forth between you wanting to damn them, even if they are just an accessory, or love them, but whenever Caroline has you love her or feel sorry for her, it is usually a ruse. You got played like she plays everyone else, and this will make you double down on hating her and hoping she gets what she deserves.

Hook masterfully plays such a character who knows how to get under your skin and pushes herself to be someone who could become a breakout, thanks to her role.

You’ll Come To Love Cece And Want Her Protected At All Costs

It is very easy to see Cece as a minion, desperate for approval yet not having it in her to do what it takes to climb the hierarchy of any organization. But, as time passes and Cece delivers matter-of-fact tidbits, you come to feel sorry for her, like her, and even root for her. Clearly, Cece isn’t a bad person as much as she is someone who thinks she has limited options regarding friendship or relationships, so she lets Caroline talk to her in any kind of way.

But that sordid relationship makes it so that towards the end of the season, you will be so pro-Cece that some of the potential things that could happen to her may have you squealing with delight, as she has the potential to have something outside of what keeps Caroline’s standing strong.

Lucien and Caroline’s Twisted Relationship

Anyone familiar with the “Cruel Intentions” franchise knows one of the most controversial aspects is Lucien and Caroline’s relationship. They are step-siblings who tease each other sexually and clearly are screwed up. At times, this can be tantalizing, as you see Caroline let her guard down with Lucien in ways you can’t tell if it is genuine or a trap, but with him knowing the few ways she can be hurt, you see this push and pull in the relationship.

After all, they knew each other before Caroline came to power or Lucien became the charismatic and promiscuous man he is. Familiarity breeds contempt but also creates a safe space in which you can see some desire to be vulnerable and supportive for both. The problem is, like any siblings, when in lockstep, they are dangerous, but when there is conflict, the possibility of collateral damage is high, especially as the peace turns into a war over shifting power dynamics.

On The Fence

The Question Of Where Is Sigma – The Sorotity Annie Was Supposed to Join

Annie is the Vice President’s daughter, a key chess piece in Caroline’s attempt to shield her sorority from scrutiny, dissolution, or anything the other Greek entities may do. But the strange thing is, we never see the sorority known as Sigma, which Annie’s mother pledged to, even attempt to recruit her. It’s one of those things that becomes a real issue if you ever assume that Sigma might be akin to the sororities of Divine 9.

Add in that Manchester College is supposed to be somewhere in the Washington D.C. area, and sororities like the AKAs were found in DC. It makes it all the more notable that, of the prominent characters, only Annie and a man Cece ends up being the TA for, Professor Chadwick, are the only prominent Black characters. Never mind, even when the administration is cracking down on Greek life, we only focus on the Deltas and Alphas.

But, maybe in season 2 this could change and hopefully there isn’t any excuse of Manchester College being the school of the wealthy, for that would be the worst means of defense.

Beatrice Feels Rather Basic, As Do Her Friends

Generally speaking, of the young adults who aren’t rich on the show, only Blaise really stands out, and that is because he is as much of a schemer as Caroline but with fewer resources. As for the others, Beatrice, with her little “The New Political Society,” is made into a joke, with only Beatrice getting to stand out as most of her group disappears no sooner than we get some semblance of an introduction to them.

Now, granted, there is a reason for that, but considering Beatrice is treated as the only person making a consistent effort to take down Caroline, and you increasingly wanting that as time goes on, it is disappointing how lame she becomes. But, with how “Cruel Intentions” works, if you ain’t got the money and aren’t part of the problem, you are the problem and will be treated like an obligation to downplay until people don’t want you to show up.

If it Isn’t Dramatic, It Won’t Last

Without getting into specifics, mainly because we can’t pre-release, one of the things we’re not fond of with “Cruel Intentions” is that it doesn’t have that connection between two characters which is pure. Everything is always murky with the idea that someone is using the other or it being implied, which makes it so you are always waiting for the shoe to drop. When will Lucien and Caroline fall out? Lucien and Annie are cute, but Caroline clearly wants Lucien on a long leash, but a leash nonetheless, and won’t let Annie take away who she thinks belongs to her.

It goes on and on, and while I love a show filled with twists, backstabbing, and manipulation as much as anyone who loves shows about 20-something-year-olds behaving badly, I also like that duo or group that feels like an exception. That, if there is ever a betrayal, it will be shocking or a long time coming, and you understand that relationship, no matter how beautiful it was, wasn’t balanced, wasn’t growing, so there was no choice but to have it end.

Now, you could argue Beatrice and one of her associates sort of have that, but, again, “Cruel Intentions” mostly pays dust to any character who isn’t rich or in pursuit of power, so that relationship is meek and so forgettable I can’t remember the name of Beatrice’s friend. Heck, she said so little I don’t even think it is worth bothering to go check.

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Overall

While “Cruel Intentions” has room to improve, there is no denying it has a far better premiere season than a lot of streaming shows, and the room to improve it could lead to a second season that could be better than the first. Add in Hook’s performance as Caroline, and you have a series that could become the standard for young adult debauchery and a reason to see what Prime has to offer beyond shipping benefits.