In the gripping tenth episode of Cruel Summer Season 2, the narrative resumes with Luke awaiting someone's arrival at the dock. Here, his path crosses with Brent, who offers him a ride back home. As dawn breaks, Steve awakens to find Brent drenched in water, prompting curiosity about his nocturnal escapades. Brent's subsequent confession to Steve sends him rushing to the dock in search of Luke.
The episode segues into a harrowing flashback to the fateful night of Luke's demise, revealing Isabella and Megan hashing out their actions concerning Luke. Megan accuses Isabella of discharging a firearm and vows to revisit the cabin at 8 AM the next day. Arriving at the empty cabin, the girls venture into the wilderness to search for Luke. Megan inquiries at local hospitals, while Isabella suspects he fled, as he often contemplated. Their discord escalates; Isabella deems Luke the odd one out, while Megan feels more betrayed by her friend than her former lover.
Two days after Luke's tragic demise, Steve reassured Brent of his solemn promise to secure Luke's safety and vowed to bring him back at any cost. In a heartfelt discussion about Luke's mysterious disappearance with Megan, her eyes widened in astonishment when she learned that Steve had involved the police in the matter. Megan's fear intensified as she hastily conveyed Steve's plans to Isabella, who insisted on coordinating their accounts meticulously. Isabella entrusted Megan with the delicate task of crafting a forged letter in Luke's handwriting, coaching her meticulously on how to maintain composure and deflect any blame that might arise.
Megan posts missing persons flyers for Luke, catching Jeff's attention. He offers to create a local news segment to aid in Luke's discovery. Overwhelmed by the turn of events, Megan clashes with Isabella, leading to an irreparable rift. They trade accusations, blaming each other for their plight.
Returning to the present, Steve meets Sheriff Meyer and seeks involvement in Isabella and Megan's investigation, aiming to verify their honesty. Brent visits Megan, and they dissect Sheriff Meyer's findings on Luke's death. Megan fears the Sheriff suspects them of Luke's murder, but Brent dismisses this notion as absurd.
Later, Megan confronts Isabella, and they concur that blaming each other was a clever ploy to evade being framed for Luke's homicide. Isabella asserts her intention to reclaim her passport and relocate abroad promptly, weary of awaiting Sheriff Meyer's discovery of security footage from Ned's house.
Megan insists that the footage might indeed reveal the face of Luke's genuine killer, making the capture of the perpetrator far simpler than merely attempting to dodge culpability. Determined, Megan breaches the police database and delves into the recordings from the fateful night of Luke's demise. They are astounded to witness Steve's vehicle trailing Luke to the cabin.
The girls march to Steve's office, accusing him of Luke's murder or at least of concealing crucial information from everyone. However, Steve remains tight-lipped, offering little in response. They warn him, threatening to unearth the truth behind Luke's death once they uncover more.
During their ride back, Megan lambasts Isabella for being an unworthy friend. Meanwhile, Brent is thrown into a tizzy by Megan and Isabella's confrontation with the Chambers Family. The next morning, Megan tunes in to the radio news and learns that fresh evidence has been discovered in Luke's case, prompting the police to make a new arrest. Worried, Megan checks up on Isabella and discovers that she has fled after checking out from her hotel room.
In a fit of rage, Megan drives off but is halted by Sheriff Meyer, who escorts her to the sheriff's station for questioning. Inside the interrogation room, Meyer plays a tape from the night of Luke's kidnapping, revealing that Megan and Isabella had ensnared Luke, with Isabella shooting him. Sheriff Meyer formally arrests Megan for Luke's murder.
Brent learns from Steve that Megan has been charged with Luke's killing, and he yearns to assist her, confessing that he was the one who killed his brother. The father and son clash over what constitutes doing the right thing.
Brent is granted a five-minute visit to the interrogation room and speaks to Megan about the night of Luke's death. He reveals that the two brothers had a heated altercation outdoors, culminating in Brent accidentally tripping and Luke plunging into the water. A vivid flashback depicts Luke and Brent arguing about their lives and their mother's demise, with Brent suddenly shoving Luke into the water. Despite Brent's attempts to rescue him, Luke ultimately succumbs to drowning. Present-day Megan is stunned by the revelation, and Sheriff Meyer eavesdrops on Brent's confession from outside the interrogation room.
Brent surrenders himself and is apprehended by the officers, while Steve is also taken into custody for attempting to cover up his teenage son's murder. Later, Megan finds herself at home when she receives a text offering her a job. Meanwhile, Isabella is aboard a flight to Ibiza, introducing herself as Lisa to a new acquaintance and seeking friendship.
The episode draws to a close with Megan returning to the very dock where she had initially bid an emotional farewell to Luke. As she surveys her surroundings, her gaze falls upon a CCTV camera, its lens trained directly on the dock, suggesting an unseen observer's gaze. In a poignant final flashback, Megan is seen watching the footage that captures the harrowing moment Isabella ends Luke's life as he, lifeless and drifting, approaches the shoreline.
