The Miseducation of Luke Chambers[1] is the ninth episode of Season 2 of Cruel Summer, and the nineteenth episode overall. It aired on July 24, 2023.
Synopsis[]
Luke examines all his relationships and worries that the pressures of being a “Chambers man” have changed him.[2]
Plot[]
The events that are about to unfold take place during the Fall of 1999
And on January 1, 2000
September 1999: A young Luke and Megan play in the woods while Jane and Steve prepare a cake. The Chambers family and Megan use water guns on Steve and then eagerly wait for the cake. A teenaged Luke watches the video with tears. Jane smiles at the camera that she has the best boys in the world. He turns off the TV.
Luke floats in his pool alone while listening to music. Suddenly, Brent flips his raft over and holds him underwater. Steve tells him that's enough, to let him up, and Brent does as Luke coughs up water. He shouts at Brent that he could have drowned, but Steve tells him not to get dramatic.
The Chambers men sit in the outdoor kitchen and have cake, since it's Jane's birthday. She would have been 44 that day. Brent can't believe she's been gone eight years. Luke brings up their family trip to a waterpark in Florida, and they laugh over the memories it provokes. Steve muses that Luke has the same sense of humor as Jane. Brent ruins the heartfelt moment with a sexist joke. Steve decides it's time for a family game of tennis.
Over at Shoreliner, Isabella, Luke, and Megan talk about the former's first day of school. It was more crowded and louder than Isabella thought it would be. She wants to do a compatibility quiz with the couple, and their answers don't exactly match. Jeff and the guys head over and tease Luke over the magazine. They invite him to hang out but he refuses, insisting he'd rather kick it with them.
2000: Everyone screams as the gun fires. It nicks Luke in the ear. Isabella swears it wasn't supposed to go off, but Luke believes she did it on purpose because she's wanted him out of the picture forever. Megan instantly tends to his wound, but he stops her and asks her to untie him. Isabella worries someone would have heard the gunshot and wants to leave him. Megan isn't sure just in case the video gets worse. She worries someone will find him, and Isabella takes the tape as insurance that he won't talk if he's found. Luke knows he screwed up but begs Megan to stay as he loves her. He insists Isabella is crazy and could have killed him. She knows and insists this isn't how things were supposed to go. She has to talk to him about something but isn't sure now. After a moment, she reveals she's pregnant.
October 1999: Luke drives Megan to the cabin as they talk about Brent, who is at Branson. His fraternity is at war with another house, so all their cars got egged. It sucked having him home for the summer, but it's worse with him gone. He has to be alone with his father. They watched a hedgehog documentary to avoid conversations. Steve and Brent can talk about sports or business, but with Luke, it's just crickets. It's a relief when he's out. Ever since his mom died there's been a rift between them. His class is going to the Science Center next week, and she gleefully asks to be his plus one for the field trip. He filled out his emergency contact, and while it was his dad, Megan's his “in case of everything.” She believes in him more than anyone else, at least since his mom. He doesn't know what he would do without her and they kiss.
Steve looks at a model of the Northland deal when Luke walks into the office. Steve shows him the model, explaining it's a multi-use development. This is something he'll learn at Branson in the fall. He reminds Luke of the application deadline. Luke wants to join the Coast Guard instead of going to Branson because he loves the water so much and being outdoors. Steve shoots him down as that's what weekends are for. If Luke wants to have a wife and family with great advantages, he needs a real job. He takes too much for granted and won't have the same life on a military salary. Luke tentatively agrees as Steve presses that being on the water all day is a hobby, but not real life.
Luke walks into the Sheriff's office and Myer gives him an envelope that came for him. It's an application for the Coast Guard Academy. He thanks Myer for letting him use the address of the station instead. Myer thinks it's something to be proud of and not hide, though Luke's father disagrees. His plan is to get in and then let him know, which Myer surmises is an ambush. He tried to be straight up with his dad but was shot down. Myer encourages him to try again if it's something he really wants. His family isn't a democracy; you either board the Chambers train or get out. If he does this, he'll be pulling the ripcord and blowing up his life.
Luke and Megan lay in bed together while he plays with her hair. They talk about going to different schools next year, but he doesn't want things to change next year. He knows she'll have new friends and a new world, but she assures him that won't happen. He just wants to make her happy, and he does. She puts her head on his chest and Luke looks over at the end table where a camera is perched.
January 2000: Luke thinks Megan is joking, but she took a test. He's surprised as they were so careful and they're in high school so they can't exactly do this. He plans to talk to his dad so they can get this taken care of. She tells him to stop and turns away. He tries to explain but cuts himself off. She looks over at him. He's not the guy she thought he was. He's a liar and a jerk. And she's just the idiot who loved him. He asks her to untie him so they can talk, but she refuses as there's nothing left to say. She never wants to see him again and storms out of the cabin while he shouts for her to come back.
October 1999: It's Halloween, and Megan kisses Luke just before Isabella walks in. Isabella gives them beers, commenting that her fake ID is the gift that never stops giving. Megan runs upstairs to get something, and Luke tells Isabella he can't believe this is their last Halloween in high school. She muses that there's a whole world out there. Megan's following her dreams, and so should Luke. She knows that he wants to be the hero of his own story, and he wants to be the charming accomplice. She snips that the role is already taken. And there isn't enough room in Megan's life for both of them. Megan returns wearing sunglasses.
Brent talks to his friends about filming girls while having sex. Luke brings a pizza in while the boys praise Brent for hiding the camera for the girls who perform better in “stealth mode.” Brent tells Luke to step it up or Megan will get bored. They don't think Luke has the stones to make a tape, and Luke merely looks away.
Megan and Isabella come home late one night to find Luke on their couch watching TV. Debbie let him because he thought they were hanging out tonight. Megan apologizes - she totally forgot as they went to the pub. It was kind of last minute, and Isabella reminds him that he couldn't get in last time. Megan brings up the lead singer being interested in Isabella, and Isabella says that the singer's friend was all over Megan. Luke grows upset and Isabella continues to poke the situation. Megan snips at Isabella and then insists Luke should come next time. He silently resumes the movie.
Luke walks into the sheriff's station where Jeff is waiting at the counter after getting a parking ticket. Luke asks if he's going to the Homecoming dance but he's not. Luke tells him to take Amy, and Jeff quickly tells him to not do this. He and Megan are together, she chose him, but he shouldn't make it like he didn't have any part of it. Luke thought it was ancient history. Jeff wanted him to come to him friend-to-friend. He wouldn't have liked it, but he would have respected it and him. He accuses Luke of changing. His brother might be an asshole, but at least he's honest about it. Luke is worse because he thinks he's the good guy.
January 2000: Luke wakes up still tied to the bed in the Chambers' cabin. He struggles against the ropes then manages to grab the knot and untie himself. His ear bleeds profusely on the pillow.
December 1999: Megan, Luke, and Isabella have Megan's first ditch day. Luke likes Felonious Megan and she does too. Isabella wants to get tickets for her and Megan to see No Doubt, and they plan to ditch again. Isabella hopes they'll be touring when they're in Madrid. Luke questions the traveling, and Megan assures him it's not definite. Isabella jumps in as Megan already applied for a passport. Luke asks why Megan didn't tell him. She was going to if it happened, and Isabella corrected it to “when it happens”. She tells Luke that Megan needs to travel, get out of her comfort zone because staying in one place too long is bad for the soul. They exchange a long and pointed look.
Steve is working in his office when Luke knocks on the door. Luke tells him that he got into Branson, which overjoys Steve, who hugs his son and expresses his pride. Luke also got into the Coast Guard Academy. He's thought about it a lot and wants to go, as it's important to him. Steve tells him to chart his own path but won't bankroll it. He's tired of having this conversation and tired of trying to fix him. Luke, now hurt and angry, insists that Steve doesn't care about him and never has. Brent is his only real son. Luke is just a constant disappointment to him. Steve mockingly asks if they're having a pity party, but Luke ignores him. He accuses Steve of resenting him ever since the night of the accident. He knows Steve wishes that Luke were the one that died that night. Steve, now serious, tells him that isn't true. Luke pushes that Steve should have been the one driving that night, not Mom. He was supposed to take Luke to get new cleats, but then he had some work that kept him busy. He's sick of keeping Steve's secrets. They all would have been better off if he were the one that was driving that night. Luke leaves the office and slams the door behind him.
Megan finds Luke on her front porch and joins him. He was just driving around and ended up there. She knows there's another reason for his visit than him just wanting to visit her. Since the fight with his dad, they talk even less which he barely thought was possible. He hasn't told the Coast Guard anything yet, letting out a sigh. He asks if she ever feels like running away, starting fresh, with no expectations. She does it all the time. It's all he thinks about sometimes.
On the night of the Chambers' Christmas party, Luke shakes hands with Principal Bowers, who heard from his dad how excited he is to be following in his and Brent's footsteps at Branson. Luke eyes his father when he says it's the Chambers way. Steve is sure Luke will love their great business program. Debbie interrupts to take Steven and Bowers away, so Megan and Luke walk a few paces.
Steve grabs Luke in the hall and pulls him into a quiet corner, telling him to quit the crap. He quotes back “The Chambers way”. He's tired of Luke talking about Branson like it's a damn life sentence. He's embarrassing Steve and himself. Luke doesn't care what other people think, but Steve cruelly tells him it should as reputation is everything, Luke knows that, because it means more to Steve than his family does. Steve chives him against a bakery rack. Branson is happening, end of story. He should stop whining and start appreciating it, and won't say another word about this. Luke has a dark expression and storms into Brent's room, grabbing a videotape. He finds a worker and gives her a tape with instructions to put it in the VCR. When the video starts playing, Luke runs to take it out at his father's request. Everyone stares at Megan.
In the morning, Luke's friends praise him for his performance on the big screen the other night. They ask how long he's been seeing Isabella on the side, and Brent makes crude remarks. Jeff, recording, muses that Luke could never pull off a sex tape with Megan. Luke smirks, telling him to give him time. The tape is all smoke and mirrors. Luke teases that he shouldn't be jealous. He should hate the player, not the game.
Megan and Luke make out in the Chambers' cabin. He leads her to the bed but she doesn't want to as she doesn't feel safe. She can't believe they didn't know they were being filmed. She thought there would be a Spidey sense or warning bell that told her she was being watched. He tells her that it's a camera, not a predator, but she doesn't see a difference. He assures her it was a one-time thing that would never happen again, so she shouldn't let it ruin things. She's trying not to. He loves her and they're in this together. She's not used to hearing him say that yet and returns the sentiment. Before she knows it, this will all be ancient history, like it never happened.
Luke plays video games when Steve comes into the kitchen. He asks if everything is okay with him and Megan. Luke is supposed to see her and the Plunge tomorrow. Things have just been different since the tape. Steve would imagine that's a hard thing to come back from. Luke's tried, apologized to her and said all the right things, but there's a wall between them. Steve assures him they're still young. She has the scholarship and everything that comes with it. She could take that and leave. There's plenty of fish in the sea. Maybe it's time to cut bait and see what else is out there.
January, 2000: Luke frees himself from the restraints and gets dressed, but is dripping blood. He's drowsy and feeling the effects of the drugs. He grabs a flashlight and leaves the cabin. He stumbles into the woods, searching for something. His father's words of being “sick of trying to fix you” echo in Luke's mind. He falls against a tree, remembering Jeff telling him he's worse than his brother and Megan telling him he's a liar and a jerk who she never wants to see again. He walks to the end of the pier and collapses, crying. He takes out his pager and sends a message.
Megan lies in her bed, unable to sleep. Isabella tosses and turns in the Air Stream, awake.
Luke rests his head on his hand but looks up when he hears footsteps and the dock creaking. He looks up because he didn't think they would come.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Sadie Stanley as Megan Landry
- Lexi Underwood as Isabella LaRue
- Griffin Gluck as Luke Chambers
- KaDee Strickland as Debbie Landry
- Lisa Yamada as Parker Tanaka (Credit only)
- Sean Blakemore as Jack Myer
Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
- Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar as Eric
- Connor Wong as Tim
- Jess Brown as Jane Chambers
- Wonita Joy as Principal Bowers
- Victor Colotla as Young Brent
- Calix Fraser as Young Luke
- Autumn West as Young Megan
- Amanda Gray as Deputy
- Shanique H. Brown as Waiter
Notes and Trivia[]
- This is the third episode in the series to feature a characters full name. It follows the Season 1 episodes, Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner and Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis, respectively.
- The Miseducation of Luke Chambers is the first episode to feature Jane Chambers, the mother of Luke and Brent. She appears in a home video from 1991.
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Videos[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Featured Music[]