A bombshell has rocked Megan's and Debbie's worlds at the end of Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 5. It's the latest juicy reveal in this thrilling murder mystery.

Cruel Summer Season 2 has packed plenty of twists and turns, but Isabella's secret changes everything. What we thought we knew might not be the truth, or it's a red herring meant to throw us off. We'll have to go back to the clue board to see what this means.

If anyone were prepared for this scandalous twist, it would be Cruel Summer Season 2's showrunner and executive producer, Elle Triedman.

Below, we got to chat with Triedman about the massive cliffhanger involving Isabella's big secret, the new info about her life pre-Chatham, and what this could mean going forward. Plus, we discussed the theme of being a "ride or die" and the love of Cruel Summer.

Beware: spoilers ahead! Make sure you watch the episode if you don't want to get spoiled. Check out the interview below!

Oh my god, let's talk about that twist! With Lisa's death, how do you think her death and that reveal will affect viewers at home?

I hope they'll be shocked. I hope it will make them look back at Isabella's interactions and every time she's spoken about her.

What's great about Cruel Summer is the way the story reverberates between the time frames. So, she does most of her talking about her in the summer of 1999 when she first gets there. When its reveal comes in the summer of 2000, so much has happened in that period.

The great thing about the show is how the viewers get to constantly question themselves about their loyalties. Who they're rooting for and how much they really know someone.

It's so great to do a show about kids at this age because you're trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. It's all about reinvention.

And I also think when you come to a new place, you have the opportunity, whether it's school, summer job, or summer program, you get to introduce a new version of yourself.

That's something Megan never could do because she's been in the same town her whole life.

But for Isabella, this is perhaps the way to start fresh.

For this fresh start moving to Chatham, do you think that was why Isabella wanted to keep Lisa's death a secret?

Yes. I also know it will be spoken to as the series continues in the upcoming episodes. But I think one thing to keep in mind is the timeline.

Lisa hadn't been dead for that long when Isabella came to Chatham, so everyone processes on their own calendar. There is no correct way to grieve.

I think...I won't give anything away. [Laughs]

It's obviously a big topic of discussion in the upcoming episodes. It's a huge bombshell!

With this reveal and Trevor's arrival, specifically in the summer of 1999, we saw a newer side of Isabella and what she's capable of on Cruel Summer Season 2. As viewers watch, do you think they'll see a newer side of her and more beneath the surface?

Yes, and more vulnerability.

You know, especially with someone that you've known for a very long time. She and Trevor have a shorthand.

It was great with the actors because Lexi [Underwood] and Olly [Sholotan] knew each other. They were friends before, so I thought they had great chemistry. And you instantly felt this very long relationship and time that they've known each other.

Would you have kept Isabella's secret if you were in Trevor's shoes?

I think he was so gobsmacked. Especially sitting at the picnic table, he realized how much she hadn't disclosed to these new best friends; we were watching him process that real-time.

There's a moment where he decides to confront her as opposed to outing her in front of the group.

You could say it's a test, but I think he's trying to get a footing.

And it's a contrast because Debbie and Megan discover the news during the cliffhanger. In your opinion, do you think Isabella should've told them earlier what happened to Lisa? Or at least not bring up her name every episode?!

There's a world where you're looking for the right time to disclose something. Sometimes that window closes, and then it feels like it's gone too long, and it would feel weird to discuss it later.

Everything isn't always one thing. I don't know if it was malicious, but again, I think it was very fresh when she got there.

You don't want to get to a new place and say, "Hi! I just lost my best friend."

I think it's not an easy thing to bring up.

Definitely! It's big news for them, and how they will react in figuring out who Isabella is and who she was when she came to Chatham to live with them.

Yes, and there are certainly questions about that. And her familiarity with getting a lawyer and needing a lawyer.

That is not something that, especially pre-internet 1999 in a small town in Washington state, you don't automatically have an attorney on speed dial. But apparently, some people do. [Laughs]

There's a lot they don't know about her.

Shifting gears to Megan, she has her secrets too. She's had the pregnancy news and the sex tape on Cruel Summer Season 2. Will we get answers to who created that tape?

Yes! We will get an answer to that.

Perfect! And with Cruel Summer Season 2, the season has focused on the friendship bond between Megan and Isabella. They've been the core. Compared to Cruel Summer Season 1, they didn't have that; they were enemies. How exciting was it for you to plan and shape the season from that bond?

I knew coming in that the story I wanted to tell was about that extremely intense bond of friendship at that age.

In some ways, a platonic friendship can be more intense than a physical relationship you have with someone. Especially at that age, everything is very heightened. The stakes are very high.

I thought it would be fascinating to create the friendship and then blow it up.

It's the theme of loyalty and how far you will go for friendship was something that I wanted to examine. And the whole concept of "ride or die."

Friends might joke like, "Who do you call if you want to bury a body?" And you know, not everyone quite gets that. It's a little dark. [Laughs]

It's sort of who's going to be there for you without asking questions. Who's going to show up for you, and how far will they go?

Like any relationship in an ideal world, it's 50/50, but we don't live in an ideal world.

In every relationship over time, sometimes one person is more invested; sometimes the other is.

Sometimes you do what seems like an enormous act of loyalty, and then you don't feel like that's returned. That's painful; that hurts.

Isabella seems to take "ride or die" very seriously. Comparatively, would you say Megan doesn't value it in the same way as her BFF?

Megan sees it differently because she's always had Luke as her best friend. He then became her boyfriend, and she had Isabella.

She had the best of all worlds, and she had a supportive family.

Isabella is more of an island. She comes from a lot of privilege and has had all these great experiences. But, her parents have been absent, so she doesn't have the same support network.

The bonds that she does form are very, very strong and intense.

But there's also been a level of distrust coming from Megan. She's been suspicious of Isabella. Why do you think there's been that underlining theme between them?

I don't think there was distrust at the beginning. It was more, "I have my life; I have my world. I didn't ask for this person to parachute into my life."

It was more about resentment and not wanting to give her a chance. So, I don't think it was distrust at the beginning.

The fun of this show is that you get to watch these relationships grow, and then you get to see the cracks form in all of them over time.

By the end of Cruel Summer Season 2, you understand really well why they are where they are when we first meet them in the summer of 2000.

Speaking of those periods, we've seen Summer 1999, winter 1999, and Summer 2000 on Cruel Summer Season 2. Is there a specific time period you've loved to see its progression?

I mean love it, and it's like asking, "Who is your favorite child?"

I love the summer of 1999 because it's so optimistic and fun. It's got a sense of hearing your favorite songs playing on-call radio. And there's just so much hope!

I like the chilliness of the winter (1999). And I like how compressed and intense it is. I think it's 11 days in the winter, so everything is heightened.

I'm also a mystery junkie, so I like solving the mystery in the summer of 2000. So, sorry! Hard to choose! [Laughs]

As of the airing of Cruel Summer Season 2 Episode 5, we're halfway through the season. Is there anything you can tease fans about what could be coming up?

We're going to solve every mystery and answer every question.

In terms of what's coming up, you are going to find out about Luke's last day and night on Earth.

Cruel Summer Season 2 airs Mondays at 10/9c on Freeform. You can watch Cruel Summer online to catch up on all the past drama.

Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.