Why is Megan's Mom Poor in Cruel Summer Season 2?

When Season 2 of Cruel Summer premiered on 5 June, it defied fan expectations by presenting a completely new story with a new set of characters instead of carrying on with the story arcs from Season 1. The new season follows three pre-college teens – Megan, Isabella, and Luke – as they get into all sorts of trouble. The tragic culmination is Luke's disappearance and subsequent murder, which become the mystery the show revolves around.

Unsurprisingly, Megan is the prime suspect. She is the ultimate underdog, intended for viewers to empathise with this season. Furthermore, she is being raised by a single mom, Debbie, who fails to provide her with a decent life, let alone maternal support, so much so that Megan has to work and be the mom for her sister. But given Debbie's seemingly well-paid job in a successful company, why is she struggling financially?

Indeed, Megan's job is quite good: she works for a firm run by her friend and lover, Steve. Nevertheless, the Landries still struggle to make ends meet. There may be several explanations for that.

Poor Health

In episode 1, season 2, it is implied that Debbie may have some kind of serious illness. Given the prices of medical treatment and drugs, her health condition may well be a major drain on the family's finances.

Single Mother of Two

Debbie has never been married and had both her daughters out of wedlock. Moreover, it is revealed that she refused Megan's father's financial help. However, both Debbie and Megan accepted his offer to pay for Megan's lawyer when the police started investigating her.

All the same, kids are expensive. It's a tall order to raise two children as a single mom, so Debbie's problems seem pretty natural in this light.

Lack of Responsibility

Cruel Summer also implies that Debbie is a pretty irresponsible parent. She encourages Megan to have fun in all ways other parents have nightmares about. Megan says she often has to be the adult in the family.

Perhaps Debbie is generally irresponsible and doesn't know how to manage money properly. Or she may have a mental problem like depression that makes her unable to care for the family and its finances.

Given Cruel Summer's rather complex narration style, it's too early to jump to any conclusions about Debbie. Let's see what else will be revealed about her in the next episode, which comes out on 26 June.