The first season of Cruel Intentions ended with a controversial hookup — but where does the show go from here?
Based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos‘ novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Prime Video’s version is the first time the story has been told on the small screen. The original 1999 film followed Annette (Reese Witherspoon) as she became a pawn in a sexual conquest wager between step siblings Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar).
The TV adaptation, which premiered on Thursday, November 21, replaced a New York prep school for a Washington D.C college where the two manipulative step siblings, now named Lucien and Caroline, are ready to do anything to maintain their status. Zac Burgess, Sarah Catherine Hook and Savannah Lee Smith play the titular roles while Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, Khobe Clarke, Sean Patrick Thomas and Brooke Lena Johnson make up the rest of the cast.
While Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions recreated many iconic moments from the movie, it also strayed notably from the original plot. The first season ended with Annie (Smith) pledging sorority Delta Phi Pi but then questioning Caroline’s (Hook) intentions.
While Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions is a new version of the story, the show still recreated many iconic scenes from the classic film. Based on a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos‘ novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the original Cruel Intentions film was released in 1999. The movie told the story of Annette (Reese Witherspoon), […]
Lucien (Burgess), meanwhile, broke up with Annie and got revenge on Caroline by sleeping with her mother (his stepmother). He appeared to send Caroline the footage but the audience didn’t get to see her reaction — yet.
Showrunners Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher exclusively told Us Weekly how that bombshell hookup will change the trajectory of Lucien and Caroline’s relationship.
“There are a lot of ways to go,” Goodman teased. “And I think that these are two people who’ve behaved incredibly badly to each other. We’ll have to wait to see [in season 2] what the breaking points really are for them.”
Fisher highlighted how there is “a lot of depth of feeling” between Lucien and Caroline, adding, “We’ll see. Is it beyond repair? We don’t know.”
The pair also discussed finding the balance between paying tribute to the movie and creating something new with the show.
“Part of the fun of getting to take on this project is getting the opportunity to expand on all of these characters and all of these dynamics that we’ve set up in the pilot while still paying homage to the original source material,” Fisher said before Goodman added, “We didn’t want to alienate fans of the movie. We’re fans of the movie so we definitely wanted to keep the tone and those little references that we all love.”
With a lot of lingering questions left unanswered, the cast and crew gave Us some insight into what fans can expect from a potential second season. Keep scrolling for answers to some of those burning questions:
Is There a Chance Lucien Won’t Die?
In the 1999 movie, Phillippe’s character, Sebastian, saved Annette’s life but died in her place. The first season of the TV adaptation ended on a more positive note when Lucien left Caroline and Annie behind to seemingly try to get control of his life back.
“It depends how many seasons we get!” Fisher told Us about Lucien possibly avoiding the same fate as his movie counterpart. Meanwhile, executive producer Pavun Shetty reminded viewers that Cruel Intentions isn’t looking to copy the events of the film.
“It’s a different show. We’re not retelling the movie at all. It’s definitely the next chapter of the movie,” he shared. “So we’re taking what was there but really creating a whole new story. Similar things that people loved about the movie will be there and people who know the movie well will recognize things, but the stories are very different.”
After its premiere in 1999, Cruel Intentions still has fans talking about its scandalous story line — and dreamy lead Sebastian Valmont. In the 90s cult classic, which is a teen version of the French film Dangerous Liaisons, Sebastian’s (Ryan Phillippe) sultry stepsister Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) challenges him to “deflower” the new school headmaster’s […]
Will Scott and Blaise Get Back Together?
Scott (Clarke) and Blaise (Kim) ended things on a bad note — but that doesn’t mean it is over.
“I’m rooting for Blaise and Scott,” Burgess shared with Us about watching the show as a fan. “I’m just like, please make it work.”
Clarke felt the same way after helping bring the fictional couple to life, adding, “Scott prides himself on his forgiveness and I think he will eventually do that for Blaise. I also think Scott’s identity is more clear to him now, so he’s free to be more of himself and hide less. It would be exciting to see what comfort that’ll bring to his character.”
Where Does Lucien’s Story Go After He Slept With His Stepmother?
“The ending for Lucien is pretty dramatic. It leaves the playing field entirely open,” Burgess teased. “And given the opportunity for a second season, I’m incredibly intrigued to see what Sarah and Phoebe come up with. Anything could happen. I’ve got so many ideas in my head.”
While Lucien’s hookup with Claudia (Claire Forlani) hasn’t been revealed to everyone on the show, Johnson and Smith are confident it won’t stay a secret for long.
“Beatrice writes about [these things], so that’ll be interesting if that gets thrown in there,” Johnson told Us. “She has a platform for it.”
Johnson also expressed interest in seeing her character Beatrice, Annie and CeCe (Silva) continue to build a friendship in spite of Caroline and Lucien’s chaos. Smith had similar thoughts about how Annie will keep drifting from Caroline and Lucien.
“Annie already has reason not to trust Lucian and is already kind skeptical about him,” she shared. “So I think that would only encourage the hesitation more.”
While chatting with Us, Goodman noted that it isn’t clear “what anyone knows” about the hookup, which leaves the writers’ room with plenty of options.
Could There Be Cameos From the Original Cast?
The first season featured Sean Patrick Thomas playing another teacher, Professor Caldwell, after originally portraying music tutor Ronald Cifford in the 1999 film. The door is open for more cameos — especially after Selma Blair previously revealed she wasn’t asked to appear on the show yet.
“Obviously I would be so honored if she called,” Silva, who plays a version of Blair’s character Cecilia, told Us. “I think she’s so iconic and cool.”
Thomas also showed his support for the cameo, adding, “I don’t have the final say on that, but absolutely. She’d be my No. 1 person that I’d love to work with.”
As for the producers, Shetty said all they would need to make it happen is a renewal.
“Our company produced the movie so we have a long history with it. It is before my time but people who worked at the company became very close with the cast. So if we’re lucky enough to get another season, we’d love to have everyone,” he hinted. “We were lucky to have Sean Patrick Thomas who plays a different role, so as many people who’d want to be in the show, we’d love to have it.”
Goodman noted to Us that it would have to make sense within the show, saying, “If there’s an organic way to have her character be played as Cecile from the movie, then we’re totally open to anything. But it has to fit organically in our world.”
