- Similarly Named Works: "Cruel Summer" is the name of a Bananarama song, a Taylor Swift song, an Ace of Base album, a GOOD Music album, a 2012 film, a 2016 film, a Freeform drama series that premiered in 2021, and a British Reality Television Game Show that aired between 2001 and 2003.
The Freeform Series
- Actor Allusion: Mallory really likes Clerks and wants to watch it twice with Kate. Mallory is of course played by none other than Kevin Smith's real-life daughter.
- Queer Character, Queer Actor: Harley Quinn Smith is bisexual, playing lesbian Mallory.
- Real-Life Relative: Gideon, the geeky out-of-towner Jeanette is set up with in As the Carny Gods Intended, is played by Austin Zajur, the real-life boyfriend of Harley Quinn Smith who plays Mallory.
