Honestly, looking back at Summer House Season 5, it feels like a weird fever dream we all shared. It was filmed during the height of the 2020 pandemic, which meant the cast couldn't just head to the beach or hit up some crowded club in Montauk. They were stuck. Trapped, really. For six straight weeks, the cameras caught every single breakdown, every awkward 9-to-5 Zoom call, and every drunken argument in that massive Hamptons estate.
It was different.
Usually, this show is about the "work hard, play harder" lifestyle, where the drama is fueled by who stayed out too late at The Surf Lodge. But in season 5, the drama was fueled by the fact that nobody could leave. You had Luke Gulbranson trying to build an igloo in the backyard while his complicated history with Hannah Berner imploded in real-time. You had Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula trying to plan a wedding while running a business from their bedroom. It was raw because it mirrored what we were all going through—minus the infinity pool and the unlimited supply of Loverboy.
The Luke, Hannah, and Ciara Triangle That Broke the Internet
If you were on Twitter (or X, whatever) back then, you know the discourse was absolutely feral. Summer House Season 5 introduced us to Ciara Miller, an ICU nurse who came in as Luke’s friend. But, as things go in this house, it wasn't that simple. Hannah Berner was convinced she and Luke had something real from the previous summer, despite Luke’s insistence they were just friends who talked on the phone a lot.
The tension was suffocating.
One minute, they’re playing tennis; the next, Hannah is screaming about Luke "using" her for a storyline. It was painful to watch because everyone has been that person who reads too much into a "situationship." Hannah’s downward spiral that season is still one of the most debated arcs in Bravo history. People either felt for her or found her behavior totally exhausting. There was no middle ground. And when Ciara realized she was being dropped into the middle of a war zone? Her face said it all. She spent most of the season just trying to maintain her sanity while the house divided into teams.
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Why the "Working From Home" Aspect Actually Worked
Most reality shows try to hide the "real" jobs. Not this time.
Watching Carl Radke try to maintain his sobriety while his roommates were pounding shots at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday was heavy stuff. It added a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the show that we hadn't seen before. We saw the actual stress of their careers. Kyle’s obsession with Loverboy wasn't just a plot point; it was a high-stakes business venture that was clearly stressing him out to the point of a breakdown.
- Kyle and Amanda’s 17-page "contract" for their relationship.
- The endless piles of boxes in the garage.
- The literal screams echoing through the house while someone was trying to have a professional conference call.
It was chaotic. It was messy. It was basically our lives, just with better lighting.
The Downfall of the "Giggly Squad" Dynamic
For a while, Hannah and Paige DeSorbo were the ultimate duo. They were the "Giggly Squad." But Summer House Season 5 put a massive strain on that friendship. While Paige tried to stay neutral, you could see the cracks forming. The house started to feel like a high school cafeteria. You had the "OGs" like Kyle, Amanda, and Lindsay Hubbard on one side, and the newer crew or those siding with Hannah on the other.
Lindsay, ever the "Hubb House" PR machine, was dealing with her own relationship issues with Stephen Traversie. Their breakup was inevitable, but watching it happen in a confined space was like watching a slow-motion car crash. She wanted a timeline; he wanted to breathe. It was a classic Summer House clash.
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Then there was the psychic. Remember that? The claim that Luke and Hannah were hooking up right before filming started? That one tiny piece of information set the whole house on fire. It's wild how one sentence can ruin an entire month of "vibing."
Carl Radke’s Transformation Was the Heart of the Season
We have to talk about Carl. In previous seasons, Carl was the "More Life" guy, the one who was always looking for the next party and dodging commitment. In season 5, he was different. He was grieving the loss of his brother and navigating his first summer sober.
It was the most vulnerable any man on Bravo has ever been.
Instead of the usual toxic masculinity we see in these houses, Carl was doing the work. He was going to therapy (virtually, of course) and having real, deep conversations with Kyle about their friendship. It wasn't always pretty—there were moments where the pressure of the house almost broke him—but he stuck to his guns. This season proved that you don't need to be drunk to be interesting on reality TV. His growth provided a much-needed anchor for a season that was otherwise spinning out of control.
The Kitchen Table Fight Heard 'Round the Hamptons
You know the one. The dinner where Hannah brought up Kyle’s past mistakes to deflect from her own drama. The "Don't talk about my family!" scream. It was the climax of the season. It wasn't just about a comment; it was years of resentment bubbling over. Kyle was stressed about his business and his wedding. Hannah felt isolated and attacked.
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When people search for Summer House Season 5, they’re usually looking for the clip of this fight. It changed the trajectory of the show forever. It was the moment most fans realized that the original group dynamic was officially dead. You can't come back from some of the things said at that table.
Is Season 5 Still Relevant Today?
Absolutely. If you look at the current seasons of Summer House, the seeds of every current conflict were planted right here. The tension between Lindsay and the rest of the girls? That started getting serious in season 5. The evolution of Kyle and Amanda’s marriage? You have to see the season 5 struggles to understand where they are now.
It also changed how reality TV is produced. Production realized that "trapping" the cast in the house actually leads to better television than letting them go to different clubs every night. It forces them to actually talk—or scream—to each other.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going back for a rewatch, pay attention to the small things.
- Watch Ciara’s reactions in the background of Hannah’s scenes. Her "I'm over this" energy is a total mood.
- Look at the sheer volume of Loverboy cans everywhere. It’s impressive marketing.
- Notice how often they’re actually doing "real" work. It’s a reminder of that weird time in history.
You can stream the whole thing on Peacock. It’s 14 episodes of pure, unadulterated quarantine madness.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a die-hard fan or a newcomer trying to catch up, here is what you need to do:
- Watch the Season 4 Finale First: You need the context of the "igloo" and the initial Luke/Hannah spark to understand why season 5 is so explosive.
- Follow the Cast on Social Media: A lot of the context for the fights happened in "the real world" or on podcasts like Giggly Squad or Berning In Hell. The show only tells half the story.
- Check the Timelines: Remember that this was filmed in late 2020. The emotional fragility of the cast makes a lot more sense when you remember the world was basically on fire at the time.
- Pay Attention to Carl’s Arc: It’s one of the best "redemption" stories in reality history and sets the stage for his later seasons.
Season 5 wasn't just a reality show; it was a time capsule. It caught a group of people at their most vulnerable, most stressed, and most confined. It wasn't always fun to watch, but it was impossible to look away. Whether you're Team Hannah or Team Kyle, you can't deny that Summer House Season 5 changed the game for Bravo. It proved that you don't need fancy parties to have high stakes. You just need a big house, a lot of personalities, and absolutely nowhere to go.