Conrad or Jeremiah? Who do you think Belly will end up with? This is the discourse that surrounds a fan favorite show titled “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling novels, this show follows teenager Belly Conklin as she spends her summers at Cousins Beach with family friends Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.
The show explores intense themes of growing up, shifting friendships and dealing with the grief of the Fisher’s mother, Susannah, whose illness leads to her eventual death. Except all viewers seem to care about is the love triangle Belly has found herself in with Conrad and Jeremiah. With season three premiering this summer, it is important for fans to realize that this show is much deeper than just romance.
The romantic element is captivating, however. Much of the show’s drama revolves around Belly, who’s caught between two brothers she practically grew up with. So, it’s no wonder why fans are obsessed with picking sides. The problem starts, however, when the conversation stops at “Team Conrad” or “Team Jeremiah.” This debate often overshadows so much of the deeper emotional themes the story has to offer. And, honestly, I’m disappointed with viewers.
The show does so many things right, including an accurate depiction of how people deal with grief. As viewers, we fall in love with Susannah in the first season, and her death hits hard, even for us. Her illness looms over every moment, impacting each character is such a specific and raw way. Belly acts out. Jeremiah longs for connection. Conrad becomes withdrawn. We see so many individual ways that the characters navigate this loss, and we are given an honest portrayal of how families stick together (and sometimes fall apart) during a devastating change.
And that’s not all the show does. It also follows Belly during an intense period of transformation, one more profound than beauty, as the title suggests. She is growing into herself, in a messy and chaotic way. The show captures the confusion that comes with that in-between period of girlhood and adulthood, where everything feels just so uncertain. Belly navigates friendships, insecurities and the pressure to define who she is. It’s a show about discovery, and the romance is only a small snippet of that.
So, viewers, look again. We all love a little romance, and especially the drama of a love triangle, but don’t forget what makes “The Summer I Turned Pretty” so great. Each aspect of this layered story deserves just as much attention – maybe even more.
