Two brothers, one girl, one choice. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a melodramatic television show adapted from the trilogy book series by Jenny Han. Many fans, including myself, were delighted and fulfilled with the ending we were given in the recent finale of the third season, while others were repulsed and disappointed. Fans across the globe have tuned in every Wednesday night for the past nine weeks to connect and debate on who the better brother is, splitting the fandom into two very opposing sides that could only be comparable to a political party split.
The show follows Isabel Conklin (Lola Tung), a teenager whose summers consist of Cousins Beach, family and friends, and her very intricate relationships with two brothers, Jeremiah (Gavin Casagleno) and Conrad (Chris Briney) Fisher, who both refer to her as Belly.
Season three takes place four years after the finale of season two. Conrad is off at medical school at Stanford, Steven (Belly’s brother) and Taylor (Belly’s best friend) are having complications with their relationship. Jeremiah and Belly are living blissfully at college together, or so they think, until Belly gets accepted into a study abroad program in Paris.
The show encapsulates the perfect amount of teen drama; from Jeremiah’s cheating to Conrad’s confession. Speaking of Conrad’s confession, Briney perfectly portrays his complex emotions through his tone of voice and microexpressions.
Since the start of season one, Conrad has grown exceptionally, with his character making a full 180. Seeing him on screen for the first time this season as a Stanford medical student could make even the biggest hater’s heart grow fond of him. Rather than the constantly high and distant teenager he once was, Conrad is now able to properly display his emotions to those he loves, especially Belly.
Conrad and Belly’s relationship goes through a plethora of ups and downs this season as Belly struggles to make a decision between letting herself love Conrad or marrying his brother.
What sets season three apart from its two predecessors is how it explores more mature themes, such as the complex aspects of love beyond infatuation. Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship began with plenty of optimism and seemed like sunshine, but it fell apart rather quickly as we got around to the second episode.
This betrayal that Belly faces throughout the episodes causes her to question her own mental stability, prompting her to begin questioning the choices she makes. In contrast, Conrad is a representation of a love that is complicated and matures over time.
Throughout the season, the supporting cast adds much more depth and complexity to the storyline. Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Taylor’s (Rain Spencer) relationship acts as a parallel to Belly’s, which shows that young love is always complex. Taylor’s loyalty to Belly shines upon the characters and plants Taylor as Belly’s ride or die for the years to come.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a great show, despite the amount of people who have argued against it. Most complaints come from bad acting, which can be highly subjective. Personally, I think the acting is great, especially during emotional scenes between Tung and Briney.
Another complaint that half of the fandom would argue is that Jeremiah was plagued with character assassination, but most of them also haven’t realized that his character has stayed the same throughout the seasons. He has just gotten older, so the traits are more prominent. They can’t be hidden by the fact that he was just a kid.
Now that the series is over and there are no more books to follow on, fans have wondered, “…is this the end?” At the premiere of the last season, a sign in the back of a few pictures presented a movie, so many fans can hopefully expect to see their favorite love triangle on the big screen in just a few months.
