“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a coming of age story about a girl entangled between two brothers she’s known for her whole life. Conrad is the moody, mysterious, emotionally unavailable, black cat older brother. While Jeremiah is the golden retriever, care-free, unserious little brother. The question of the summer? “Are you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?”
In Season 1, Isabelle Conklin (also known as Belly) is introduced and she is heading to Cousins to spend her summer there. Conrad Fisher, the boy who she’s crushed on her whole life, was not who she thought he was after finding out heartbreaking news. His depressed attitude and dark presence caused Belly to have a turning perspective on him. As a realization of her growing up,she slowly starts to fall for the two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah throughout the whole season. It starts as an emotional ragebait rollercoaster with the brothers and her new debutante friends. Belly’s mother Laurel, has her best friend since college, Susannah, who also happens to be the loving mother of Conrad and Jeremiah. The Fisher family deals with their own struggles as it is announced in the last episode that Susannah’s cancer has come back.
Nevertheless, in Season 2, Belly’s relationship with the brothers changes drastically. Belly is no longer the same little girl who was excited to go to the beach house every summer, all the house reminds her of are the flashbacks of Conrad. Jeramiah is now the new guy in Belly’s eyes as she confronts her feelings of whether or not her heart desires Conrad or Jeremiah.
As a result, In Season 3, Belly goes off to college and gets accepted into an abroad program in Paris while Conrad’s at Stanford getting a degree. At every turn, the new season has readers questioning where Belly’s true allegiance lies, with her final lover revealed at the end
So…”Are you Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad?”
Nasha Altermat (12) stated, “I feel like I’m Team Conrad, because he’s more older, but also very sensible, more than Jeremiah. Jeremiah always acts on emotions and never on logic. I don’t think Belly deserves Conrad. “I relate to Belly in a fact, I’ve grown up with childhood friends with these two guys. I liked them both in that sense I relate to Belly..”
Alejandra Hernandez (12) expressed her opinion and said, “At first I was Team Jeremiah but after Season 2, I think Conrad. I’m not Team Jeremiah because he’s like a play boy, and he’s very immature and he doesn’t know what he really wants… Conrad is more stable, he knows what he wants, he treats Belly with patience.”Hernandez added, “I think Belly should choose Summer at this point. I don’t care about Season 3 anymore.”
Caden Yeung (12) mentions, “I’m currently on Team Conrad and fully caught up on the show. I choose Conrad because they just have a special bond. I don’t like how Jeremiah came out of nowhere. Jeremiah’s just a bum you know…If the next episode is not good, you’re just going to see me crying at school.”
Through my interpretation in Season 1 and 2, I had a mixed feeling between Conrad and Jeremiah. I didn’t think any of them were in the state of dating. This was due to struggling emotionally with their mother’s illness. When Season 3 aired, my perspective changed drastically and I actually had an opinion. I didn’t think that Jeremiah was good for Belly anymore since he is in debt and not much of a good student. He not only cheated but he doesn’t value Belly so much. He says he loves her but he doesn’t prove it. Conrad actually has a job and is recovering from his emotional state which proves that he can actually love forward in life. Not only can Conrad move forward but he also pushed Belly to grow by challenging her. This is why I’m definitely Team Conrad.
The Summer I Turned Pretty was one of New York Times best selling series. It was soon turned into a TV series which became a hit. To wrap up the series, the author Jenny Han decided the best way to end it was to conclude it with a movie. The Summer I Turned Pretty is very much of a roller coaster. If you’re very into drama and comedy, this show is definitely for you.