In 2021, Prime Video released the highly anticipated series “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” adapted from Jenny Han’s book trilogy. Since its premiere, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” has skyrocketed in popularity. The third season premiered with 25 million streams, a 40% increase in viewership from the second season, making it the most-streamed TV show on Prime Video.
The show has amassed a large fan base similar to early 2000s shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and “Gilmore Girls”. This is partly because the third season of the show released a new episode weekly, a strategy that increases viewers' anticipation. Han, the creator, just announced they are even making a movie based on the show.
The show centers around Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) and her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) spending their summers with two brothers, Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), in a beachside town named “Cousins."
The show’s drama is gripping for sure, but what really sets it apart is the relatability. It’s not exactly relatable to be nicknamed “Belly” and have two brothers yearning for you, but Belly is human. She is flawed and makes mistakes like the rest of us. Relationships are complicated, and Tung depicts what it is like to be a teenage girl experiencing love for the first time.
The show’s title, “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” conveys the idea of coming of age as a young woman and getting male attention for the first time. We can all relate to the feeling of wanting to be wanted by someone.
Throughout the show, Belly kisses Jeremiah, dates Conrad, gets engaged to Jeremiah, and finally ends up with Conrad. One of the major plot points of season three is when Belly moves to Paris to discover herself after her engagement to Jeremiah has ended.
Belly’s relationship with Conrad parallels her relationship with Cousins Beach. She needs space from both of the brothers and the place that reminds her of them, leading to her move to Paris. This mirrors the strain in her and Conrad’s relationship, which we see resolved at the end of the show.
In the final minutes of the show, Belly and Conrad are seen walking arm in arm into the Cousins' beachhouse. This symbolizes that Belly’s relationship with Conrad is secure, meaning she can return to her favorite place.
In one of the more emotional scenes of the finale, Belly struggles to understand why Conrad loves her and questions her worth. “All this time I wanted to believe I had changed, that I'm not the same girl I was. But I am still her, and was that girl so bad, despite all her mistakes? I have to believe she is worthy of love,” Belly said.
This was a pivotal moment for her character and viewers. We are finally able to fully understand what has been holding her back from happiness with Conrad. Belly is often viewed as the villain, but she is flawed, which makes her character so complex. The story would not be as thrilling if Belly knew exactly which brother she was meant to be with from the beginning.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” has offered people an escape from deadlines and reality for three years of bliss. Fans have found it exhilarating to get sucked into the beachside of Cousins debating on who Belly would end up with.
The show has given women and girls alike a community where they can unashamedly root for their favorite characters, host watch parties, and even reminisce about the summer they turned pretty.
