By Lili Metanovic and Sadie York
Spoilers ahead!
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a television show based on a book series, which gained popularity following the release of the first season. Over the summer, season two wrapped up and left conflicting feelings about the lead character, Belly Conklin. The second season begins with Belly back home, the first episode being compiled with flashbacks prior to her ruining all connections to the Fisher brothers. The dynamic between the Fisher brothers begins to decline when Belly gets caught in a love triangle with them. Throughout Belly’s entire life she has been chasing Conrad; Jeremiah has never been an option. Conrad was Belly’s rock over the summer, as he was genuinely kind to her while Steven and Jeremiah left her in the dark. Yet, during the summer when Belly “turned pretty” Jeremiah suddenly began to look at her differently, wanting to become her rock instead.
By the end of season one, Belly had ultimately chosen Conrad (although kissing Jeremiah prior). As season two begins, we see the rise and fall of Belly and Conrad’s relationship, as well as Jeremiah’s distaste for his brother and best friend as a couple. Throughout the entirety of the season Belly shares “moments” with Jeremiah, who tries his best to resist his feelings for her because he doesn’t want to get hurt (again). While this all occurs, Conrad watches from afar in his best attempts to let go of the past. Between memories with Conrad and new sparks with Jeremiah, Belly seems to forget her meddling drives a deeper wedge into the Fisher brother’s relationship. To make the situation worse, the brothers are grieving their recently passed mother, Susannah, and fighting to keep their childhood summer home.
After a heartfelt moment with Belly, Conrad decides to pursue his feelings and attempt to give their relationship another chance. The next day, he finds Belly and Jeremiah making out on top of his car, while Belly wears his crewneck. Turns out, his conversation with Belly was misinterpreted and she was ultimately interested in his brother. The final episode of season two reinstates Belly’s change of interest and leaves a heartbroken Conrad, as if he wasn’t damaged enough.
In episode seven of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly Conklin gets slapped by her mother, Laurel. Belly needed that slap; she deserved that slap. The actions that occurred with Belly at the end of season one, and continued throughout the entirety of season two, is more than enough reason to explain why her mother slapped her. The emotional entanglements throughout the series were key to the story’s drama. Belly may have not intentionally tried to ruin the brotherhood of Conrad and Jeremiah, but her presence and complicated emotions at the summer house impacted it. It’s understandable to be attracted to two people at once, but do they really have to be brothers?