“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is the Amazon Prime TV adaptation of the three-book series by Jenny Han. With the recent conclusion of season three, which side would you pick for Belly? Conrad or Jeremiah Fisher? Spoiler alert: important details from season three will be discussed!
Jeremiah tends to be immature, easygoing, and childish, especially when it comes to serious matters. However, he does bring some good qualities, though. He makes her laugh like no one else has been able to, and he was also one of her best friends for years before romance was even in the equation. In season one, while Belly is at her Debutante ball rehearsal, Jeremiah changes the music to a more modern rap style and starts doing a dance he made himself, making her laugh. He also makes her feel comfortable and safe, though safety may not be enough. While Belly is scared to do their wedding without their moms, Jeremiah is there for her, making sure she has everything else she needs. However, Jeremiah also tends to make false promises and falls into charm to make up for it. Something Belly needs is loyalty, both mentally and physically, which Jeremiah had promised her. But, when Jeremiah and Belly got into a fight, Jeremiah left for Cabo and cheated on her two different times in the span of one week, then proposed when she found out, rather than taking the mature steps to work past it. As Belly gets older, she wants more than the childish ways of Jeremiah. Conrad sees her as his future, while Jeremiah sees her as something his brother once had but he wanted. He took a claim on her and now wants to keep her.
While Conrad is portrayed as moody, complicated, and guarded, these qualities help reveal his emotional nature. In the show, he tends to be quiet and reserved from holding the weight of being the only one who knows about his mom’s illness with cancer. He also shows that he cares more about Belly than Jeremiah can, even though he struggles to express it. Conrad had silently protected both Belly and Jeremiah by making a promise to his mother to take care of Jeremiah and getting Belly’s mom to attend her wedding, even though he didn’t want Jeremiah to marry her. This shows how deeply Conrad cares about her. Belly needs maturity, which Conrad shows through his actions, not false promises or lies. She begins to want Conrad’s maturity instead of Jeremiah’s immaturity. Conrad and Belly’s relationship would be one that will not only grow, but also validate and push her to more complexities. Conrad recognizes her strength, opinions, and needs, as well as her struggles.
Because of these reasons, Conrad is the only choice for Belly. Decide for yourself after watching the upcoming “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie set to be released in 2027.
