Spoilers ahead for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2.
The Summer I Turned Pretty wrapped its second season last week, and with it came an onslaught of social media arguments over which Fisher brother (Conrad or Jeremiah) Belly should be with. It’s the first time since The Vampire Diaries went off the air that teen drama fans have such a messy love triangle to argue over, and we are totally eating it up. However, after watching the entire second season, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Jeremiah/Belly/Conrad love triangle isn’t all that great. In fact, there’s an even better couple we should be rooting for: Steven and Taylor.
While watching Season 2 this summer, I became increasingly annoyed with Belly and the Fisher brothers' antics. Maybe it’s because I’m not a teenager anymore, but I just can’t get behind a sibling love triangle, especially when it happened months after the Fisher brothers lost their beloved mother. Instead, I found myself gravitating more toward Steven and Taylor’s relationship. Yes, you heard me right. I watched The Summer I Turned Pretty for Taylor and Steven. Frankly, you should be watching for them, too, and here's why:
They Communicate & Call Each Other Out
Unlike the emotionally unavailable love triangle trio that is Conrad/Belly/Jeremiah, Taylor and Steven actually communicate with each other. They aren’t afraid to be honest with their feelings, nor do they shy away from calling each other out when they’re in the wrong.
They do it even when the conversations aren’t ideal, like when Taylor tells Steven that sometimes it feels like he thinks he’s better than everyone in Episode 3. There’s no way Belly would be able to tell Jeremiah or Conrad that without getting major pushback, but Steven listens and takes Taylor’s words to heart. I love a man who can take constructive criticism!
They also manage to talk about their feelings even when it doesn’t pertain to their relationship. Nearly every conversation between Belly and the Fisher brothers has to deal with their feelings for one another, but Steven and Taylor talk about all sorts of things: Steven’s grief over Susannah, their friendship, their relationship with Belly, Taylor’s relationship, everything! That’s the sign of a great relationship!
They Remember The Little Things About Each Other
While it’s true the love triangle trio does remember the little things about each other (especially Conrad), it doesn’t always feel as genuine as the way Steven and Taylor know things about each other. What’s even better is that the things Steven remembers about Taylor aren’t even that important.
There was no reason for Steven to remember the “Party In The USA” dance Taylor and Belly created when they were kids, and yet he did remember it! He also knows her middle name, unlike Taylor’s boyfriend, Milo. Though Taylor doesn’t show it, she definitely knows things about Steven too. In fact, she’s pretty great at knowing how to read Steven’s mood, which is definitely a trait everyone should want in a significant other.
They Know How To Have Fun
Though Steven and Taylor are minor characters in the book series, they've taken on bigger roles here, which allows them to have real, genuine fun with each other. Whether it's racing each other up the rock climbing wall in Episode 4, looking for supplies at the country club in Episode 5, doing the "Party In The USA" dance together in Episode 6, or making the tense drive up to Cousins, there’s no doubt that these two can turn anything into a fun game.
And that’s not even mentioning the way they’re constantly playfully bickering and flirting with each other, like when Steven playfully critiquing Taylor’s party flyer in Episode 6. Sure, Steven and Taylor aren’t screaming love confessions or monologuing about their feelings, but their little quips show just as much love. In fact, I’d argue they show they love each other even more.
They Actually Trust Each Other
Above all else, Taylor and Steven are a couple who trust each other. Before you start yelling, yes, there are moments where Belly and the Fisher brothers show that they trust each other, but that trust is constantly being broken since they’re constantly emotionally cheating on each other.
This trust between Taylor and Steven is shown throughout Season 2. We know that Steven loves his car, and yet he trusts Taylor to drive it on several occasions. The first is when he’s in the passenger seat as they drive up to Cousins. But he also lets her borrow his beloved car when she has to drive back home. If there’s anything Steven loves as much as Taylor, it’s his car, so to let her have it without his supervision proves how much he trusts her!
Similarly, Taylor shows she trusts Steven by allowing him to see who she really is. Taylor strikes me as a character who has high walls built up, and slowly, over the course of the season, we see her tear these down for Steven. It all comes to a head in the finale when she opens up about her fear of dating him because she feels like she loves him more than he loves her.
Trust is a key part of any relationship, and Steven and Taylor seem to have that trust down pat. Maybe they can give lessons to Belly and the Fisher Brothers.
Now, I do want to make one thing clear. Steven and Taylor aren’t perfect by any means. In fact, they have their own messy love triangle going on for much of the season, given that Taylor was still in a relationship with Milo. It’s their ability to hang out as friends and explore their romantic feelings organically, though, that makes them the superior couple. Plus, their love triangle prior to Taylor's breakup with Milo didn't include mourning brothers, which is a huge win if you ask me!
Sure, The Summer I Turned Pretty hype might be all about Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, but Steven and Taylor are the couple I certainly will be tuning in to Season 3 to watch. Though it might be a while until we get Season 3, given the ongoing WGA and SAG-AGTRA strikes, fans can still get their “Staylor” fix by streaming the first two seasons on Prime Video.
