Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, called “Love Fest.”
The second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is approaching its finale in the 2023 TV schedule, and the plot is still thickening for the love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers. ”Love Fest” saw some big developments in the triangle as well as an ugly fight between Conrad and Jeremiah, and the episode ended with a sobbing Belly drunkenly calling her mom for help.
No matter which side – if either – you’re rooting for, there’s no denying the boys’ strong feelings for Belly, and it can be tempting to watch scenes through their points of view. Having recently binge-watched the first season, the whole messy saga is fresh in my memory, so let's focus specifically on Belly's POV in the love triangle for why I think we should cut her a bit of a break.
What Belly Said About Her Feelings In “Love Fest”
"Love Fest" made some important distinctions between past feelings and present feelings for Belly. Her tearful confrontation with Conrad on the beach referred to their relationship and love in past tense, while their moments in the present – Conrad touching her hair, drinking from her straw, pulling her in for a photo – were initiated by him... but she didn't pull away. So, how was Belly feeling? This line is very telling:
It’s kind of hard to explain. I mean, I think sometimes you’re getting over your past and moving on in the present all at the same time. I don’t know. Does that make any sense? [laughs]
The context was Belly telling Jeremiah that she was moving on from Conrad, in response to Jere saying he felt like he walked in on something between them. Belly herself described her lingering feelings for Conrad as "probably just echoes," and she seems to fully intend to move on. Whether or not she can is the bigger question! She was downright blushing when talking about kissing Jere, though, and she did the pursuing until he finally came around in “Love Fest.”
Belly Learned From Her Relationship With Conrad
Now, I’m not going to suggest that Belly doesn’t still love Conrad, because there’s way too much history there. That said, her actions in the present show that, for as much as she’s still a teenage girl in a very messy situation that she has made all the messier with two brothers, she has learned and grown from her relationship with Conrad.
She’s more assertive, which showed in her pursuit of spending time with Jeremiah as well as her reaction when he tried to drag her into his fight with Conrad. She no longer idealizes Conrad, which I think is healthy no matter where her heart eventually lies in this adaptation of Jenny Han's books. Belly even confronted Conrad (albeit drunkenly) about what his lack of communication had cost them… and clearly wants communication moving forward. Growth!
Her Feelings For Jeremiah Didn’t Come Out Of Nowhere
Is it wild that Season 2 has taken place over just a matter of days so far? Sure, but I don’t see the short time frame as invalidating Belly wanting a deeper relationship with Jeremiah by "Love Fest." The evidence for her feelings about Jere goes back to Season 1. Over the course of the series since they went from friends to more, Belly:
- Said "yes" to Jeremiah when he confessed his feelings (S1, Ep. 5)
- Described their first kiss as "real" (S1, Ep. 6)
- Was happy with him before the kiss with Conrad (S1, Ep. 7)
- Took his feelings seriously when breaking the news (S2, Ep. 1)
- Wouldn't date Conrad until she believed Jeremiah was fine (S2, Ep. 1)
- Hated herself for forgetting about him (S2, Ep. 2)
- Flashed back to Jere being there for her as a kid (S2, Ep. 4)
- Felt guilty holding Conrad's hand in front of Jere in flashback (S2, Ep. 5)
- Watched Jeremiah's graduation video to be there for his day (S2, Ep. 5)
Was she in love with him for all of these moments? Of course not, but she already felt strongly enough for him in other ways that I had no trouble believing she started more seriously looking at him romantically after they rode the Tower of Terror together... and then started fishing to figure out his feelings with the Truth or Dare kiss conversation. It just took a small step, not a giant leap.
Now, since we're just talking about the love triangle and Belly deserving a bit of a break, let's look at the boys' points of view.
The Love Triangle From Conrad's POV
Conrad technically didn't really know that there even was a triangle until Belly 'fessed up to kissing Jeremiah in the Season 2 premiere. He still doesn't seem to see Jeremiah as a genuine romantic rival... which may mean a rude awakening, depending on how the rest of the season goes! Still, his actions since the big kiss have made the triangle messier for Jeremiah and Belly. Conrad:
- Didn't take Jeremiah's feelings seriously after kissing Belly (S2, Ep. 1)
- Guilted Jeremiah (deliberately or not) into giving his blessing (S2, Ep. 5)
- Told Belly that Jeremiah was fine when he wasn't (S2, Ep. 1 and Ep. 5)
- Assumed Jeremiah was back to just being friends with Belly (S2, Ep. 5)
- Shut down and pushed others away one too many times for Jere (S2, Ep. 6)
While I'm not saying all of these are his fault, I do think he misled Belly into thinking Jeremiah was – in Conrad's own words – "doing really good," "going on dates," and "been on this high ever since he got made homecoming king," so that she would date him. Love couldn't have blinded him that much to think his brother was fine after their Episode 5 conversation! Plus, Belly was the one who originally hit the brakes on a romance because she didn't want to hurt Jeremiah, and Conrad wanted to start a relationship regardless.
Jeremiah was bound to explode at Conrad sooner or later due to everything he was holding in without getting the empathy he needed, and bringing Belly into it wasn't his best move. But so much of the mess of the triangle could have been avoided if Conrad took his brother's feelings seriously and didn't let Belly think that Jere was fine. Plus, call me crazy, but I thought Belly looked uncomfortable when he initially drank out of her straw in "Love Fest," which he clearly did in reaction to her giving Jeremiah some attention.
The Love Triangle From Jeremiah's Point Of View
Jeremiah knew there was a love triangle before even Belly did, and he had to hustle in Season 1 once he seemingly realized he couldn't just wait and count on Conrad's romantic disinterest. He didn't start off well by shooting a firework in their direction (although clearly aiming to miss) in a very teenage boy move, but he was open and affectionate once he confessed his feelings, and that only changed after she did him dirty. So, let's look at his POV. Jeremiah:
- Developed romantic feelings for Belly from the start of Season 1 (S2, Ep. 5)
- Wasn't competing with Conrad when he developed those feelings (S2, Ep. 5)
- Communicated his feelings to her (S1, Ep. 5)
- Had every sign from Belly that she was all-in (S1, Ep. 6 and Ep. 7)
- Didn't communicate with Belly for months (S2, Ep.1 and Ep. 2)
- Mended the friendship after fighting it out (S2, Ep. 2 and onward)
- Still believes Belly has feelings for Conrad (S2, Ep. 6)
- Didn't pursue her in Season 2 until the beach house party (S2, Ep 6)
- Doesn't know he and Belly got "Delicate (Taylor's Version" (S2, Ep. 6)
Is Jeremiah a saint? Of course not. His fight with Conrad in "Love Fest" proves it's a good thing he's usually a good communicator, because he can explode if he bottles his emotions up too long, which can overshadow his valid points. But in Season 2, he never tried to interfere with Belly and Conrad's relationship when they were dating, he set boundaries, and he never romantically pursued Belly until Episode 6. Plus, his issues with Conrad go a lot deeper than a love triangle, and that's a discussion for a different TSITP feature. Cut him a break too!
On the whole, I think Belly deserves some slack as she actively tries to move on, and we can't hold her accountable for the brothers' actions or feelings. Conrad drinking from her straw may have seemed cute from a Conrad perspective; less so from Belly's POV after so much back and forth. Jeremiah bottled up his feelings for months before he exploded; Belly didn't know that. Jeremiah knew Belly had always crushed on Conrad in Season 1; she still did him dirty. She's responsible for her own actions, for better or worse, and the Fisher boys have thrown a lot of curveballs at her. I'd rather see Conrad continue working on making himself – to quote Steven – "zen" than diving back into romance already, personally!
At the end of the day, when it comes to TV, I’m invested in what I’m shown, not what I'm told and not what happens in a book that hasn’t even been adapted yet. You can find new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty streaming on Fridays with a Prime Video subscription.
