First and foremost, I would like to start this review by saying I am an avid believer that books are better than their movie (or show) counterparts. Many of my favorite shows and movies are books that I read first. The Great Gatsby, Bridgerton, Pride and Prejudice, and many more. There is just something about the way a book can make your imagination run wild and create an entire world in your head that movies and TV shows do not incite.
With that being said, The Summer I Turned Pretty TV show changed lives this summer.
First, let’s start with season one. This is my all-time favorite season. Everyone (except Conrad) is young, happy, and excited for a beautiful summer with their family and friends in an insane beach house in Cousins. It takes you through Belly’s adolescent stage, where she is just a young girl trying to navigate growing up while also making an identity for herself. She is hopelessly in love with Conrad, but still has flings here or there that help her get out of her bubble.
Conrad is having his own problems this summer, lashing out at the family, drinking all the time, and smoking a pack a day (because obviously he is the bad brother). You are only allowed a few moments to see Conrad’s true self, like when he saves Belly’s present (the infinity necklace… remember that!) Throughout the season, Conrad is painted as a dramatic teenage boy who hates happiness. Why is Conrad so upset, you ask? Well, brace yourself. He found out that his mom, Susannah, has stage four cancer, and his dad is cheating on his mom with his secretary, and nobody else knows, including his little brother, Jeremiah.
So immediately, Conrad becomes the best character in the show for carrying this life-changing information on his own shoulders instead of getting support from his mom and brother. He admires Belly from afar, but knows he can’t drag her down in the drama and grief that is about to be thrust upon his little family. Fast forward to the end of season one, there was a debutante ball, a birthday party, many falling outs, and lots of tears. Everyone finds out about Susannah’s cancer, and the season ends with Belly and Conrad acknowledging their love for each other, but knowing they can’t pursue this love for the sake of their families. I absolutely lost my mind when I realized we weren’t going to get to see Conrad and Belly together. One kiss! That is all we got.
On to season two, we are back in Cousins! You (the watcher) would think that after the ending of last season, we finally get to see Belly and Conrad be together. Sadly, this is not the case, as the author, Jenny Hahn, does not enjoy Conrad being happy. Instead, they skipped through that entire part of the storyline (Belly and Conrad being happy together) and only show Conrad FINALLY being happy with Belly in multiple flashbacks that you see throughout the episodes. I won’t spend much time on this season since obviously the director, writer, and cast didn’t, but the plot is that Susannah has passed away from her cancer, and all of the kids are trying to save the beach house in Cousins from being sold by Susannah’s sister, Julia.
Conrad is happy for a maybe combined time of three minutes, and then the season ends with Belly and Jeremiah kissing each other on the HOOD of Conrad’s car while Belly is WEARING Conrad’s sweatshirt. Not my favorite season, definitely won’t watch again.
Finally, season three. Other than the Bridgerton seasons, I genuinely don’t think I have ever had such anticipation for a final season of a TV show. Wednesdays were religious in my household, just to hope that we would get to see Dr. Conrad Fisher happy.
I can’t encapsulate the magic of season three in a paragraph, so I am only going to focus on the loose ends that were tied up. First and foremost, who does Belly end up with? Stop reading if you don’t want even more spoilers.
CONNIE BABY FOREVER! They finally get their happy ending in Paris after Belly almost ruined it… AGAIN. Jeremiah ends up with Denise, who is another random side character that pops up this season. Jenny Hahn loves her side characters. I personally love these side characters, my favorite being Lucinda, Taylor’s mom. I think these characters add more to the plot by enhancing how fluid this story is. Steven and Taylor end up together, thank god, and all of the families reunite to be one big happy group. The most shocking part? They are now coming out with a The Summer I Turned Pretty movie. I have no idea what it’s going to be about, but I know it’s going to be Conrad and Belly together, so I am happy.
The reason this show is an absolute 10/10 for me is that every age that Belly is, so am I. In the first season, when she was spending her time at the beach and trying to learn to drive, I was simultaneously spending all of my time on the beach and learning to drive. All of her little crushes and awkward moments were felt by teen girls across the nation, just trying to figure out who the hell they are.
In this last season, she is having an insane summer, I will say, but she is also preparing for her last year of college and planning what she is going to do with her life.
What did I do this summer? I enjoyed my last summer of being at home on the beach, preparing myself for my last year of college, and wondering what I am going to do with my life. The way Belly mirrors so many experiences that young women go through from the ages of 15-21 is why this show has captivated me and the other viewers so much. You can share exactly how Belly feels through all of the seasons, and that’s why The Summer I Turned Pretty is so special to me and young women everywhere.
