TSITP Creator Jenny Han on How to Square a Love Triangle

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Creating a memorable love triangle is a challenge, but Jenny Han, co-showrunner of *The Summer I Turned Pretty*, succeeded, sparking passionate debates among viewers, much like authors Stephanie Meyer and Suzanne Collins have done. While it became clear throughout the show’s third and final season that Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) would likely end up with Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) instead of her fiancé, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), the outcome wasn’t always certain. Especially in season two, when Belly and Jeremiah fell for each other and even got engaged, it felt like anything could happen. Fans of Han’s original novels already knew who Belly would choose, but the show kept things interesting for a while.

Jenny Han frequently features love triangles in her stories, like in her *To All the Boys* trilogy and the Netflix series *XO, Kitty*, which she created. She finds the difficult choices these characters face to be compelling. According to Han, the appeal of a love triangle lies in the fact that you can’t choose everyone you want, creating a uniquely painful yet beautiful experience.

Were there any parts of the season that fans reacted to in a surprising way? People especially enjoyed the two-tiered chocolate mirror glaze cake – my apologies to Jeremiah about that!

The ring he gave her was small, and that was intentional. He wasn’t the type to need a huge, expensive diamond, and he was being careful with his money. Spending a lot on a ring with his dad’s credit card would have been embarrassing.

Jeremiah’s actions sometimes make him difficult to like, and I remember the books portraying him even less favorably without a clear path to redemption. We wanted to show *why* he behaved the way he did when adapting his storyline. It’s interesting because viewers and readers seem to have different opinions on whether the show or the books are harder on him. Honestly, all three main characters have moments where they’re not particularly likable – nobody is perfect, and they’re all going through their own struggles. Conrad had some rough spots earlier in the series, while Jeremiah mostly avoided major issues until the fireworks incident.

I especially enjoyed Jeremiah’s character development in season three. He goes through a significant transformation, starting in one place and ending up somewhere completely different. Both he and Belly face challenges that force them to discover who they are when they’re on their own. We also see his family come together to support him. Throughout the series, some viewers have felt Jeremiah was overshadowed by his brother, Conrad, but season three really highlights the love and support he receives, and people start to genuinely root for him.

Were there any scenes that didn’t play well on camera, or moments you had to tone down? I wasn’t necessarily trying to make things gentler, but sometimes the actors would point out that a line or action felt overly harsh. It’s often difficult for them to portray conflict because they genuinely like each other.

It’s a challenge balancing Belly’s two love interests and making her ultimate choice feel right without upsetting viewers. I focus on staying true to each character’s personality and whether their actions feel realistic. The situation with Jeremiah and Lacie was particularly difficult. He’s deeply insecure about Belly’s feelings for his brother and fears always being second choice. Keeping the Christmas event a secret from him amplified those insecurities. Some viewers misinterpreted the Cabo fight as Jeremiah intentionally trying to cheat, but that wasn’t the goal. I wanted to show him avoiding the real issue – why she hadn’t told him about being with his brother at Christmas. He *did* start a fight, and went to Cabo believing they were over. His actions, even the hookup, were a desperate attempt to push her away, believing it would end things for good. Deep down, though, he was willing to take her back even knowing she had feelings for his brother, because his love for her was so strong and he didn’t want to lose her. He was trying to control the situation, even if it meant hurting himself.

Love triangles are common in shows like this and ‘To All the Boys,’ so I’ve been thinking about what the ideal fan reaction looks like. Do you prefer most fans to root for the couple that ends up together, or would a more even split between the options be better? Personally, I like a 50-50 split, but it really needs to follow the main character’s feelings. It’s Belly’s story, and we should be seeing things from her perspective. In season two, fans were on board with her exploring a relationship with Jeremiah, and then as we saw she still had feelings for Conrad in season three, they started to lean towards that pairing. But the whole point of a love triangle is that you can’t have both choices – that’s what makes it so painful, yet compelling.

We extended the ending of the third book for the show to really show Belly and Conrad reconnecting. The Paris scenes were crucial because they allowed Belly to finally open up and be honest with Conrad about her feelings. She’s been carrying a lot of guilt and shame about the wedding, her relationship with Jeremiah, and feeling like she caused a rift between the brothers. She’s hesitant and scared of repeating past mistakes – both hurting someone else like she hurt Jeremiah, and getting hurt again by Conrad. She’s trying to protect both of them.

Your novels were written when you were in your twenties, with the first published in 2009. As a reader, I noticed how much your writing developed, even comparing this series to the ‘To All the Boys’ books. What’s it like to revisit those stories now?

I see my books as a reflection of a specific time in my life and the world around me – like a little time capsule. Rereading them feels very genuine. It was early in my career, so I wasn’t overly concerned with what others would think. I was really focused on putting a lot of feeling into the story. Looking back, I find certain lines that I’m truly proud of, moments that feel incredibly honest. But that’s different from polished writing; it’s more about who I was at that time.

Looking back, has your own life experience changed how you approach the story and its themes? Usually, in a romance, readers want to feel confident that the couple will stay together forever – it’s a core part of the genre, because we become invested in the characters and want a happy ending. I definitely kept that in mind while working on *To All the Boys*, as people want Peter and Lara Jean to last. But with Kitty’s story, I wanted to explore the idea that relationships can be meaningful even if they don’t last forever. Every experience shapes who we are and where we end up, and just because something ends doesn’t make it any less valuable.

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2025-09-19 00:55