I Can’t Wait to See These Freaks Again

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Like many others, I’ve been completely hooked on *The Summer I Turned Pretty* for the past three years. It’s a teen TV series, similar in concept to *Challengers*, but geared towards younger audiences and with some complicated family dynamics. Based on Jenny Han’s books, the Amazon show centers on Belly (Lola Tung), a high schooler who gets a makeover and then finds herself caught between two brothers: the moody and introspective Conrad (Chris Briney) and the fun-loving and openly bisexual Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). The show features a beach house setting, deals with serious issues like cancer, explores family drama, and includes plenty of questionable tanning choices. The fanbase became so intense that Amazon had to publicly ask viewers to stop harassing the actors online.

It’s easy to see why people got so invested in *The Summer I Turned Pretty*. Like many stories before it – even the Bible has sparked conflict for centuries – it explored intense rivalries and complicated love. The show had echoes of classic tales: the Cain and Abel story, but with a romantic twist; the dark family drama of *Flowers in the Attic*; and the teen angst of *Dawson’s Creek*. You could even see shades of *King Lear* in the way a mother subtly encouraged competition for the same woman. It was a captivating blend of innocence and darkness, fantasy and reality, all set against a beautiful beach backdrop. Ultimately, *The Summer I Turned Pretty* was an addictive show about flawed characters making questionable choices and supporting each other’s bad behavior.

By Wednesday morning, it was finally over. After years of back and forth, and a last-minute scramble involving a train and a five a.m. chase, Belly made her choice: Conrad. Jeremiah, meanwhile, seemed to find solace in food and a connection with Denise (Isabella Briggs), as they were both available. The ocean outside the beach house, no longer the focus of Conrad’s long, thoughtful stares, gifted us with fresh oysters and a watermelon vinaigrette. I decided to write a farewell to these characters and then, as a sort of tribute, do something impulsive and bewildering every Wednesday.

Just when it seemed the story was finished, Amazon unexpectedly announced a movie adaptation of *The Summer I Turned Pretty*. Details are scarce – we don’t know the plot, who will return, or who might be left out. But I’m already excited! I can’t wait to see Jeremiah again, even though I spent the whole series hoping he wouldn’t end up with Belly. I’ll even miss his quirks – his perfectly styled hair, his slightly annoying personality, and the way he always complained. It was bizarre how he suddenly became a skilled chef near the end of the show, despite never showing any interest in cooking before! I’ll even miss his terrible behavior towards Belly, like when he treated her like a possession or blamed her for having fun with his brother. His increasingly childish actions and bleached hair made him easy to dislike, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want in a lighthearted show. I’m happy Jeremiah is currently stuck in Boston, a city I have no plans to visit, and I hope the movie takes us there to see him running a few Dunkin’ shops. Apparently, Denise is now the president and is no longer speaking to him.

I’m really excited to see Conrad again – he’s like a smarter, more modern version of Jordan Catalano. He’s incredibly attractive, identifies outside of traditional gender norms, prefers monogamous relationships, and is deeply romantic. The show portrays him as having only ever been with Belly, and after a breakup, he spent over five years longing for her. Beyond that, his life mostly consisted of work, getting fired, and buying khakis. He dramatically interrupted Belly’s wedding to his brother, then spent years writing her letters she never answered. He impulsively flew to Paris to find her, showing up with a strange souvenir, and made a memorable declaration about his mother. Honestly, nobody does grand gestures quite like Conrad, and it’s probably for the best that he and Belly ended up together. If they hadn’t, I would have been devastated! I’m hoping to see them both thriving next season – maybe Conrad running a plastic surgery practice out of the Cousins beach house, and Belly as the psychologist encouraging everyone to get procedures.

I really hope we see the side characters again! *The Summer I Turned Pretty* wouldn’t be what it is without the friends and family who encouraged Belly and the boys. Honestly, without their support, the main characters would have stayed out of trouble, and the show likely would have ended quickly. Characters like Taylor and Steven were key to everything happening. Though, I never fully understood the pairing of Taylor and Steven – it seems like everyone on this show is attracted to people they’ve known since childhood! I get that the “best friend’s older brother” storyline is popular in young adult fiction, and I don’t want to judge anyone’s preferences, but I wish at least one character had ended up with someone they didn’t grow up with.

Okay, I’m getting a little off track, but I’m really excited to see where these characters end up. Honestly, Taylor was the only one on the show who consistently dressed well. Belly was improving towards the end, though that Paris outfit with the khaki shorts wasn’t great. The only time Taylor’s style felt off was at Belly’s wedding – she looked like she’d been dunked in the ocean and then covered in hair gel! I have a feeling that when we see Taylor and Steven again, he’ll be busy building tech stuff in Silicon Valley, and she’ll be using her PR skills to cover up the environmental impact of his work, maybe with a little cosmetic surgery on the side, possibly even at Conrad’s place.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Belly’s mom, Laurel (Jackie Chung), again – she’s a great mom and a struggling writer. I’m hoping to find out if she’s rekindled things with her ex-husband, and maybe they’ll finally explain why they named their daughter Belly! I also enjoy being deliberately kept in the dark about what Steven and Denise actually do for work, so please don’t tell me. And I’m secretly hoping everyone continues to overdo the spray tan while still looking pale and a little unwell. Most of all, I’d love to see Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), who was a fantastic character, return as a ghost and wreak havoc at a plastic surgery clinic, messing up everyone’s procedures.

Honestly, I’m already missing Belly. She’s the emotional center of this whole story, and a truly captivating character. I even miss her tendency to create chaos for herself, always needing a little drama before finally asking if *she* was the bad guy – and then confidently deciding she wasn’t! It’s a fun arc. There were these surprisingly relatable moments too, like her needing to pee after a romantic encounter and openly worrying about a UTI – a very human touch amidst all the whirlwind romance. And can we talk about her Paris style? That bob was *working*! It’s easy to see why everyone was falling over themselves to marry her. I was so relieved when she ultimately decided to just enjoy being 22 and having a boyfriend, even if that Christmas montage left me slightly questioning things. Given her past, I genuinely feared she’d rush into something she wasn’t ready for, so I was happy to see her prioritize herself.

In the movie, things will take a different turn. She’ll ultimately follow a traditional path – marrying Conrad and having children – because it’s the only way to secure the beach house and star in a sequel. Their kids will visit the children of Steven and Taylor, who are currently living in a high-tech facility in California. The families will then try to continue their lineage by arranging marriages between the cousins at a young age, keeping them isolated until Uncle Jeremiah dramatically rescues them, disguised as Santa Claus. He’ll bring them back to Boston and give each of them a Dunkin’ franchise to run. This outcome, the story suggests, is what Susannah would have wished for.

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2025-09-18 17:57