Summer isn't just a season. For anyone who grew up reading Jenny Han or glued to Prime Video on a Friday night, it’s a specific feeling of salt air and heartbreak. The Summer I Turned Pretty managed to capture that weird, shaky transition from childhood to whatever comes next better than almost any other YA property in recent memory. It's more than just a love triangle. Seriously. It’s about the grief of losing a parent figure, the messy reality of lifelong friendships, and that one specific summer where everything—and I mean everything—shifts.
We’ve all had that year. The one where you look in the mirror and don't quite recognize the person looking back. For Belly Conklin, that change happened at Cousins Beach. But while the show leans into the "glow up" trope, the real meat of the story is how the people around her react to it.
The Cousins Beach Effect and Why We Can't Let Go
Cousins Beach isn't a real place on a map, but it feels like it. Jenny Han, the mastermind who also gave us To All the Boys I've Loved Before, has this uncanny ability to manufacture nostalgia. Most of the filming actually happened around Wilmington, North Carolina—places like Wrightsville Beach and Southport. If you’ve ever walked those boardwalks, you know the vibe. It’s humid, it’s slow, and it feels like time stands still.
The premise seems simple: Isabel "Belly" Conklin goes to her family friends' beach house every year. There are two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. One is moody and brilliant; the other is the golden boy who keeps everyone laughing. For years, Belly was just the "little sister" tag-along. Then she turned sixteen.
Suddenly, the dynamics are radioactive.
👉 See also: The Alice Network: Why You’ve Probably Never Heard of History’s Most Effective Spy Ring
But here’s what people usually miss when they talk about The Summer I Turned Pretty. It’s not just about who Belly chooses. It’s about the mothers, Laurel and Susannah. Their friendship is the actual backbone of the entire series. It represents a type of platonic soulmate connection that is arguably more stable than any of the romances Belly experiences. When Susannah’s cancer returns, the "pretty" summer turns into something much darker and more realistic. It forces these kids to grow up in a way that no amount of cute sundresses can fix.
Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah: It's Deeper Than You Think
Social media loves a good war. If you spend five minutes on TikTok, you’ll see the battle lines drawn between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah. It’s polarizing.
Conrad is the classic "tortured soul." In the books and the show, played by Christopher Briney, he’s carrying the weight of the world. He knew about his mother's illness before anyone else. That kind of secret rots a person. Fans of Conrad usually point to the "invisible string" theory—that he and Belly are fated, regardless of how much he pushes her away. His love is quiet, intense, and often frustratingly unspoken. Remember the infinity scarf? Or the way he taught her to dance? It’s those small, heavy moments that define him.
Then there’s Jeremiah. Gavin Casalegno brings this sun-drenched energy to the role that makes it easy to see why Belly would turn to him. He’s there. He’s present. He doesn't make her guess. In season two, we see a much more vulnerable side of him as he steps up during Susannah's final days. He’s the one holding the house together while Conrad is spiraling at Brown University.
Choosing between them isn't just about who is "hotter." It’s a choice between two different ways of being loved. One is a challenge; the other is a home. Honestly, that's why the debate never ends. Every viewer projects their own relationship history onto these two brothers.
✨ Don't miss: Diedrich Bader in Napoleon Dynamite: The Rex Kwon Do Secret That Almost Didn't Happen
The Soundtrack is Basically a Character
You can’t talk about this show without mentioning Taylor Swift. The "Taylor's Version" era and The Summer I Turned Pretty are basically intertwined at this point. Getting the exclusive "Back to December (Taylor's Version)" for the season two trailer was a massive cultural moment.
It’s smart marketing, sure. But it’s also atmospheric. Music in this series acts as an emotional shortcut. When "August" or "The Way I Loved You" starts playing, you don't need a monologue to know exactly what Belly is feeling. You feel the yearning in your chest. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who worked on The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy, clearly knows how to manipulate our heartstrings.
How the Show Diverges from the Books (And Why It Works)
If you read the original trilogy published back in 2009, you know things are different now. Jenny Han serves as a showrunner, which is why the changes feel intentional rather than like a betrayal.
- Jeremiah’s Sexuality: In the show, Jeremiah is queer/bisexual. This was a modern update that added layers to his character and made the world of Cousins feel more inclusive and real.
- The Debutante Ball: This wasn't in the books. It was added to the show to give a visual representation of Belly's "coming out" to society. It’s a bit old-fashioned, yeah, but it provided the perfect backdrop for that iconic dance scene.
- Laurel’s Career: We get much more of Laurel’s life as an author and her own grief process. It turns the story into a multi-generational drama rather than just a teen romance.
The books are told almost entirely from Belly's POV, which can be limiting. The show allows us to see the internal lives of the brothers and the parents. We see Conrad’s panic attacks. We see Laurel’s loneliness. This makes the stakes feel higher because we aren't just stuck inside a sixteen-year-old's head.
Grief is the Uninvited Guest
Let's get real for a second. Season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty is devastating. It deals with the aftermath of Susannah’s death and the potential loss of the beach house.
The house is more than real estate. It’s the physical manifestation of their childhood. Watching the kids fight to keep it is a metaphor for trying to hold onto a version of themselves that no longer exists. Grief isn't a straight line. It's messy, it's angry, and it makes people do stupid things—like Belly getting drunk at the beach or Conrad trying to sell his soul to save a building.
The show handles the "ugly" parts of mourning quite well. It shows how loss can pull people together and rip them apart at the exact same time. It acknowledges that you can be heartbroken over a person and still be confused about who you want to take to prom. Life doesn't stop just because someone died, and that's the most painful lesson Belly learns.
What's Next for Season 3 and Beyond?
Production for Season 3 has been the subject of endless speculation. Based on the third book, We'll Always Have Summer, we are likely looking at a time jump. This is where things get truly complicated. College years, wedding rumors (no spoilers here, but if you know, you know), and the final resolution of the triangle.
📖 Related: Why Smallville Justice League Watchtower Art Still Defines the Proto-DC Era
Expect more Taylor Swift. Expect more tears. Expect the internet to absolutely melt down when the first teaser drops.
The enduring legacy of The Summer I Turned Pretty isn't just about who "wins" the girl. It's about the universal experience of that one summer where you realize your parents are human, your crushes are flawed, and the world is much bigger than a beach house in Virginia. It’s about growing up and realizing that being "pretty" is the least interesting thing about you.
How to Lean Into the Cousins Beach Vibe Right Now
If you're waiting for the next season and need a fix, there are actual ways to channel that energy without moving to the coast.
- Read the Books in Reverse: If you've seen the show first, go back and read the trilogy. It’s fascinating to see where the core characters started and how much more "raw" Belly feels on the page.
- Visit the Real Locations: Take a road trip to Wilmington, NC. Check out the "Cousins Beach" spots like Hell's Kitchen (which served as a filming location) or the various beach access points in New Hanover County.
- Host a Summer Send-off: The show is big on traditions. Start your own. Whether it’s a specific cake, a beach bonfire, or just a movie marathon, lean into the ritual of it.
- Curate the Playlist: Don't just stick to the show's soundtrack. Find the songs that feel like your version of that pivotal summer. It’s a specialized form of therapy.
The magic of this story is that it reminds us that even when things end—even when the house is sold or the summer turns to fall—those memories are baked into who we are. Belly Conklin might be a fictional character, but the feeling of turning into someone new is something we all carry. Keep an eye on the official Prime Video socials for the Season 3 release date, which is rumored to be aiming for a mid-2025 or early 2026 window depending on post-production cycles. Until then, we’ll just be here, rewatching the boardwalk scenes and arguing about Conrad's communication skills. Or lack thereof. It's a vibe. It's a heartbreak. It's summer.