July 16, 2025, was the final season’s first episode of the hit Amazon Prime Video series, “The Summer I Turned Pretty”. The show is based on Jenny Han’s bestselling book trilogy and has become one of the most talked-about TV shows in recent years, with a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Streaming on Prime Video, it stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalengo, Rain Spencer, and Sean Kaufman. Through the three seasons, the show tells the story of Belly Conklin. Belly spends her summers at a family friend’s beach house, which is located in Cousins Beach. Throughout the first season, the viewer follows along as Belly tries to navigate her “secret” love for Conrad, who is the older and gloomier Fisher brother. However, with Belly’s new confidence, she somehow finds herself in a love triangle between Jeremiah, the younger and more outgoing brother, and Conrad. In doing so, the fans of the show started to divide into two teams, “Team Conrad” and “Team Jeremiah”.
When Bernards High School students were asked if they were “Team Conrad” or “Team Jeremiah”, 55 out of 56 students said they were Team Conrad.
Stella Galloway ‘28 says, “I feel that Conrad treats Belly better than Jeremiah ever could […] Conrad, in one of the seasons, said that he ‘never so much as looked at another girl when we were together’”
Although love and romance play a major role in this series, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is much more than that. It also follows the friendship between Belly’s mother, Laurel, and Susannah, Conrad, and Jeremiah’s mom. This friendship creates another storyline that follows their bond as Susannah battles with illness. In season two, the show progresses, and the viewer watches the emotional lives of its characters. They see how the relationships are growing as all the characters face personal growth and new challenges, such as Susannah sadly succumbing to her cancer.
As viewers approach the final season, they watch relationships between the characters grow, such as Belly and Jeremiah. The viewer also sees important moments in Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad, Steven, and Taylor’s lives, as the show tests the trust and bonds between all of these characters. The audience is also introduced to a few new characters, such as Steven’s co-worker, Denise, and Belly’s roommate, Anika. With many surprises, good and bad, this season is definitely a fan favorite for many reasons.
Across all three seasons of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” it remains relatable, heartfelt, and intriguing as Belly tries to navigate relationships with some of her closest people.
Cindy Garcete ‘27 says, “I like The Summer I Turned Pretty because it was very relatable and super tense at the same time, because Belly went through so many things throughout those years of her being [with] her cousins and with the boys as well. It was also super interesting to see which brother Belly would pick. It also showed a lot of real-life things that people go through, for example, Susannah dying.”
Although the show may have ended, there is still buzz around the series as a “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie has been confirmed and is on its way.
