Belly Made the Wrong Choice in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 (2024)

The Big Picture

  • Belly's indecisiveness and selfish desires lead her to make the wrong choice in picking Jeremiah over Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2.
  • Despite her complicated relationship with Jeremiah, it is clear that Belly has been in love with Conrad since the first episode and their connection cannot be ignored.
  • Choosing Jeremiah over Conrad is a mistake that will result in a relationship full of insecurity for Belly. The passion between Belly and Conrad cannot be replicated with Jeremiah.

Whether you loved the polarizing Season 2 finale or were left screaming angrily at your TV screen, nobody can deny that The Summer I Turned Pretty has given us one of the best love triangles we’ve seen in a long time. Between the dark and soulful Conrad (Christopher Briney) and the bubbly, bottle-blonde Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), messy protagonist Belly (Lola Tung) has had her work cut out for her as she tries to decide which Fisher brother she feels like making out with on any given day. After wrestling with her feelings all throughout the first season — and having a brief fling with both Jeremiah and the sweet Cam Cameron (David Iacono) — Belly finally bagged long-time love, Conrad, and it seemed like the two were set to live happily ever after.

Flash forward to the end of Season 2, and Belly has jumped recklessly off the Conrad train and is now full steam ahead with Jeremiah. While Belly’s indecisiveness isn’t malicious, there are many reasons why she undoubtedly made the wrong choice in picking Jeremiah in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, and that if she needs to be with a Fisher brother, she should be with Conrad.

Belly Made the Wrong Choice in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 (1)
The Summer I Turned Pretty

TV-14

Romance

Drama

A love triangle between one girl and two brothers. A story about first love, first heartbreak, and the magic of that one perfect summer.

Release Date
July 17, 2022

Creator
Jenny Han

Cast
Lola Tung , Christopher Briney , Jackie Chung , Rachel Blanchard

Seasons
2

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Belly Deserves Sympathy Following Susannah’s Death

Before we dive in, it’s worth acknowledging that, despite her questionable behavior, Belly deserves some grace this season. Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) was family to the Conklin clan, and following her heartbreaking death, Belly is grieving an incredibly difficult loss. She’s also only 16 years old and being a teenager is hard at the best of times. However, Belly’s relentless, blind pursuit of her own happiness means that she constantly disregards the mess she’s leaving behind for others, including the two young men who’ve just lost their mom. While the brothers aren’t always the best either, Belly telling Conrad to go to hell at his mother’s funeral reception was a low blow that we hadn’t yet seen from either side. Now that she’s chosen to start a relationship with Jeremiah, she’s once again acting purely out of selfish desire, and unfortunately, Belly is becoming the villain of her own story.

Belly Has Been in Love With Conrad Since ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Pilot

Since the first episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty when Conrad sauntered in to the tune of Taylor Swift’s "Lover," it’s been clear that Belly’s heart has belonged to him from day one. Although their rocky love was disrupted by dazzling debutantes, crappy communication skills, and Belly’s pesky habit of hooking up with his brother, Conrad and Belly finally kicked off their romance with an ocean-side kiss in the Season 1 finale.

Despite the electric connection between Conrad and Belly, their romance was far from perfect, and her relationship with Jeremiah can’t be totally discarded. As we saw frequently in Season 1, Belly leans on Jeremiah when she feels rejected by Conrad. When Conrad found a new girlfriend, Belly settled for Jer and took him to the debutante ball instead. Now that Conrad is mourning the death of his mother and has distanced himself from Belly, she’s running back to Jeremiah again. The younger Fisher brother obviously cares deeply for Belly, whereas she finds a feeling of security with him that she always seems to be chasing with Conrad. While Belly repeatedly casts Jeremiah aside like an old cardigan when she thinks she has a shot with his big brother, she continues to foster a flirty flame with him, kept gently lit with fleeting touches and loaded glances even after their falling out in the wake of her and Conrad’s epic breakup and Susannah’s tragic passing.

If Belly Has To Be With a Fisher Brother, She Should Be With Conrad

Belly Made the Wrong Choice in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 (2)

After The Summer I Turned Pretty’s tumultuous second season where the teens had to grapple with losing Susannah and potentially their beloved beach house (thanks a lot, Kyra Sedgwick), some might say that the right thing for Belly to do would have been to let the brothers mourn in peace and give everyone some time to figure out their complex feelings. Belly, of course, can’t seem to go a single day without her Fisher fix, so when it appears to her that all is lost with Conrad, she sets her sights fully on Jeremiah. After spending an all-nighter at the beach house helping Conrad study for an exam, Belly and Jeremiah escort him to Brown, and then the two spend a flirty afternoon at the fictional Finch College.

Related

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2: Our Unanswered Questions After the Finale

What will become of Conrad now? Will Jellyfish last? We need answers!

When they return to Brown and sit on the hood of Conrad’s car waiting for him, Belly tells Jeremiah that while Conrad has always been her dream guy, she’s ready for something real, a.k.a. him. Although most people would take this as “I’m willing to settle for you!” poor Jeremiah takes it as the glorious green light he’s been yearning for, and the two engage in a steamy embrace until they’re interrupted by a shell-shocked Conrad. While Belly can make out with whomever she chooses, wearing one brother’s sweatshirt while sucking face with the other is just not a good look, and thus begins the most uncomfortable road trip home that you’ve ever seen.

Jeremiah Is the Wrong Choice for Belly in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

Belly Made the Wrong Choice in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 (4)

No matter what Belly tells Jeremiah (or herself), it’s abundantly clear that in choosing him in the Season 2 finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly is making a mistake by settling for something she doesn’t really want while also dooming Jer to a relationship full of insecurity. The hopeful fate of this love triangle has been spelled out for us since the Season 1 finale when Conrad showed up to dance with Belly at the deb ball while Taylor Swift fittingly sang “The Way I Loved You,” confirming that while a love with Jeremiah is safe and easy, it will never have the passion of Belly and Conrad’s love.

Given that Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty was delayed by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and Lola Tung has just wrapped up a run on Broadway, production for the show's probable final season (there are only three books in the series) has yet to begin. While filming is rumored to be commencing soon, this means that it's going to be a while before we're invited back to the summer house. Until then, we can only wait impatiently to see if Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah will win the day, and hope that Belly and the boys get the happy endings they long for after everything they’ve been through at Cousins Beach.

The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Belly Made the Wrong Choice in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 (2024)

FAQs

Does Belly choose Jeremiah or Conrad season 2? ›

Just as she does in the second book, It's Not Summer Without You, Belly chooses to be with Jeremiah after evicting Conrad from her heart in a devastating scene. After promising to reunite on July 4, Conrad gives Belly her infinity necklace back and puts on a brave face until he leaves to break down alone.

Why does Belly look different in season 2? ›

It's just her makeup has changed since season one. There's a lot more concealer use and nothing else. This was her in season one. with obvious blush and something in her brows.

Why is Conrad so mad at Belly in season 2? ›

Most of the lingering conflict between Belly and Conrad stemmed from their inability to share how they felt. Christopher Briney says Conrad's hesitation to open up to Belly arose because he "felt like he knew what she wanted and knew it was not his place to try and get in the way of that."

Why did Belly choose Jeremiah? ›

“They really love each other. They really are best friends—and now more.” As for why Belly chooses Jeremiah in the season finale, Han says that, as always, Belly is following her heart. “I think part of what she loves about Jeremiah is his openness and the way he allows her to really see him and love him,” she says.

Does Belly lose her virginity to Conrad or Jeremiah? ›

In the second episode, it's revealed that Belly loses her virginity to Conrad by the fireplace in the house at Cousins Beach after the snow at the beach scene. “I felt like that's where Belly was in her journey,” Han tells Variety. “These two characters were very much in love and had known each other their whole lives.

Does Jeremiah or Conrad cheat on Belly? ›

Yes, really! In Jenny Han's third book, We'll Always Have Summer, Belly breaks up with Jeremiah after two years when she discovers he cheated on her while they were on a break. Conrad and Belly then reconnect and end up getting married.

Does Belly sleep with Jeremiah? ›

Belly and Jeremiah kiss passionately and often sleep in the same bed. They haven't had sex in the two years they've dated because Belly hasn't felt that the timing was right.

Did Belly and Jeremiah break up? ›

Although Belly blows up at his confession, saying he was too late, her feelings for both brothers are called into question. She and Jeremiah, in the end, call off their engagement and break up for good after realizing they are not meant to be.

Does Belly end up marrying Conrad? ›

Belly and Jeremiah break up and Belly moves to Spain to study abroad. Conrad then begins writing her romantic letters. When Belly returns, she and Conrad begin dating again and the book ends with the couple getting married.

Did Belly sleep with Conrad? ›

While the pair also staged a secret visit to Cousins during Christmastime on the page, Belly and Conrad did not have sex. But in the second episode, it's revealed that the couple are intimate for the first time in front of the fireplace.

Has Conrad always loved Belly? ›

Jeremiah demands Conrad finally admit his true feelings for Belly, fed up with how he has lied about his feelings for her for years. Conrad gives in and confesses that he is in love with Belly and feels he always will be. This ultimately results in Jeremiah disowning Conrad as his brother.

Is Conrad or Jeremiah better for Belly? ›

Beyond the fact that Conrad simply has a deeper connection with Belly—their conversations are more intimate, more all-consuming compared to her surface-level interactions with Jeremiah—Conrad is the better partner in the long term.

Does Belly end up with conrad in book 2? ›

Belly and Jeremiah call it quits, and she studies abroad in Spain, where she starts getting letters from Conrad. They eventually become a couple again, and the book ends with a torrential downpour on their wedding day as they jump into the ocean in their tux and gown.

Are Conrad and Belly dating in Season 2? ›

As demonstrated in the first few episode of season 2, Belly and Conrad finally date each other in It's Not Summer Without You. However, Susannah dies in the second book and this causes Conrad to pull away from Belly. They breakup before Susannah dies after prom.

What happens in S2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty? ›

The most important decision in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 is Belly choosing between Conrad and Jeremiah, and she ultimately chooses Jeremiah because he is more emotionally stable and communicative. Conrad is hurt by Belly and Jeremiah's kiss, leading to tension and arguments between the three characters.

Does Belly end up with Conrad in season 3? ›

The series ends with Belly marrying Conrad, and the couple starting a new life together. Jeremiah "Jere" Fisher: At the outset of the series, he is the "golden" boy, the one who appears to be untainted in the eyes of everyone. He is a good friend to Belly and a loving brother to Conrad.

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