Why Jeremiah Is the Better Choice in The Summer I Turned Pretty (2024)

The Summer I Turned Pretty washed ashore on Amazon Prime in 2022. Based on the bestselling book trilogy by Jenny Han, the story followed teenager Belly who vacationed at Cousins Beach every year at her mom's friend's house — a house that contained two brothers who pine over her. In true teen drama fashion, a love triangle developed between sweet Belly, moody Conrad, and funny Jeremiah. Torn between her feelings for both, Belly had to navigate coming of age and who her heart wanted.

The show instantly exploded in popularity, and Season 2 finally came to a close in late August. The finale left viewers with Belly choosing Jeremiah, at least for now. After turning down Conrad and telling him he already had his chance with her, the season ended with Jeremiah and Belly sharing a passionate kiss set to "XO" by Beyoncè and Jeremiah cheering her on at volleyball camp. While many Team Conrad fans hold out hope for Belly changing her mind in the confirmed Season 3, Jeremiah spent two seasons proving over and over again why he was the better romantic choice for Belly.

Jeremiah Was Sunshine Personified

• The Summer I Turned Pretty has a Rotten Tomatoes average of 74% for the entire series.
• Season 1 was Certified Fresh with 85%, while Season 2 dipped with a 64% score.

While many might root for Conrad, Jeremiah as a character is a better fit for Belly because of his "sunshine" personality. Jeremiah spent much of Season 1 smiling, laughing, and doing his best to make his friends and family do the same. He snuck into Belly's debutante ball practice just to do a silly dance and see her grin, and stayed to be her dancing partner and help her through the rehearsal. He goofed around with Belly's brother Steven at work and spent a night inside playing video games with his mother. In the highly anticipated Season 2, he got on a carnival ride he was scared of just to hold Belly's hand and be there for her. His mother Susannah referred to her youngest son as her "sunshine boy," and this couldn't have been a more apt description.

In short, everywhere Jeremiah went, he spread his sunshine around, often set to cutesy Taylor Swift songs. As a young woman who was just starting her life, Belly needed a positive influence who would encourage her to scale new heights. Her first partner shouldn't be someone gloomy or conflicted, as Belly might not have the capability to handle that. Some may say that Jeremiah only loved flirting at parties and only thirsted for adventure, he also shared quiet moments with Belly. He helped her learn to drive and play better volleyball, always giving her reassurance when she doubted herself. Jeremiah constantly went out of his way to help and make the people he cared about happy. Just like summer, he was full of fun and warmth. Even the minor characters who interacted with him walked away wearing massive smiles, and therefore Belly's own best friend also counted herself in "Team Jeremiah."

Despite his sunny demeanor, Jeremiah also had depth and layers. Making him just happy would be one-dimensional, so Jenny Han made him into a well-rounded character who also felt sadness, confusion, and anger, except he was able to express these healthily. Jeremiah was allowed to grieve his deceased mother, express his frustrations about love and loss with his brother, and talk to Belly about how much she hurt him at the end of Season 1. In fact, it was a positive thing that Jeremiah took Belly's rejection to heart because it proved just how serious he was about her. It was also refreshing to watch a male protagonist in a teen show who clearly and continuously expressed his emotions. Conversely, Conrad tended to keep his feelings locked inside and only let them show when it was too late. While that made for some good teen drama, it didn't help his relationship with Belly.

Jeremiah's Selflessness Always Shone Through, Especially In Season 2

• IMDb rates The Summer I Turned Pretty at 7.3/10.
• The highest-rated episode in Season 1 is Episode 7 "Summer Love" with 8.2/10, while Season 2 boasts 8/10 for Episode 6 "Love Fest."

Whether he was taking care of his dying mother or telling Conrad he cared about Belly's happiness the most, Jeremiah always thought of others' needs before his own, making him the perfect hero for a romantic TV show. He constantly pushed down his feelings and pretended to be fine even when he was hurting the most, to keep Belly happy. Susannah even told him, "Sometimes I think you're a little too good at being fine." No matter how badly he hurt, he never wanted to burden anyone with his pain. Jeremiah was completely alone when his mother passed, and he deserved to have someone like Belly by his side to cope with his loss, which he never really got.

Jeremiah's selflessness especially shone through in the flashback scenes in Season 2, where he spent most of his senior year of high school taking care of his sick mother, paying the bills, and taking care of adult responsibilities rather than spending his last year of school partying with his friends. This also signified incredible character growth for him, as partying was something that used to be a high priority for him previously.

While Belly's mother also came by to help out her best friend Susannah, the bulk of Susannah's care fell on Jeremiah at only 17 years old. Seeing how much he loved his mother through thick and thin was heartwarming. Even when things got hard, Jeremiah kept his mother comfortable and his house running. When she passed, Conrad was given space to grieve and be sad, and Jeremiah called out how he wasn't extended the same grace.

Jeremiah was even willing to completely let Belly go should she choose Conrad instead of him. Her happiness came before his own every time. While he could've worked harder on better balancing his needs with others, it was still admirable to see someone so young be so selfless and mature when it came to processing difficult emotions. Even when he was upset with Belly, he never lashed out at her with petty insults or cruel digs the way Conrad did. Conrad wasn't a villain, but he still had some growing and maturing to do. Jeremiah, meanwhile, talked things out and communicated when he was really upset. Belly and Jeremiah always came to a resolution, unlike the ambiguity and uncertainty that remained after Belly argued with Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty love triangle.

Belly Needed Someone Who Could Communicate Healthily And Be Dependable

• Taylor Swift's music is an important part of the show, and The Tortured Poets Department singer officially released "This Love (Taylor's Version)" in the trailer of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which was a part of the rerecording of her Grammy-winning album 1989.

Even with all the pain and drama that Belly and Jeremiah endured both separately and together, they communicated much better as a couple compared to Belly and Conrad. Jeremiah might have been younger than Conrad, but his communication skills were light years ahead in both seasons. He could always get Belly to smile no matter how bad a day she'd had. Jeremiah was a partner who communicated well and fought for the girl he loved but was still willing to let her go if that was what she wanted. Time and time again, he proved himself to be the better side of this summery teen love triangle.

Belly's teenage years were a whirlwind of typical growing pains and deep grief. She didn't need a relationship that made even more waves in her life. She needed one who was akin to calm, peaceful waters, and Jeremiah provided that for her. He was her anchor, whether that was on a carnival ride or in the middle of a country club ballroom. A strong relationship should be a source of comfort, even during rough patches. While she ultimately ended up with Conrad in the books, TV adaptations frequently stray from what occurs in the text, so Team Jeremiah fans just might get their endgame after all.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season Two is streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

TV-14

Romance

Drama

Release Date

July 17, 2022

Cast

Lola Tung , Christopher Briney , Jackie Chung , Rachel Blanchard

Main Genre

Romance

Seasons

2

Creator

Jenny Han