“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a popular romance series created by Jenny Han.
Rated TV-14, the show is on Amazon Prime Video and is a No. 1 hit in 120 countries.
The story follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin (played by Lola Tung), who falls into a love triangle at Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard), her mother’s best friend, summer house in Cousins, with brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). Belly develops a crush on Conrad at a young age and experiences her first love and heartbreak.
As she is often overlooked by the brothers, they watch her blossom into a young lady, which changes their perspectives on how they viewed her. A secret is finally revealed: Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) has been battling cancer and eventually dies from it. This death takes a toll on the family and shifts the show to focus on family connections.
Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno ‘s connection throughout each season shows how they each grew as individuals and learned a lot from one another. As Jeremiah used to only see Belly as a sister and slowly developed feelings for her, their relationship was rocky and confusing at times. Their feelings for each other were intense but over time became more subtle and casual.
Lola Tung and Christopher Briney’s connection throughout the show is very emotional and deep. In the beginning, Conrad was very avoidant and did not like talking about his feelings and emotions, while in the end, he faced his fears and confronted his challenges.
“Conrad and Belly is a huge no-no. Steven and Taylor are endgame,” says freshman Zayna Hasan. “Denise and Jeremiah? Absolutely not.”
The soundtrack, curated by Jenny Han, holds great significance in the characters and overall plot and outcome of the story. The songs create tension and add a graceful touch to the romantic side of the show.
While each season of the show is strong, the debate between the brothers can be draining and tiring to watch due to Belly’s indecisiveness.
“The last episode was aggravating and overstimulating,” says freshman Kenzie Lawrence.
The love triangle throughout each season felt repetitive and even confusing at times due to the characters having mixed feelings about each other and not truly expressing how they felt until the last episode.
Overall, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a great show to watch for drama and romance. It is very realistic and shows excellent character development throughout. Streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, it’s perfect for fans of “My Life With The Walter Boys” or anyone who enjoys shows with love triangles.
