When you are growing up, trying to fit in is a very hard thing. When you’ve always played the supporting character in life and the world around you starts to see you, you may not know how to take it.
And Belly definitely doesn’t know how to deal with all of the emotions that she’s having to deal with.
She doesn’t know how to deal with all of the secrets that she’s trying to keep.
But that is all going to come to a head for Belly, because as usual, the holidays are well, a lot.
It’s the 4th of July in Cousins and it’s a day that will change everything. It’s a traditional day – clam bakes, friends, the Dads. There is so much going on and so much that will be found out, but it’s kind of a sad thing in a way. Why? Because it’s pain that wasn’t meant to be caused.
But it’s pain that could be avoided with truths.
One thing that I have to put out here is that I have never understood why it is that Belly gets blamed for Conrad’s feelings. She’s oblivious to them and that’s a fact. She thinks he’s closed off AF.
But all of the girls in Cousins seem to want to make her responsible for Jeremiah and Conrad, but I think it’s just a shitty situation. Belly has been their family, but as Susannah has always said, she’s destined for one of her boys.
The thing is that everyone is butting into everyones life and it never goes over well. Life is this journey of trying to figure out who you are, but figuring out who you are at any age is hard.
Belly is excited that she’s found this popularity and that people want to be around her. She’s got all of the debutantes in her group coming over to spend the day with her. She’s got Conrad and Jeremiah around.
She’s also got the drama of her Dad. It’s a weird thing when your parents are divorced and yet your Mom still invites your father and his girlfriend to the event. And it’s especially awkward when your Dad’s girlfriend is 27 years old. And your Mom doesn’t seem to know how to fully handle it. As a matter of fact it’s going to make things really weird.
Laurel is trying her best to be kind, but when everything is changing how is one really supposed to react?
Steven is introducing Shayla to his parents. She’s kind and respectful and wants to tell them all the nice things. His parents like her and it’s made things weird for him. But it’s not a bad thing that your parents like your girlfriend.
Victoria, the Dads girlfriend, teaches the kids how to make pomegranate margaritas. This is inevitably a bad thing. You don’t teach kids how to do such things. Belly tries one and likes it, but then again, so does Jeremiah. They decide to make more.
Conrad wants to use the “good blender” – the one that their Dad wouldn’t let them use. It’s an act of rebellion.
But what makes things worse for everyone is Conrad and Jeremiah’s Dad shows up. Susannah doesn’t want him there, and is upset that Laurel asked him there. Susannah doesn’t ask him to leave, because she doesn’t want to ruin the day for the boys.
All of the other 4th of July’s Belly had been tagging along until now. Now she has friends. Now she has a boyfriend. Now she has a ton of issues that she never thought that she would have. The kids are all at the beach getting drunk and talking.
Belly and her friends are having a great time, and decides to play a drinking game with everyone. Never a good idea for a first time drinker. She has no tolerance.
But it’s nice to see them all enjoying themselves, having fun, and allowing themselves to be happy. It’s nice to see them oblivious to the world around them falling apart. Because it takes only a few minutes until everything starts going wrong.
Drunk people have a way of letting things out. Of showing a side that maybe they shouldn’t. Secrets come out when you’re drunk. Secrets come out when you’re in pain. Belly doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut and tells Shayla that Steven and Taylor kissed.
And that’s about to ruin a lot for a lot of people.
Everyone wants to leave and then Cam decides to leave. Belly doesn’t realize how drunk she is. She doesn’t realize anything. She doesn’t realize how painful she’s made things for people.
Because Shayla is in pain. She test Steven on her way out and tells him that she knows about Taylor and that it’s okay because there is nothing serious going on. Steven agrees, rather than fighting for her.
Belly, walking up on Conrad in the shower and not leaving but confronting him about the infinity necklace is all sorts of awkward. But things get worse from her when she trips and falls – drunk off her ass – and Susannah falls with her.
Sometimes its things that happen badly that lead us to conversations that are hard.
Laurel has to hear about why Susannah didn’t want Adam there – he cheated on her. And Laurel, well Laurel makes it about her picking up the pieces which causes an argument between these two. That’s the thing about friendships, shit happens and sometimes it’s a good thing, and sometimes it’s the thing that will destroy you.
Adam is an asshole. He’s trying to honor Susannah’s wishes, but he’s also being beyond rude to his kids. He’s worried about how the are perceived but not how they are. Jeremiah just wants his Dad to accept him and for their family to be okay.
Belly is regretting drinking, but she’s also regretting all the feelings that are being brought up. She doesn’t know if she feels all these things she is supposed to feel for Cameron.
She does know that she feels that and feels that connection with Conrad. It’s crazy that we can all comes to deal with these emotions that we have in life, but some feelings never go away. Conrad has been her forever love, but is a forever love what she’s ready for?
It’s the first time that we get to see how much Jeremiah doesn’t want that to happen. He sees Conrad and Belly about to kiss and lights a firework to breeze by them to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Holidays are supposed to be a good thing. But for Belly, they are complicated. Hell, everyone in that house is paying a price for secrets and feelings they don’t want to come to terms with.
And that my friends, is part of the hard part of the magic of summer. You have to face the good with the bad.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is streaming now on Prime Video.