When it comes to The Summer I Turned Pretty, I find myself experiencing a lot of emotions. There is a lot of that, and I wonder – what is it about a book-to-movie that makes me so emotional? Maybe it’s because the books are such a big part of my life journey. They propelled me down a road that changed a lot of my life’s plans.
And here I am – watching this episode and thinking everything is about to change – that all of the things that Jeremiah, Belly, Steven, and Conrad have done are about to come to light. The thing about the truth is that every bit of change that they are about to experience is not going to be easy.
But are the best things in life easy? Not really. You have to fight for what you want, what you love, and what you believe in.
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JEREMIAH ARRIVES
With the wedding right around the corner, everyone is descending on Cousins. While I am not a fan of this wedding, I think that all of the players arriving in Cousins is a good thing. It’s a good thing because I feel like it is going to be the only way that everyone is going to be set on the right path.
But what is the right thing to do? I am not sure. Because every single moment feels like a lifetime ago.
Except when it’s Belly and Conrad. Everything feels like it just happened, and these two are trying to avoid every single moment that made them who they are. Unfortunately for their emotions, a big part of who they are is each other.
Jeremiah shows up. For once, he’s putting this wedding first. He’s a man-child – we all know that. But he is even investing in stuff for the gift bags – color me shocked.
It’s not that I think that Jeremiah is evil – I don’t. I just think that he’s a copy of Adam, and how Belly can subject herself to that, I don’t get.
Conrad walks out and looks happy to see Jeremiah. Conrad is a good actor because of how he can get on board with this and put his feelings aside is something that I don’t get. It’s as if he’s co-signing on this wedding, and as if it doesn’t bother him that he’s about to lose the love of his life.
It saddens me for both Conrad and Jeremiah. Whatever choices are made, one of them (if not both) is about to lose themselves.
PARENTS
Can we all agree that Adam is a disgusting jerk and has no class? Money does not make everything okay, and his money definitely doesn’t make Adam human. He’s without feeling and without remorse.
When he walks through the door of the inn with Kayleigh, I wanted to puke. I know that Susannah is gone, but it doesn’t make anything better. What he did, what he said to Susannah, and what he acted like to Susannah and his kids – is gross. And her, it takes a lot of gumption to show up there.
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How Laurel held herself together when they walked into the inn, I don’t understand. I woulda have punched her. But Laurel held herself together. She was even nice enough to give Kayleigh her number to help.
Laurel and John together are just the chef’s kiss. Them at a bar, talking about everything with the wedding and reconnecting – I stood up and cheered. These two are each other’s worst enemies and the best of friends. I am not sure how they keep finding themselves on this road where things are complicated, but sometimes complication is the best thing.
John taking the initiative to kiss Laurel – that’s what we needed right there. He’s gonna let her be as mean as she needs to be, because at the end of the day, he loves her. Whatever shame spiral she goes through or he goes through – it will be okay. They have it right now.
Laurel is upset because Susannah isn’t there. She misses her best friend. Susannah would have wanted to be there.
BELLY & HER BESTIES
Belly has two solid besties in Taylor and Anika. Those two will drop everything to be there for Belly, and she will be there for them. With them showing up for Belly and her wedding, I teared up because she deserves to have people support her and be there for her.
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Jeremiah is trying to get Conrad to hook up with Anika, but he’s not interested. I know that I want Conrad to be happy, but I don’t think that anytime soon without Belly. Though Belly tries to tell Anika she should go after Conrad, Taylor says not to do that. I think that she knows that Belly will never be over Conrad.
The situation between Belly and Conrad will always be complicated, just as the situation between Steven and Taylor will always be that.
But with everyone at the house, people need to figure it out. They need to pull themselves together. Fake it better – the same way that Taylor does when Steven shows up with Denise. It is awkward and uncomfortable, but Taylor is like It’s okay. It’s all good. Steven is a nice enough guy that he asks her if all is okay and if it’s weird to talk about this kind of stuff. Taylor’s mantra of friends help friends get laid – she’s a better person than all of us.
What gets me though, is that through all of this – a party where they are all celebrating Jeremiah and Belly – he’s focused on being jealous of his brother and Belly’s relationship. So much so that he goes upstairs when Belly is getting ready to have sex. Jeremiah acts like a dog peeing on a pole, trying to mark his territory.
It’s gross. But Jeremiah is a miniature Adam, so not shocked there.
BAR CRAWL
Cousins downtown looks like a good time. I am glad that the boys separated from the girls so that there could be a fun night out, where no one had to hold themselves back. It’s a day to let go and have fun with friends.
The boys are up to all sorts of debauchery, and the girls are keeping it pretty tame, but having fun. There are weird conversations and a lot of things that are changing for them all.
It’s when the girls and the boys run into each other again that things start getting really weird for me.
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Belly had thanked Taylor for getting her Mom to the shower, but she tells Belly it wasn’t her. And Belly knew that if it was not Taylor, then it was one other person – the boy who had bought her a unicorn and always been there for her.
Conrad.
Conrad isn’t looking for any recognition. But Belly, she needs to ask him. She needs to know what he did. He wants her to have everything as she pictured it. Before they can get into the conversation any further, Steven walks off, and Conrad walks off.
The scene is set, though with Jeremiah being so jealous that he saw Conrad with Belly. So at the bar, he tells his brother that he’s always taken care of him, but he doesn’t need to now. Belly and he are getting married, and they will take care of each other. He is staking his territory rather than trusting in Belly and Conrad.
At the Tiki Bar, though, things aren’t going great. Belly’s had a gummy, Taylor’s played wingman for Steven, and all of a sudden, Belly is having a panic attack. As they go to the bathroom, this wedding has become too much for Belly.
She never pictured a wedding – no specifics about flowers or place. She only ever pictured that she’d be with Conrad. Everything had been great til Christmas, but now all these feelings were back, and she didn’t know what to do. She thinks that she needs to go to Jeremiah, but Taylor says no.
And Taylor isn’t wrong there.
At the other bar, Conrad is walking out of the bathroom and hears them all talking about Jeremiah cheating. He’s fuming. And as he’s about to say something, Jeremiah runs past him, and as Conrad angrily calls for him, Jeremiah is praying to the porcelain Gods.
Finding Conrad on the beach – that had to have been a lot for Belly. Especially after the night that she had with him, which was the source of so much confusion for her. Belly’s trying to remain angry, frustrated, and distant with Conrad. But the truth is, seeing him there brought back so much to her.
Conrad felt stuck. Telling her what Jeremiah did and finding out that she knew. This wasn’t Belly. This wasn’t what she wanted. He wouldn’t put up with that kind of thing. It wasn’t like Belly to forgive something like that, and it definitely wasn’t like Belly to make excuses for it.
And Conrad knows that. He knows her.
He loves her.
And as the words fell out of his mouth – that he still loved her – like Belly, I think we all stopped dead in our tracks. Except unlike Belly, we knew he wasn’t just saying it because she was getting married. He was saying it because it was his reality.
He loved her.
Conrad knew that he had screwed up years ago – but he let her go because he knew that he would hurt her, and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t get her out of his system, and I am not sure he ever wanted to. He tried to let her go.
Conrad loved his brother, but he hated him when he saw him with Belly. Why did they have to get married?
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This summer changed a lot for him – and he knew she felt it too. Especially after all the talks they had and the way she looked at him.
He asks her not to marry him.
And I don’t know about you, but by this point, I was in a ball, crying.
And then I became angry because she decided to put a wall up and hurt him. Though I did get it. I got that she needed to hurt Conrad so that she didn’t hurt Jeremiah. Belly says you’ll never be Jeremiah to me – he loves me and he doesn’t take it away when shit gets hard.
It wasn’t right. But it was how she felt.
And then I felt my heart being pulled from my chest as she fell to the ground – when she couldn’t see him anymore. The tears that fell so fast, and all of the mourning that she was going to have to do in a matter of minutes.
Not to mention the courage she was going to have to find to gather herself and walk back to the house.
But she did it.
And she didn’t talk about it. She crawled into bed with Taylor and didn’t talk. She cried and she mourned.
Conrad was out on the dock, fighting a panic attack as she lay in her room, fighting one.
Until she knocked on the wall between her and Jeremiah, hoping he would knock back. Only, he didn’t.
He didn’t show up for her again.
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OTHER THOUGHTS
- Steven and Denise at work – their dynamic cracks me up
- I can’t talk about reception dances – I am cringing over them
- Denise was a good sport and saying that the panties were dropping – you a lie.
- Jeremiah wanting to take a job with his Dad is a big red flag. Like that’s embarrassing
- Conrad helping Belly clean the kitchen – the way that these two are looking at each other – my heart breaks
- Everyone seems to like weed
- Discussing Belly’s body count was uncomfy
- Jeremiah getting that drunk – color me shocked
- Jeremiah’s friends being dismissive of Taylor that she’s like Belly is on the beach – ummm sirs, she’s not asking him to go out there. She’s pointing out a fact
- Taylors Mom drunk at the bar – I feel for her
- Taylor – girl – you mad at Steven and your heart is breaking. Don’t blame it on your Mama
- Conrad having a panic attack – I get. I was having one too.
- Belly, don’t marry Jeremiah
- A country club wedding? Belly that isn’t you.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is streaming now on Prime Video.
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Oh please. How is anyone ok with Conrad confessing his love to Belly, two days before her wedding to his brother? Jeremiah is no saint, but Conrad has been making eyes at Belly since he saw her again. His motives are not unselfish. He doesn’t care about hurting his brother.
It’s also very obvious the show is manipulating the viewer to side with Conrad, and that is gross. I’m sure the upcoming movie will be more of the same. The sainthood of Conrad Fisher.