Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty has taken the world by storm, ranking among the top 25 shows in the country within the past months, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Originally a book series by author Jenny Han, her adapted series contains a light-hearted, summer vibe, along with many Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and other light songs in the show, to bring her books to life.
The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Isabel Conklin, (Lola Tung), also known as Belly, as she journeys through her teenage years with her close family friends, the Fishers, usually at Cousins Beach in the beautiful summer house. Belly’s brother is Steven (Sean Kaufman), the outgoing, ambitious, and snarky older sibling. The Fisher brothers are Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney), the brooding, withdrawn, and intelligent brother, and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno), the ‘Golden-boy’, sensitive and slightly insecure younger brother. The boys’ mom, Susannah (Rachel Blanhard), had inherited her father’s house, located in Cousins Beach, North Carolina, and referred to it as the Summer House. Being right by the beach, large, and charming, the house stands as a beautiful and serene location in the show, and is always visited by both families during the summer season.
While Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, Steven, and occasionally Belly’s best friend Taylor (Rain Spencer) are growing up at the summer house, the friends are constantly evolving as they discover a bit more about themselves and each other every summer. It was the summer in which Belly was 15 that her life began to change. She had always told herself that she was in love with Conrad, but things turn when Jeremiah realizes he is in love with her too. Belly is left to adjust to her ever-so-complicated and confusing teenage life while navigating through a love triangle, continuing school, and living after a tragic death changes everyone’s lives.
Since the original release in June 2022, the show has moved on to its 3rd and final season. The 3rd season alone amassed over 25 million views globally over 7 days upon the release on July 16th, per Variety. It has stayed at number 1 in Amazon Prime’s top 10 list of shows since the new season was released.
So, what makes the show so appealing? Avery Ragon ‘28 described why it is so interesting to her, detailing, “the drama between all the characters, and wanting to know who gets with whom,” she explained. “And also the setting, and being able to see where they are in their lives.” However, she mentioned the drama as being “over the top,” and “not realistic, but sometimes repetitive, overall still interesting.”
A common topic that comes up when discussing the show is whether to be a team Conrad or team Jeremiah. This refers to which boy Belly should be with, given her complicated love triangle between the two. Ragon continued, “There are things each of them has done, but in the end, it’s a fun competition to see what team a person is on.” The charming Jeremiah, or the mature and smart likes of Conrad?
Ragon concluded that the show has “been a little overhyped, and does bring out the toxicity in people, yet still you want to watch.”
Author Jenny Han has had a large creative say in the series. She was given the ability to create new plot points and switch or add characters from her books. That being said, she did not copy and paste from pages to screen; she got to explore her own story more with the show. Fans were left surprised when season 3 finished what happened in the trilogy, yet still had 3 episodes to release. TikTok has had hundreds of creators post theories and predictions, including which songs would be coming in the next episodes. From in-depth deep dives in the episodes to recalls from earlier seasons, the show has captivated people with hidden easter eggs and songs being reused in similar scenes.
While this show may be too soft for some, too drama-filled for others, or bad in general, it has still held the attention of millions of viewers around the world. The community that has sprouted from a single show is inspiring, sweet, and fun to enjoy. The Summer I Turned Pretty is the perfect show for the moment, attracting the attention of many O’Dowd students. It has become an entertaining topic of discussion among various students to engage in, voice opinions, and enjoy.
