‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ divides viewers

From the star-studded soundtrack to the swoon-worthy cast, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was one of the defining shows of summer 2022, but one thing divided fans of the show: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?

The show opens with its main character, Belly Conklin, arriving at what she calls, “The Summer House,” where she, her mother and her brother Steven, stay every summer with her mother’s best friend, Susannah, and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah.

Conrad, played by Christopher Briney, is the older of the two boys. Belly explains in her inner monologue, that she has been in love with him her whole life, and she thinks this is the summer he will finally notice her.

Jeremiah, played by Gavin Casalegno, is the younger of the two boys, and one of Belly’s best friends– not to mention her first kiss.

Although controversy over which boy Belly should choose began when the first book in the “The Summer I Turned Pretty” trilogy was published in 2009, it skyrocketed in social media and in real life after the release of the TV series on June 17.

“If you’re Team Jeremiah, you haven’t read the third book,” junior Audrey Culver said.
Junior Josh Delay disagreed. “I know it’s a hot take, but like, I find [Jeremiah] comforting,” he said.

“[Conrad] is way hotter. Also, Belly didn’t have feelings for Jeremiah until Jeremiah had feelings for Belly,” junior Lauryn Riefle said.

While those on ‘Team Conrad’ argue that he is the right choice for Belly because he was her first love, those on ‘Team Jeremiah’ say that Conrad is too emotionally unavailable for Belly, making Jeremiah the right choice.“Team Conrad all the way. He’s cuter, he’s better to Belly, and the bad boy vibe– I like that. That works better,” senior Ellie Nakatani said.

For Webster students, it was a resounding Team Conrad. Out of 46 students, 63% of students said they were ‘Team Conrad.’“I’m Team Conrad all the way… he’s better to Belly, and he’s cuter. He kind of reminds me of Dean from ‘Gilmore Girls,’” sophomore Piper Westendorf said about why she’s ‘Team Conrad.’

Others said Conrad’s actions played into their decision to “side” with him.
“He also got her a really sweet necklace for her birthday. I actually cried at the end,” junior Lily Teague noted.

Besides his looks and actions, viewers also argued that Conrad and Belly are simply meant to be.
“I just feel like Conrad was always meant to be with her, with all the flashbacks from her childhood, and I feel like she’s more in love with him than Jeremiah,” senior Lizzie Nieman said.
Meanwhile, those on Team Jeremiah said that this simply wasn’t true, and Jeremiah was actually the one who liked Belly all along– since before she was “pretty.”

“There’s that one scene on the boat where [Conrad] said he’d never seen her as more than a little sister or friend but this summer it’s different… Jeremiah always liked her, though,” sophomore Mary Weimer said.

However, Jeremiah and Conrad aren’t the only two sides to this story. Some viewers say Belly’s true love is none other than Cam Cameron. “Cameron is just a little nerdy. I think he deserves some love,” sophomore George Lempke said.

Beyond the differing thoughts behind who Belly’s true match is, this show dives deep into personal struggles for each character, and no spoilers, but by the end of the show, viewers will be struggling to stay focused on the love triangle.

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.