Teens Share Their 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Hot Takes & the Show Has One Clear Problem
The Summer I Turned Pretty is in its third and final season, and fans are so over one clear issue: Belly.
When we asked members of the SheKnows Teen Council to share their hot takes about the hit drama series, it was clear that the show’s young fans are struggling to relate to the show’s protagonist and her approach to relationships.
Among hot takes about Cam Cameron (David Iacono) being “insufferable” and Skye (Elsie Fisher) needing to be “off the show,” 17-year-old Greta told us, “My hot take is, Belly is the problem in all the relationships.”
“Conrad and Jeremiah made their mistakes in their relationship with Belly,” Greta says. “However, I think she hasn’t handled any of them well, and I think she leads them on.”
She adds that the show, at times, lacks relatability because of how relationships are portrayed. “In a way, everything kind of falls in place for Belly (Lola Tung) just by, like, every guy wanting her and things like that. And I think that can be unrealistic.”
This is a stance echoed across the internet in Reddit groups, TikTok edits highlighting Belly’s worst moments, and even in opinion articles like a July 22 piece from Betches titled, So, Belly Is Objectively The Villain Of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ or a 2024 one from Collider called Belly Is the True Villain of ’The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2.
After actualizing her dream of dating her childhood crush, Conrad (Christopher Briney), in season one, Belly ends their relationship in season two after Conrad’s grief over the death of his mother makes him emotionally distant and neglectful of their relationship. In swoops Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), who was pining for Belly the whole time she was pining for his older brother.
Amazon Prime Video
Belly’s critics point to her indecisiveness and her tendency to drive a wedge between the Fisher brothers by going back and forth between them. “The Summer I Ruined a Family” has become a popular comment left under videos of scenes from the show in which Belly tells one brother about her feelings for another brother.
In season 3, which premiered on July 16 and will air through August, the saga continues as Belly, now in her early 20s, decides whether she wants a future with Jeremiah or a return to her first love, Conrad, with almost no consideration of how this choice will impact the brothers’ already fraught relationship.
The show kind of falls on its sword by creating a love triangle with as many flaws as this one. In fact, almost all of our teens were firmly Team Conrad when we asked, proving how the series has failed to make a compelling case for Jeremiah.
But nevertheless, teen fans don’t need to be heavily invested in the show’s protagonist or connect with her turbulent love life to keep tuning in. “I don’t think anything resonates with me,” jokes 16-year-old Anais when asked why she follows the show. “It’s just interesting how she’s jumping between two brothers.”
Before you go, click here to see a parent’s guide to all the biggest teen shows of the summer.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings