The Summer I Turned Pretty returns with Season 2 and already feels less like the breezy summer vibes of Season 1 and more like a stormy winter night with higher stakes. Premiering July 14 on Prime Video, Season 2 has bolder plot twists that will make you gasp out loud, blush, laugh, and, as you may have guessed, cry (multiple times). Fans of Jenny Han’s book series know that the second book – It’s Not Summer Without You – was Jeremiah’s moment to shine and fans want to know if the series will follow that plot.
Taylor Swift’s music has been a crucial part of the show since Season 1 and in TSwift terms, if Season 1 was Lover meets Fearless, Season 2 is certainly Midnights meets Folklore (with hints of Red). From the first episode of S2, we see a less upbeat Belly as she has an unfamiliar stillness and maturity to her. She is no longer the hopeless romantic who romanticizes every aspect of her life and with bits of flashbacks spread through episodes, we learn about what led to that change in Belly.
For those in need of a recap, the very last episode and scene of Season 1 ended with Belly, who was technically–loosely–dating Jeremiah at the time, kissing Conrad at the beach. Good for Belly, sad for Jeremiah. It was a last-minute twist but not a surprising one. After all, for Belly, Conrad is the Sun. In Season 2, a disappointed and heartbroken Jeremiah confronts Belly and says, “Belly, you were my best friend. We hooked up, and then you hooked up with my brother, and then everyone expected me to act like I was fine. And I wasn’t!”
On that note, the fans have been hoping to see some development between Conrad and Belly in the new season, and fans of the book were anticipating the Christmas at Cousins scene between the two. In Jenny Han’s second book of the series, Conrad and Belly do get together after that summer, but things take a chaotic turn between the two, leaving Belly heartbroken (and emotionally available for the other brother?).
While Season 1 had a more thematic episode feel with each episode having its main summer event or story, the second season follows a more collective storyline filled with flashbacks of key moments and a mission-based main plot. Taylor and Steven fans are in for a treat as these two incredibly funny and crucial characters are actively present in Season 2, unlike Book 2, where these characters were mostly mentioned in the background. Spoiler Alert: we finally get to hear Belly’s ringtone for Steven from Book 2 (Hey, if you know, you know)! It is also heartfelt to get a lot more one-on-one scenes of Jeremiah and Conrad in this season, see their relationship grow as the Fisher brothers, and watch them find their way back to each other as Susannah’s boys.
The fans will also be surprised to see a new side of Conrad with a sassy and jealous attitude compared to his lowkey and careless persona in Season 1. Jeremiah, on the other hand, will show his vulnerable and sensitive side after the narration switches from Belly’s to Jeremiah’s POV in Episode 5 (same with Book 2) – giving the audience a glimpse into his deeper personality beyond the fun ‘‘golden-retriever’’ guy.
With surprising couplings and uncouplings, at the end of Season 2, the question still remains. Who is the better kisser– Jeremiah or Conrad?