Isabel Conklin: Everything That The Summer I Turned Pretty Got Wrong About Belly – And How The Series SHOULD’VE Ended

The entire world got to watch Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty come its conclusion after a 3 season run, and while fans were saddened to see their favourite teen show that even people in their 30’s got to enjoy come to an end, Han surprised them all by announcing that there will be a movie coming next to officially conclude Isabel “Belly” Conklin’s story. And if you’ve been living under a rock, Belly, played by Lola Tung, was first introduced as a a teenager who was involved in a love triangle between two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.

Belly always loved Conrad. She always wanted to be with him – ever since she was a little girl. She always saw herself ending up with him. As luck would have it, it just so happened that Conrad wanted to be with her too. And they tried. They tried to be together, but it was simply the wrong time for them. It was truly the case of it being the right person, wrong time situation for them to have been in. At the time, Conrad’s mother, Susannah, was ill with cancer. For a while, he was holding everything in to himself. For months, no one knew he knew. Susannah didn’t know he knew. Jeremiah didn’t even know his and Conrad’s mother had cancer. He found out by chance.

Each summer, the Conklins – Belly, her brother Steven and her mother Laurel, had spent every summer with the Conrad family. Susannah and Laurel had been best friends for years. They weren’t just friends. They were each other’s soulmates. Their kids were the next generation of their eternal bond. Belly, on her part, had a crush on Conrad since she was 10 years old, but she always had a feeling that he saw her as a little girl, so she didn’t act on them in any way. At some point, however, he started seeing her in a different light. He saw her as more than just his ‘little sis’.

The timing, however, was absolutely impossible. Conrad went into a deep depression, especially following Susannah’s passing. He couldn’t give his all to his relationship with Belly. Though she was heartbroken that she couldn’t be with Conrad, Belly accepted the fate of her relationship with him; mostly with the help of her best friend, Taylor, who was in love with Belly’s brother, Steven. That said, Belly knew she had to move on with her life. She knew she couldn’t continue waiting for him to be able to love her again. So she went on to pursue a relationship with Jeremiah.

The last episode of season 2 saw Conrad’s feelings about Belly come to a head when he, Belly, and Jeremiah were stranded in a storm and forced to share a motel room for the night. At the motel, Belly promised Jeremiah she’d talk to Conrad. While Jeremiah slept, Conrad confessed to Belly that he wanted to be with her, but Belly said nothing. The next morning, Belly and Jeremiah kissed outside the motel. Conrad left the room and broke down in tears. As Belly and Jeremiah drove back to Philadelphia, Conrad returned to Cousins to clean up the house – alone.

Finally, season 3 came around after a two year hiatus. The story jumped forward to Jeremiah’s senior year in college. He and Belly were still together as a couple. Belly got the opportunity to study abroad in Paris for a semester, but hesitated due to Jeremiah’s bad news that he wouldn’t be graduating. When she told him of it, he encouraged her to go. Things were looking up between the two of them until Belly overheard a conversation between Lacie, Taylor’s friend, and her friends talk about her previous hookup with Jeremiah in Cabo over spring break. She confronted him about it, and it was then that he told her he’d done it because he was petrified at the prospect of losing her. After accepting that Jeremiah had reason to believe they were broken up and he swore never to stray again, Belly reconciled with him and accepted his marriage proposal. 

Neither Belly nor Jeremiah’s family took the news of the engagement well. Laurel no specially didn’t take the news of the engagement well. She was worried her daughter was making the same mistake that she did – get married too soon. She didn’t want Belly’s life to end up like her own. She didn’t want her to go through the heartbreak of a divorce. She was so against Belly getting married that she refused to take part in any wedding planning. Because of this Belly had done everything on her own, and everything that the mother of the bride should do, Taylor was by Belly’s side to do.

Jeremiah, on his part, tried to do everything and anything possible to win over Laurel. He even went as far as telling her, ‘Come on, you know you always wanted me to be your son-in-law.’ To me, as a viewer, the plea just didn’t seem sincere. It seemed as though all Jeremiah was looking for in his relationship with Belly, as well as Laurel’s approval of their nuptials, was to feel like he won over Conrad. It was a competition that Conrad himself didn’t know he was a part of. He simply lived his days trying to survive.

This very fact brought me to the discovery that Belly and Jeremiah were never right for each other, and they were that for many reasons. This includes Jeremiah’s inability to prioritize Belly’s needs, his destructive behavior in conflict, his desire to fill a void rather than a deep connection, and their incompatible relationship styles. He was less a partner and more a way to cope with loss, whereas true commitment required him to give Belly his full heart, which he could not do because he still held onto his mother and was not ready for the responsibility of marriage. To break things down more thoroughly:

• Jeremiah’s instability and selfishness: Jeremiah has a history of making reckless choices and sabotaging important things. He cheated on Belly, and even planned to marry her while his brother was in the hospital, showing a lack of maturity and consideration for others. 

• Unhealthy motivation for the relationship: Jeremiah viewed Belly as his last remaining connection to his mother, indicating his love was based on filling a void rather than a genuine, selfless desire for her. 

• Incompatibility and lack of partnership: The relationship lacked a truly equal partnership. Jeremiah would not give Belly his full heart, and she ended up having to conform to his wishes instead of setting healthy boundaries. 

• Unrequited love for Conrad: Despite being with Jeremiah, Belly’s heart remained tied to Conrad. This made it impossible for Jeremiah to have all of her attention and affection, leading to the end of their relationship. 

• Immaturity and different priorities: While Belly was ready to grow and settle down with Jeremiah, his immaturity and self-centeredness prevented him from being ready for a serious commitment. His focus on getting married was more about the idea of being a husband than about true commitment and shared future. 

Let’s not mix things up here. Just because I put out all the reasons why Belly and Jeremiah were never right for each other doesn’t mean I’m meaning to imply that Belly and Conrad were. They weren’t. They most certainly weren’t. But they weren’t for different reasons than Belly and Jeremiah weren’t right for each other. I wouldn’t even say that they weren’t wrong for each other. Instead, it was that Belly truly didn’t deserve Conrad. He was too good for her. I’d say it was because of her immaturity, her choice to prioritize Jeremiah despite his infidelity, and her emotional cruelty towards Conrad, especially when she lashed out at him on the beach and dismissed his love, despite his growth and deep feelings for her. Conrad, on the other hand, grew emotionally and learned to communicate, while Belly seemed to regress and make self-serving choices, making her an unbalanced partner for him. To break it down more thoroughly:

Belly’s Immaturity and Emotional Instability

• Lack of understanding: Some viewers felt Belly lacked the emotional maturity to handle Conrad’s struggles and his mother’s death, leading to irrational reactions and an inability to understand his emotional distance. 

• Selfishness: Her actions after Conrad revealed Jeremiah’s infidelity, such as her fury and cruel words, suggested she was more focused on maintaining her relationship with Jeremiah and hurting Conrad than on the truth of their connection. 

Her Relationship with Jeremiah

• Prioritizing Jeremiah’s comfort: Belly consistently defended Jeremiah and placed his needs above Conrad’s, even when Jeremiah was in the wrong. 

• Choice of Jeremiah: Her decision to marry Jeremiah after his infidelity was seen by many as a refusal to grow up and make a truly independent choice, making her a poor partner for Conrad. 

Conrad’s Growth vs. Belly’s Regression 

• Conrad’s emotional growth: Conrad’s arc involves learning to communicate, embrace his emotions, and cope with loss, showing significant development. 

• Belly’s stagnation: While Conrad grew, Belly appeared to regress, becoming cruel, manipulative, and losing her independence. This made her a poor match for the improved Conrad. 

Belly’s Cruelty Towards Conrad 

• Dismissal and cruelty: Belly’s behavior on the beach, where she attacked Conrad and denied the significance of their connection, was interpreted as a profound act of cruelty that demonstrated a deep lack of empathy and understanding for him. 

• One-sided love: Her constant dismissal of Conrad and her focus on Jeremiah created an unbalanced dynamic, making Conrad’s persistent love feel unearned and one-side

Conrad was right for Belly. But Belly wasn’t right for Conrad. That’s the best way I could describe their relationship dynamic. Conrad deserved better. He deserved more than what Belly could ever offer him. And yet, he kept wanting her. He kept wanting to be with her. He kept wanting to love her; to care for her; to give her everything he had and more. Watching that particular arc in season 3 was utterly painful to watch. It was like Conrad completely lost his sense of worth.

Let’s not forget; Belly started dating Jeremiah only a month after breaking things off with Conrad, and just after Susannah had passed. The devil works hard, but clearly Belly worked harder. And speaking of Susannah, she was always Team Conrad when it came down to which one of her sons should end up with Belly. Before she passed, she wrote both Conrad and Jeremiah goodbye letters. In her letter to Conrad, she wrote that she’d hoped for him and Belly to end up together.

Accidentally, the letter that was meant to be for Conrad ended up in Jeremiah’s hands. It was at that moment that he felt like he’d lost everything; ABSOLUTELY everything. That was the moment that he realized how much of a mistake it’d be to go through with the wedding and be married to Belly. That was when it (finally) hit him that losing Belly meant choosing himself. She was never going to love him. Not as much as she loved Conrad, anyway. In many ways, she only agreed to get married to him to fill a void. He was always going to be her second choice, and being someone’s second choice is just now way to live. Generally speaking, being  a second choice in a relationship diminishes self-worth, fostering feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and anxiety, which can lead to resentment and a harmful mindset of not being good enough. It represents settling for less than you deserve, as true love involves being a priority, not a backup plan, and settling for a relationship that doesn’t fully honor you is a betrayal of self. To break it down more thoroughly:

Psychological and Emotional Impact

• Damaged Self-Esteem: Feeling like a second choice can make you believe you aren’t worthy of being a first choice, leading to a dangerous mindset that negatively impacts your self-worth. 

• Increased Anxiety and Jealousy: You may experience heightened anxiety in your daily life and jealousy towards others who seem to be favored by your partner. 

• Resentment: Being treated as a backup plan can foster resentment towards your partner because it feels like you are a consequence of someone else’s failure. 

• Judgement and Self-Criticism: You might start judging yourself against others, believing you aren’t good enough or that you need to change to be more appealing. 

Betrayal of Self

• Settling for Less: Accepting a second-choice position means settling for a love that does not fully honor your worth, which is a betrayal of yourself. 

• Not Being a Priority: Being a second choice means you are not the primary person in your partner’s life, making you feel like a fallback or a last resort rather than their chosen partner. 

Why It’s a Harmful Way to Live

• Unfulfilling Relationships: A true and healthy relationship involves mutual prioritizing and love, which is not possible when you are consistently the second choice. 

• Toxic Mindset: It cultivates a mindset of scarcity, where you might think you’ll never find someone who will choose you first, creating unhappiness and preventing you from pursuing healthier options. 

• Inability to Move On: You may get stuck in a relationship that is a backup plan, delaying the pursuit of a partner who will truly value and prioritize you. 

Settlement: it’s exactly what Belly did in her relationship with Jeremiah. That’s not to say that she didn’t love him at all. She did. The difference between her love for him and her love for Conrad was that she grew to love him throughout the 4 years they were together. Getting together with Jeremiah was, in a way, her surprising her feelings for Conrad, as well as her heartbreak of losing Susannah. Belly attempted to suppress her emotions, but ultimately, she always harboured feelings for Conrad, and it was inevitable that she’d succumb to them. It’s a sentiment that was building in intensity, and Jeremiah was also aware of it, but for the longest time, attempted to avoid it. By settling, he was setting himself up for a heartbreak.

Why settle for being someone’s second choice when you deserve to be someone’s first choice? All Jeremiah wanted in his life was to feel chosen. By having Belly as his romantic partner, he was holding on to the mere possibility that she did, in fact choose himself over Conrad. That was until he couldn’t anymore when he saw his mother’s letter that was intended for Conrad. His entire life, Jeremiah felt second best. He always felt like he wasn’t good enough. Not for his mother. Not for his father. Not for anyone. This feeling of constantly feeling like he wasn’t good enough stemmed from his deep-seated insecurity and a lifelong sense of being in his older brother’s shadow. This feeling fueled his competitive pursuit of Belly, as he often seeks a “win” in the rivalry with Conrad, even when Belly’s affections were complicated. The narrative explored his internal conflict and his desire for Belly’s love, which was tinged with a need to prove himself to her and overcome his brother’s perceived dominance in their lives and in Belly’s heart. For Jeremiah, being with Belly became a form of victory over Conrad, rather than solely about his genuine love for her. He was a devoted partner to Belly in the long run, but his love was often characterized by this deep-seated insecurity and rivalry. 

Susannah writing Conrad’s name on a wedding letter, even in a fictional context, could be described as a devastating moment for Jeremiah, reinforcing his feeling of always being second. Jeremiah breaking things off with Belly just before the wedding wasn’t about him making room for her and Conrad to be together, but rather it was about him finally making room for himself. It was about him realizing that before anything else, he needed to put himself first. It was a way for Jeremiah to assert his needs. At times, he acted out of insecurity and a desire for control. It was most evident when he slept with another woman during spring break, merely 5 minutes after a fight with Belly which he assumed was a breakup. Breaking off his engagement to Belly meant that he finally understood that he couldn’t always control his circumstances.

The entire premise of The Summer I Turned Pretty was based on which of the Fisher brothers Belly would choose for herself as a life partner. It was a divided fandom: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah. Some were just Team Belly. They wanted Belly to just move on from her infatuation with her childhood friends and choose herself in the end. To be honest, I was Team Belly too. I so badly wanted to see her choosing and prioritizing herself and her own growth and happiness over her relationships with either of the Fisher brothers. I truly believe the ending should’ve been that she chose neither of them and stayed single to focus her own personal development and well-being instead. She needed to find her own happiness outside of any romantic love before getting into a relationship…with anyone for that matter.

This very much goes back to my previous post, where I emphasized how the best thing Joey did was not end up with Dawson at the very end of Dawson’s Creek. It’s totally okay not to end up with your first love and instead move on with your life to start anew. That’s exactly what Belly should’ve done, as well as Conrad. But especially Conrad. Belly wasn’t ready for love. She needed to stay single to foster self-discovery, independence, and personal growth by prioritizing her own interests, goals, and friendships without the distractions or emotional demands of romantic relationships, especially after a history of complex dynamics with the Fisher brothers. This period would’ve her to become more self-sufficient, understand her own values, and build a stronger sense of self before potentially entering a relationship, which could be harmful given the toxic patterns she has experienced.  To break it down more thoroughly:

Reasons for Staying Single

• Self-Discovery and Independence: A period of singleness provides an opportunity for introspection and to define herself outside of a romantic connection, allowing her to grow as an individual and explore her personal goals and interests. 

• Personal Growth: By focusing on herself, Belly can develop self-sufficiency and a deeper understanding of her own values, which strengthens her for future relationships. 

• Avoidance of Toxic Patterns: Her past involvement with the Fisher brothers involved complex and potentially manipulative dynamics, with Conrad’s actions being particularly scrutinized. Staying single allows her to step away from these harmful patterns and focus on healthier interactions. 

• Focus on Other Aspects of Life: Singleness allows for dedicated focus on friendships, family, career goals, and hobbies without the emotional compromise and effort required in a romantic partnership. 

• Emotional and Mental Well-being: A break from the stress and emotional volatility of her past romantic entanglements can provide healing and stability, leading to a more positive mindset and readiness for a truly healthy relationship when the time is right. 

• Establishing Boundaries: Being single helps establish firm boundaries and prevents a situation where she feels the need to compromise her own needs to fit into a mold for a partner. 

Belly, choose yourself!