Art is made to be critiqued. It is a crucial part of our culture, especially with media as popular as “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
But with its recent “ending,” one thing has become painfully clear: the criticisms of this show, and especially its characters, have reached a point where basic empathy and logic have been abandoned. People aren’t just critiquing “TSITP,” they’re unfairly projecting their own issues onto it, resulting in harsh discourse surrounding its characters.
This series reflects many uncomfortable truths about modern dating, love, identity and the emotional complexities of growing up, especially for our generation. And as cringey as it may be to admit, the show hits close to home. But maybe that’s what makes “TSITP” so polarizing — it’s painfully familiar.
Let’s unpack what people are saying, character by character.
Belly: More Than a Love Triangle
People ask, “How could she get between two brothers?” as if these brothers didn’t get between themselves.
Jeremiah actively pursued Belly at her most vulnerable state, fully aware of her history with his brother, and Conrad sent mixed signals from day one. Belly isn’t the villain here — she’s a teenage girl trying to figure out relationships with two people who made their own questionable choices.
It was made very clear from the start that Belly never saw “two brothers.” She saw Jeremiah as her best friend, someone who showed up for her and was a rock when Belly needed stability, especially after Conrad played emotional ping pong with her. Jeremiah offered her the safety she thought she wanted, and while that may be a mistake, it doesn’t make her malicious or manipulative. She loved Jeremiah for four years — they grew, slept, shared time and built their lives together.
Meanwhile, Conrad was gone, and being “out of sight, out of mind” can make it a lot easier for someone to forget their feelings, or at least think they have. When Belly chose Jeremiah, she did what many people would do in the same situation — making a choice based on her emotions at the time.
When Belly ultimately realized her feelings hadn’t changed, she told Jeremiah. She went to Paris to gain perspective and remove herself from the mess she felt she had created, even though they all played an equal hand in everything. She waited until Conrad and Jeremiah had made peace before even replying to Conrad — that’s growth.
Paris gave Belly the space to mature and realize the mistakes she made, and she took the proper steps to correct them.
Jeremiah: A Symptom of Something Bigger
First of all, can we acknowledge that multiple things can be true at once?
Jeremiah acted immaturely and was insecure — and yes, in my opinion, he cheated — but he also loved Belly. Jeremiah was there for Belly in moments when no one else was. He was Belly’s best friend for a very long time, and is it so unheard of to fall in love with your best friend? Their relationship wasn’t fake, it just wasn’t forever.
If we take a closer look, Jeremiah’s behavior doesn’t seem so unjustified. From the beginning, the Fisher boys were set up to compete emotionally, mentally and even romantically. Their father didn’t create a loving, stable environment — he created a rivalry.
So, when Conrad began to ice Jeremiah out after Susannah got cancer, it hurt him. Whether or not Conrad was trying to protect him doesn’t undo that pain.
Jeremiah’s flaws make sense in context. They’re not excusable, but they’re explainable, and that’s more than most are willing to admit.
Conrad: The Tragedy of Timing
I have always supported Conrad and Belly’s relationship, but it felt like Conrad toyed with Belly just as much as he cared for her. Conrad was uncommunicative, shut Belly out and broke up with her at prom after she had waited, hoped and tried for so long to finally be with him.
Belly was grieving Susannah, too, and when she needed him, he wasn’t there, despite the safe and open environment Belly constantly tried to create for him. But that doesn’t make Conrad evil — it makes him lost. Nonetheless, it still hurt her.
The pain Conrad caused Belly made the third season of the show necessary. The depiction of his emotional spiral, defined by feelings of regret and reflection, showed audiences what healing can look like.
When you hurt someone you love, especially unintentionally, that guilt doesn’t just fade. It sits in your chest, heavy and constant, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it persists. It destroys you, and that pain follows you around, haunting you and making you sick to your stomach. Conrad’s character depicts this very common experience, and people fail to realize how their own emotions parallel his.
That’s what makes Conrad’s pain feel so real. Not only could he not right his most regretful wrong, but he couldn’t be with the person he loved. Conrad didn’t just miss Belly — he carried the weight of knowing he was the one who had pushed her away.
But he didn’t stay stuck there. Over the course of season three, we saw Conrad finally open up, speak clearly, admit his feelings and apologize without ego. He started to take accountability instead of hiding behind sarcasm or silence — that’s a very human, realistic type of positive growth.
Conclusion: These characters are us, and that’s the point
This show wasn’t written to be a fantasy; it was written to be a mirror. And sometimes, looking into a mirror is the most uncomfortable thing we can do. It forces us to ask ourselves why this makes us mad and why this feels so familiar.
The backlash against “The Summer I Turned Pretty” says more about us than it does about the show. These characters aren’t perfect, and they’re not supposed to be. They’re messy, flawed, confused and emotional, just like we are, just like we were at 16, 19 or 23. That’s the point.
So, before we label Belly a villain, call Conrad dramatic or say Jeremiah is manipulative, maybe we should take a second to remember what it was like to be young and scared and trying to figure it all out. Because in the end, that’s all any of them were ever doing.
Suhiliah Lall is a junior majoring in cinema.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.