Y’all, there’s a new fan theory surrounding The Summer I Turned Pretty and who Belly might end up with, and maybe it’s just me, but I’m fully sat. Fans are dissecting every single line, outfit, and song placement in Season 3 of TSITP and I hate to say it but… they might be onto something. This brings up the color-coded love theory that’s been sending the internet into a full-blown frenzy — fans are analyzing Belly’s outfits, assigning red to Conrad and blue to Jeremiah, and matching everything with Taylor Swift lyrics like it’s a Swiftie-coded episode of CSI.
Honestly, I can’t keep track of all these plot twists. From Steven’s car accident to Jeremiah being a “super senior,” TSITP has been full of surprises this season. And now? Jenny Han — creator and executive producer — admitted that the show ending will differ from the book — so who TF does Belly end up with?
If you’ve been watching this season without immediately running to TikTok, I’m scared of you. Because the theories? They’re theorying. Some fans are convinced that Han isn’t just switching things up — she’s planting full-blown Easter eggs that hint at who Belly ends up with. And Bonrad fans? You’re gonna love this one. But, what does all this even mean? And who does Belly even end up with in the end? Don’t worry, bestie, I’ve got your back, because trust me when I say that I’ve put more research into this theory than I did on my college thesis.
What is the TSITP red and blue theory?
ICYMI, TSITP fans are spiraling over… Taylor Swift? In the Season 3 official trailer of The Summer I Turned Pretty, viewers were absolutely jaw-dropped when Han paired Swift’s “Red” with a clip of Belly and Conrad, specifically the lyric “But loving him was red.” Since then, Swifties and TSITP fans have been dissecting every color Belly wears, linking them to Taylor’s iconic lyrics.
The most popular theory? When Belly wears blue, she’s with Jeremiah — a not-so-subtle nod to the lyrics “Losing him was blue, like I’d never known.” After Jeremiah hooks up with someone else (twice, might I add), she’s spotted frequently wearing gray sweats, which fans associate with “Missing him was dark gray all alone.” But when it comes to Conrad? Belly seems to be surrounded by one very specific color: red. Almost like… “Loving him was red.”
And just when you thought that was the end of it — buckle up, because it only gets wilder from here: enter, the band-aid theory. In the most recent episode, Belly knicks herself with a razor while shaving her legs. While I thought this was just a random scene, fans have become full private detectives and have fully analyzed this to its core.
One user even commented, “Wait doesn’t she wear blue around jere and red around Conrad? The blue bandaid maybe represents that Jeremiah was just a temporary relief from her pain of Conrad (red/bl00d).” So basically, the blood from her accidental cut symbolizes her unresolved feelings for Conrad, and Jeremiah? He’s just a temporary band-aid there to stop the bleeding… for now. IDK about y’all, but Jenny Han has me on my knees begging for more clues.
All I have to say is, if Belly picks “summer,” I’m literally suing.