Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? This was the question on everyone’s mind this summer when we became obsessed with which Fisher brother would win the heart of Belly in the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Well, after an exhilarating 11 weeks of anticipation, the debate has finally been settled. Spoilers ahead!
What started as a YA book trilogy written by Jenny Han was turned into a Prime Video series in 2022 and quickly became a summer obsession. When Season 2 ended on a major cliffhanger, fans had to wait an excruciating 2 years before the final season dropped. The long gap only fuelled the obsession, making the release of season 3 a pivotal moment of the summer of 2025.
As episodes dropped weekly, fans jumped onto social media, primarily TikTok, sharing edits, reaction videos and creating memes that took over our for-you pages. To add to the craze even more, many sports teams began posting “Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah” polls, along with celebrities getting involved in the action, including British duo Ant and Dec who posted a hilarious video aimed towards Jeremiah.
But what is it about the teen show that created such a hyped and diverse audience? Even I, a 20-year-old university student was every bit as invested as my 31-year-old married sister, proof that this love triangle managed to hook just about everyone. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of messy first loves or the slow burn romance or maybe it was the yearning of Conrad Fisher that had everyone swooning at the screen every time he appeared. The cliché love triangle between two brothers hasn’t been so iconic since the shipping war between Stefan and Damon in The Vampire Diaries back in the 2000s. Of course, it was not just the plot itself that kept us hooked, but the soundtrack played a huge role in the show with fans anticipating which songs would be played each episode. The use of Taylor Swift songs was particularly important to fans, whether it was during a heartbreaking scene or a romantic moment, usually between Belly and Conrad.
The collective obsession of the audience itself made the show even more addictive. The frenzy after every episode made me eager to check TikTok to hear other thoughts, memes and to save as many Conrad Fisher edits as it would let me. Whether it was laughing at Belly’s tin foil engagement ring, teasing Jeremiah’s love for a two-tier mirror glazed cake or crying over our collective love for Conrad, each episode release felt like a global watch party making the whole experience even more exhilarating. In fact, many watch parties were held all over the world, particularly for the season finale where fans were anxious to finally find out the fate of Belly and Conrad.
Well, we finally know the answer. After Conrad’s mysterious, tortured soul got some much-needed therapy, our favourite boy at last began to express his feelings. In the season finale, we saw Conrad arrive in Paris for Belly’s birthday and after some initial awkwardness between them, the romantic tension throughout the episode left fans speechless and buzzing with anticipation. The reunion kiss between them paired with ‘Dress’ by Taylor Swift was the perfect pay-off after three seasons of slow-burn longing and miscommunication. Nearing the end of the episode we see Belly run after Conrad and finally admit her feelings to him on the middle of a busy train which, in my opinion, was the dreamy, cheesy ending for all of us hopeless romantics and was the ultimate throwback to the beloved 2000s rom coms we know and love.
The emotional ending to The Summer I Turned Pretty felt like an even bigger closure than just to the show itself, but to the community as a whole. It opened and closed the summer of 2025, leaving fans both thrilled for Belly and Conrad’s happy ending yet devastated as it felt like the end of an era. As we all basked in our bittersweet joy, we quickly moved away from our mourning and became feral with excitement after the announcement of The Summer I Turned Pretty The Movie at the season finale premiere.
Although we have (hopefully) said goodbye to the iconic love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers, it seems we aren’t leaving Cousins just yet.