Last month, my sister and I took on the very serious job of, you guessed it, watching season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Let me tell you. There have been gasps, tears, and full on screams. So here you will find my review (or rather two page rant) on this famous series.
Caveat: There will be spoilers.
From the beginning of the series, there is a lot of mystery surrounding Belly’s falling out with the Fisher boys. Unfortunately, there is a lot of back and forth between the present and the past, something I truly hate in books and fervently avoid. Personally, this type of storytelling just leaves me anxious all over! Like just uncover all of your mysteries already so I can have my peace! I digress, this is a personal preference.
In spite of this chosen method of storytelling, everything was beautifully executed and, dare I even say, that Jeremiah’s acting got better. I was seriously underwhelmed by his performance in season 1.
In regards to the story itself… I know the internet has been fighting over whether you are team Conrad or team Belly, but truthfully? I am neither. I am team Belly-get-it-together-and-focus-on-yourself-because-you’re-too-immature-to-even-deserve-either-of-the-boys.
I mean seriously?! Playing with the feelings of not only two guys, but two brothers is truly messed up. Not only that, two brothers who are grieving the loss of their mother, while only having each other for support…? It’s just all wrong, wrong, wrong.
You can’t just jump from one guy to another while still having such clear feelings for the other. If I were in her shoes, I would literally just step away. Sometimes, the best solution is to wait, work on yourself, and hope for clarity as time passes by. You can’t just base your happiness on whether you are in a relationship with a guy. And that’s what the story felt like to me.
I feel like they really tried to spin the story in a way that showed that Belly was finally “ready” for Jeremiah, but I am still not convinced.
Belly had still not processed Sussana’s death, and she was clearly depressed and all over the place after her breakup with Conrad. She really just needed to heal herself. Instead, she decided to jump into the next available relationship. Truly, I can’t completely blame her because I know how hard it is to find peace with yourself, without the external validation of other people. But honestly Belly… Making out with your ex’s brother while in his hoodie on top of his car?! No. Just no. There is no justification for this (even if it was a very well executed make out session).
Now, one positive thing to come out of this season? I know some of you guys guessed it: Steven and Taylor. Now here is a relationship I can support and stand behind. I think their story is truly one that had to be told, and the build up to them being together was beautifully done. I have high hopes for them in the coming episodes and hope they do not disappoint.
All in all, I think it is safe to say that The Summer I Turned Pretty is a series worth watching. The first season was good, but the second was even better. If you have not done so yet, what are you waiting for? Watch it! Then you can form your own opinion and decide what team you are.