Warning: SPOILERS for The Summer I Turned Pretty.
The Summer I Turned Pretty arrived on Amazon Prime, presenting viewers with a love triangle that will surely be rife with debate over whether Belly chose the right person in the finale. The show is based on the book of the same name by Jenny Han, and similarly to Han's previous To All The Boys trilogy of movies, not everyone is going to agree with the romantic choices made in the show. However, that doesn't mean the end result wasn't the best choice for Belly.
The show follows Belly (Lola Tung), who returns with her family to the beach house they routinely vacation at every summer. Staying with her family is Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), who is the mother to two boys that Belly has grown up with - Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). As the title of The Summer I Turned Pretty suggests, Belly is now deemed "pretty" and determined to make Conrad, who she has been infatuated with for years, fall in love with her that summer. However, her newfound beauty comes with complications, as both brothers are attracted to her now, seeing her struggle with her options throughout the season.
That summer, Belly notices a difference in Conrad, who is a lot more cold and mysterious now. Struggling to come to terms with these changes, Belly decides to move on entirely. She begins to date the kind-hearted Cam (David Iacono), who perhaps has the best intentions for Belly out of her romantic options but isn't enough for her as she is still pining for Conrad. This leads to their eventual break-up, and Belly returns to exploring her tumultuous bond with Conrad. However, their budding romance is sabotaged by Jeremiah, making it clear that he also has feelings for Belly, kickstarting the complex love triangle. Unlike his brother, Jeremiah is a much more open character in The Summer I Turned Pretty, seemingly making the most effort to pursue his feelings for her. Mirroring the book, Belly invites Jeremiah to be her guest at the debutante ball, but he ruins his chances with her by missing the final dance. Conrad then takes his brother's place, ready to pursue his feelings for Belly and the season ends with the pair sharing a kiss at the beach. It is seemingly the perfect ending for Belly, who has finally got the boy she's always wanted. But is the choice made in The Summer I Turned Pretty's finale the right one?
Why Belly Chose Conrad In The Summer I Turned Pretty
Unlike some book adaptions, The Summer I Turned Pretty did well to stick to the original source material. Ultimately, it is Jeremiah ruining his chance with Belly at the debutante ball that leads to her ending up with Conrad, but it is implied that this was always going to be the outcome. Regardless of her feelings for Jeremiah, Conrad was always who she truly wanted to be with. In fact, Jeremiah had never been an option to her before he made his growing attraction to her known. Belly's intense feelings for Conrad were made clear from episode 1; despite her adamance to move on from him, it was clear that she never really could. However, the decision made in The Summer I Turned Pretty's finale will be hard for audiences to come to terms with. Due to Conrad's aloof nature, it's hard to truly learn who he is as a person throughout the show, quite a contrast to his brother Jeremiah.
Should Belly Have Chosen Jeremiah Instead?
Jeremiah is sure to become a favorite love interest; on the surface, he's probably a better choice for Belly. Similar to John and Peter in To All The Boys, the former consistently makes sense over the latter, but this doesn't change the leading lady's final decision. Likewise, while Jeremiah is more honest and loving than Conrad, it wouldn't have changed how Belly truly feels. In fact, given Belly and Jeremiah's strong friendship, it is probably best that she didn't risk hurting him even worse by choosing him when he is not who she truly wanted. However, this doesn't mean that Belly and Jeremiah's romance can't be explored in a future season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, with season 1 leaving a lot of open storylines to pursue.