In June of 2022, the bestselling book series “The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han made its way to the big screen, and season one left fans begging for more. Their pleas were answered when Prime Video announced the renewal of the series. One summer later, fans’ wishes for season two were granted, and the release was met with a mix of praise and criticism.
For those who have yet to binge the show, the story revolves around a girl named Isabelle or “Belly” and her two childhood best friends, Conrad and Jeremiah, who visit Cousins Beach every summer. One specific summer when Belly returns to the beach, there is something different about her, and both brothers, her two best friends, fall in love with her. It is a cringe-worthy, heart-throbbing teen romance with nostalgia, grief, and life lessons. “The show is all over the place,” said senior Taylor Ryan. “That said, it’s still really entertaining.”
This summer, watchers were filled with anticipation for a second season of their favorite, trashy, TV series. Thankfully, on July 14, three new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty aired, with each successive episode releasing on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST. As soon as the show hit the screen, fans and foe were hit with a bang. Lovers split, friendships broke, people died, and it seemed as if summers at the beach were nearing their end. So much for a sappy summer series. “I love to hate it,” said senior Lindsey Phillips. “The show is just so cheugy.”
The hype around The Summer I Turned Pretty is due to several factors. One of these is the endless features of Taylor Swift songs in each episode including “This Love,” “Invisible String,” “Exile” and more. The other factor is the controversy between team “Bonrad” and team “JellyFish,” the ship names which arose from the aggravating love triangle that had fans passionate with their contradicting opinions on which boy was best. “I think I mainly watched it for Taylor Swift,” said sophomore Piper Curnow. “But I am so team Bonrad.”
The finale streamed on Aug. 17, and as it often goes, fans were left high and dry with many questions and complaints. While team “JellyFish” fans may have won this season, season three was confirmed for summer 2024 and show watchers will have to wait patiently on the edge of their seats to see who comes out on top.
