Grief is messy. It’s loud, it’s quiet, and sometimes, it’s a teenage boy with a guitar trying to get through a song without his voice cracking. If you’ve seen the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The moment Conrad singing at funeral services for his mother, Susannah, became one of those viral scenes that people either absolutely loved or felt major secondhand embarrassment from.
Honestly, the internet didn't know how to act. Half the fans were sobbing into their pillows while the other half were posting memes on TikTok about the "cringe" factor. But if we’re being real, that divisiveness is exactly why the scene works. It wasn't meant to be a polished American Idol audition. It was a kid trying to survive the worst day of his life.
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What Actually Happened with Conrad Singing at Funeral?
Context matters. In Season 2, Episode 3, "Love Sick," we get a flashback to Susannah Fisher’s funeral. This isn't just any memorial; it’s the climax of the grief that’s been building up since the end of the first season. Conrad Fisher, played by Christopher Briney, stands up in front of a packed church to perform.
He plays the guitar. He starts to sing "Last Kiss," a song that’s already devastating enough on its own.
The song Choice was deliberate. It was his mother’s favorite. Susannah always asked him to play it for her. So, in his mind, this wasn't about performing for the crowd. It was a final gift for her.
But Conrad isn't a professional singer. His voice is shaky. He’s clearly struggling to keep it together. And for a character who spends most of the series trying to be the "cool, composed" older brother, seeing him that vulnerable was a massive shift.
The Song That Set the Scene
While Conrad sings "Last Kiss," the episode also heavily features "Silver Springs" by Fleetwood Mac during a different, equally brutal funeral moment. The juxtaposition of these songs defines the "Bonrad" (Belly and Conrad) relationship.
- The Tribute: "Last Kiss" represents the bond between a son and his dying mother.
- The Conflict: The lyrics of "Silver Springs" underscore the toxic, heartbreaking tension between Belly and Conrad later that same day.
Why People Called It "Cringe" (and Why They’re Wrong)
If you spend five minutes on Reddit or TikTok, you’ll see people making fun of the voice cracks. Some fans felt it was "out of character" or just plain awkward to watch. Christopher Briney himself has even joked in interviews about how he can't bring himself to watch the scene because it’s so "harsh."
But here’s the thing: funerals are awkward.
When someone dies, you don’t suddenly develop the vocal cords of Adele. You’re a mess. The "cringe" people felt was actually just the discomfort of watching raw, unedited pain. If Conrad had gotten up there and sang a perfect, pitch-perfect ballad, it would have felt fake. It would have felt like a TV show instead of a story about a grieving family.
The fact that his voice breaks is the point. It shows he’s reaching his breaking point. It’s a physical manifestation of his heart breaking.
The Fallout: The Fight That Changed Everything
The singing was just the beginning. The funeral scene is famous not just for the music, but for the absolute disaster that follows. Belly finds Conrad in a room with his ex-girlfriend, Aubrey, who is trying to comfort him during a panic attack.
Belly misreads the room. Badly.
They end up having a screaming match. In the middle of the wake. While everyone is watching. Belly tells him to "go to hell," and Conrad tells her that starting something with her was a "huge mistake."
This is the moment their relationship officially implodes. The singing set the emotional stakes high, making the subsequent crash feel even more devastating. You go from the tenderness of a son singing to his mom to the vitriol of two people who love each other but don't know how to handle their pain.
Expert Take: The E-E-A-T of On-Screen Grief
From a storytelling perspective, showrunner Jenny Han took a big risk here. In the books, Conrad’s musicality is mentioned—he plays the guitar—but seeing it live is a different beast.
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Critics have noted that the show uses "needle drops" (specific song choices) as a primary narrative tool. By having the character actually perform the music instead of just playing a recording, the show forces the audience into the room with him. You can't look away.
Reference-wise, if we look at how other teen dramas handle death—think The O.C. or One Tree Hill—they often lean into the melodrama. The Summer I Turned Pretty leans into the "ugly" side of it. The awkwardness, the bad timing, and the imperfect vocals.
Moving Forward: How to Watch the Scene Now
If you’re planning a rewatch or seeing it for the first time, keep a few things in mind to get the full impact:
- Listen to the lyrics: "Last Kiss" isn't just a sad song; it’s about a literal final goodbye. It mirrors Conrad’s inability to let go of Susannah.
- Watch Belly’s face: Lola Tung’s performance during the singing is what really sells it. She’s watching the boy she loves fall apart and realizes she can’t fix him.
- Check the timeline: Remember that this is a flashback. It explains why Conrad is so closed off in the "present-day" timeline of Season 2.
The scene where we see Conrad singing at funeral isn't about being a "good" singer. It’s about the burden of being the one who has to carry everyone else’s expectations while your own world is ending. Whether you found it sweet or hard to watch, you can't deny it’s one of the most memorable moments in the series.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore, your best bet is to go back to Season 2, Episode 3 on Prime Video. Pay close attention to the background characters during the song—their reactions tell you everything you need to know about the Fisher family's standing in Cousins Beach. You might also want to look up Christopher Briney’s guitar training for the role; he actually learned to play for these scenes, which adds a layer of authenticity you don't always get in teen dramas.