Summer usually smells like salt air and sunscreen, but for anyone who spent a weekend glued to Amazon Prime in June 2022, it smelled like Cousins Beach. It’s been a minute since The Summer I Turned Pretty season one dropped, yet the internet still treats it like a holy text of the young adult genre.
Honestly? It makes sense.
Jenny Han, the mastermind who also gave us To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, didn't just adapt her book; she basically bottled up that specific, fleeting feeling of being sixteen and suddenly noticed. Belly Conklin, played by Lola Tung, arrives at the Fisher house like she does every year. But this time, it’s different. The baby fat is gone, the glasses are off, and the two brothers she’s known forever—Conrad and Jeremiah—are looking at her with entirely new eyes. It's the classic "glow up" trope, but grounded in a heavy dose of nostalgia and grief.
The Cousins Beach Vibe is Actually Hard to Copy
Most teen dramas try too hard. They’re either too gritty or too polished. The Summer I Turned Pretty season one found this weird, magical middle ground where everything felt expensive but lived-in. You’ve got the white linen shirts, the sprawling beach house that looks like it belongs in an architectural magazine, and those Taylor Swift needle drops that cost more than a small car.
It feels like a vacation.
But beneath the surface, it’s actually pretty heavy. We aren't just watching a love triangle. We’re watching the slow-motion collapse of a family dynamic. Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard) is hiding her cancer recurrence, and her best friend Laurel (Jackie Chung) is grieving a marriage while trying to be the "strong one." That’s the secret sauce. The adults have real lives. They aren't just background noise for the kids' drama.
Why Conrad Fisher Ruined Everyone’s Expectations
Let’s talk about Conrad. Christopher Briney played him with such a specific, moody intensity that he basically revived the "I can fix him" era of the internet. In season one, Conrad is a mess. He’s quitting football, he’s smoking on the dock, and he’s being a total jerk to Belly.
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Why? Because he knows his mom is dying.
He carries the secret alone, and that creates this massive wall between him and everyone else. It’s painful to watch. You want to shake him, but you also want to hug him. This creates the perfect tension for Jeremiah to swoop in. Jeremiah is sunshine. He’s easy. He’s the guy who actually tells Belly she’s pretty instead of making her guess.
The choice between them isn't just about who is cuter. It’s about what Belly needs in that moment: the thrill of the chase or the safety of a best friend.
Music as a Main Character
You can't discuss The Summer I Turned Pretty season one without mentioning the soundtrack. Seriously.
When "Cruel Summer" started playing in the first five minutes, it was a declaration of intent. The show didn't just use Taylor Swift; it used her as a narrative tool. "The Way I Loved You" playing during the ball scene? That wasn't just background noise. It was a literal translation of Belly’s internal monologue.
Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who famously did The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy, basically curated the definitive Gen Z summer playlist. It wasn't just Taylor, though. We got Olivia Rodrigo, Phoebe Bridgers, and Tyler, the Creator. It made the show feel current even though the source material was over a decade old.
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The Debutante Ball: A Weirdly Perfect Climax
A lot of people were confused when they heard the show was adding a debutante ball. It’s not in the first book. It feels a bit Gossip Girl for a beach show.
But it worked.
It gave the season a finish line. Belly needed a moment to be "presented" to the world, not as a kid, but as herself. The white dress, the dancing, the drama on the stairs—it’s peak teen TV. It also allowed for that heart-wrenching moment where Jeremiah realizes his mom is sick while in the middle of a celebration. The juxtaposition was brutal.
Honestly, seeing Conrad step in to dance with Belly when Jeremiah disappeared? That’s the moment shippers were born. It was the "Team Conrad" victory lap of the season, even if it was born out of a family tragedy.
What People Get Wrong About the Love Triangle
People love to pick sides. Are you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? It’s the Twilight debate all over again.
But if you look closely at The Summer I Turned Pretty season one, Belly isn't a passive prize. She’s messy. She makes mistakes. She flirts with Cam Cameron (the literal perfect boyfriend who deserved better) just to feel something.
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The triangle isn't just about the boys. It’s about Belly’s agency. For years, she was just the "little sister" character. This summer, she’s the protagonist of her own life. Sometimes she handles that power poorly, but that’s what makes her human.
The first season ends on that dock with "This Love" playing, and it feels like a fairy tale. But the reality is that they’re all standing on a foundation that’s about to crumble because of Susannah’s health. It’s a bittersweet ending that most shows wouldn't have the guts to pull off.
Actionable Insights for Fans and New Viewers
If you're revisiting the show or watching for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the background characters. The relationship between Laurel and Susannah is the actual love story of the series. Their friendship is the anchor.
- Pay attention to the infinity scarf. It’s a small detail from the book that shows up in the show and carries a lot of weight for Conrad and Belly’s history.
- Don't skip the "Cam Cameron" episodes. He’s the only healthy relationship in the entire first season, and he provides a necessary contrast to the Fisher brothers' chaos.
- Track the color palette. Belly often wears blue, Conrad wears dark tones, and Jeremiah is almost always in something bright or yellow. It tells you exactly who they are before they even speak.
- Read the book afterward. Jenny Han changed a lot for the screen—like the Deb Ball and Jeremiah’s sexuality—and comparing the two versions makes you appreciate the writing choices more.
The Summer I Turned Pretty season one succeeded because it didn't talk down to its audience. It treated teenage heartbreak like the world-ending event it feels like when you're sixteen. It’s a snapshot of that one summer we all wish we had—or the one we’re still trying to get over.
To fully grasp the evolution of the series, re-watch the pilot episode and the finale back-to-back. Notice how the lighting shifts from the bright, overexposed "newness" of June to the softer, more somber tones of August. This visual storytelling highlights the loss of innocence that defines the entire story. Once you've finished your re-watch, dive into the behind-the-scenes interviews with Jenny Han to see how she updated the 2009 novel for a 2022 audience without losing the core emotional beats.