The word complicated was thrown around a handful of times on The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 6, and it was an assessment that was right on the money, particularly when describing the relationship between Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly.
The tension has been mounting between the trio since last summer, with Belly stuck in the middle of it all, wanting to hold on to what once was and preserve the friendship that she’s had with both guys since childhood, all while embracing the new forms the relationships are taking on. It’s a tall order, and at this point, it seems that the only way for everyone to move forward is to simply make a pact that they will not pursue any romantic relationships together. There’s no way that any of them stay friends if Belly does make a choice; she’ll always be alienating one of the brothers considering they both hold an enormous amount of love for her. There can’t be two winners, so what’s a girl to do?
I love that Belly didn’t allow herself to be dragged into the drama, however, at least, for the most part. The moment she realized that she was the one that they were both using to get back at each other, she removed herself from the situation and stated she didn’t want any part in their argument. There’s plenty of animosity between the brothers after their mom’s death, and while Belly has a lot to do with it, she’s not the only piece of it; it’s unfair to put her in the middle any more than she already is. She’s not taking sides in this brotherly feud, but that doesn’t make it easier for them all to co-exist.
She had a moment at Party City (for all your party needs!) with Conrad that was undeniable, and she’s had so many near-miss kisses with Jeremiah, which, if you think about it, is the show simply making you feel as conflicted as Belly feels.
With Jeremiah, there’s potential, but with Conrad, there’s a deep past that has yet to heal, so it’s not clear if this is the end of the road for them. You can tell that he regrets how he treated her and realizes—as Belly dominates almost every setting—that he made a huge mistake. He’s constantly impressed with the woman she’s becoming, so it’s clear that despite all his flaws, he knows a good thing when he sees it.
Conrad’s also not acting on his feelings immediately knowing the world of pain that he caused, which makes it easier for Jeremiah to swoop in and be the good guy—the prince charming in this situation—and that leads to even more confusion. Does the close bond that Jeremiah and Belly had mean that they should pursue something more?
It was important that Conrad and Belly finally addressed the elephant in the room, though it was a little unfair that she was the only one apologizing for what happened at Susannah’s funeral; Conrad pushed her away at the time he needed her most and hurt her deeply, so he has a lot to apologize for as well. He did offer more insight as to why he was with Aubrey that day, explaining that it wasn’t anything romantic, as Belly assumed, but she was simply the person who saw him have a panic attack and offered to help. It does make you think that if not for that moment, would things be simpler between Conrad and Belly? They were broken up at the time, sure, but it was that fight that really pushed them apart and put up a wall between them.
There’s also the fact that Conrad pushes away things that matter and runs away before he can get hurt, a point that Jeremiah is all too eager to bring up to him, but it’s also something that I think Conrad is well aware of. He doesn’t deny his actions or how they impacted situations, he’s simply owning up to them and accepting the repercussions, however good or bad they may be.
In that same vain, Jeremiah is also valid in his anger and pain as he’s been forced to push his feelings for Belly aside, and now that she’s seemingly reciprocating them, he’s too scared to put himself out there and make a move because he doesn’t want to get hurt again if she inevitably chooses Conrad.
Neither one of them is making it easy for her as they pine for her and keep pulling her back in. With Conrad, it’s almost as if he feels her slipping away, so he does something to remind her that he still exists and pulls he right back in—like taking a sip from her Slurpee drink. As for Jeremiah, he’s also a tease as he caught Belly when she fell at the party and told her that she didn’t have to work so hard to get his attention. He appears in the right moments and says the right things, so it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. I can see why the poor girl is confused and feels it all slipping away.
The last night at the Cousins beach house was supposed to be magical and a reminder of their friendship and the good memories they’ve made, but it turned into a complete disaster. On top of all of that, Belly learned that Conrad asked for Jeremiah’s permission to date Belly, which meant that he was more serious about the relationship than he ever led on, making Belly feel like a complete fool for just walking away from something that they should’ve been fighting for.
All in all, it wasn’t great, and in her drunken emotional state, Belly called her mom and asked her to come to the summer home and fix everything.
She’s likely going to regret her decision the moment she sobers up, but I think an adult’s presence will help these hormonal teens catch a breather and reprioritize everything as they’ve just been operating on a fume of emotions lately.
Skye has turned out to be a pretty rad addition to the group, as they saw the magic of Cousins firsthand and convinced their mom that they shouldn’t give up on Susannah’s place so easily. We also found out exactly why Skye’s mother was so hellbent on selling the home, and it had nothing to do with money and everything to do with her fraught relationship with her half-sister and family. She never felt as though she had a place in Cousins, so she was trying to prove a point by selling it rather than accepting how much it meant to Conrad and Jeremiah and trying to preserve that piece of their mother’s legacy. All of this would be different if Aunt Julie let go of the pain and resentment and gave her family a chance.
Skye’s pushback made Julia look at it through a different lens—and she managed to negotiate a deal with the new owners to let the boys rent the summer home for one week every year. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing, though I fully believe Belly’s mom will try to find an alternative and buy the home herself, that’s if the buyers don’t pull out of the offer now that the home has been destroyed by partygoers.
Skye’s relationship with Cam Cameron is also very sweet, and surprisingly, uncomplicated—especially compared to the love triangle at play. Skye has never kissed anyone, but seemed to get some solid advice from professional lip locker Belly to just “be in the moment,” and, it seemed to work out with Cam! Skye also managed to help him see that he needed to stop chickening out of things and do something for himself, like accepting the job on the boat. They aren’t even together, but they are already pushing each other outside of their boundaries, thus proving that Cousins really does put a spell on people. I think the two of them would be good for each other.
And then there’s the Steven and Taylor of it all, which was really complicated at one point before finally falling into place. Milo trekked 300 miles to surprise his girl, but his toxic masculinity got the best of him, and when he saw her cozying up to Steven, he decided to fight for her love. The whole thing was childish and embarrassing, and thankfully, Taylor realized that she was living in a delusional dream with Milo, a guy who didn’t even know her middle name, when she had someone who was crazy about her, just waiting. Steven should’ve known better than to make a move on a girl in a relationship, but he’s also so in love that I understand why he shot his shot. And it helps that he professed it right before Milo arrived, telling Taylor exactly what was in his heart and proving that he was the right choice all along. Women love honesty.
Honestly, Conrad should take some pointers from his best friend because Steven knows exactly how to woo a lady and make her feel loved and cherished. Plus, they already have a dance together—they’re practically soulmates. Some might say Conrad and Belly were inevitable, but Steven and Taylor are the definition of it.
What Conrad lacks is a vulnerability with Belly. He’s known her his whole life—and loved her for just as long—yet he doesn’t act like it; and from their bombshell fight, it’s clear she has no idea what’s in his heart because he remains so guarded and ready to jump ship at any point. He cares for her, yes, but for it to matter, we need to see him double down on it and make an effort rather than just relying on the knowledge that she’s always loved him and hoping that’s enough. Deep down, I think he knows that he can’t give Belly what she deserves right now, which is why he walked away in the first place.
I’m team Jeremiah for now (and I know, if you’ve read the books, this is a relationship that’s going to happen), though, if I’m being honest, and this might not be the most popular take, I do think they could all benefit from taking a break from each other and seeing other people.
What did you think of the episode? What are your thoughts?
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