Serious spoilers for Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty are ahead! If you haven’t streamed the YA book-to-screen adaptation, you can watch it right now with an Amazon Prime subscription.
What is it that Belly says? “Conrad Fisher, I release you.” Yeah, well, not only do I “release” the older Fisher brother, I’m completely done with him too. In the finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 we saw Belly and Jeremiah make things official with a kiss that Connie unfortunately saw. Was the timing bad? Yes. Should Belly and Jere have expected him to be annoyed? Yes. However, should our leading lady’s ex have acted the way he did? Absolutely not. For that reason, among others, I’m not just on Team Jeremiah, I’m passionately supporting the younger Fisher brother. And I’m over the boy that so many, Belly included, seem to always be pining after.
I’ve never been Conrad’s biggest fan, but I’ve always tried to give him grace. I questioned my Team Jeremiah allegiance in Season 1, because it felt like I was rooting for the wrong brother. And I really started to love Gavin Casalegno’s brother during the boardwalk episode, putting me firmly on Jeremiah's side. However, bias aside, knowing that both Conrad and Jeremiah went through the tragedy of losing their mother, and seeing how much they clearly love Belly, I really tried my hardest to give the older brother a chance. However, his actions in the finale were unacceptable, and I’m peeved about it.
What Exactly Did Conrad Do?
So, let’s go back, Conrad catches Jeremiah and Belly kissing. There’s a literal (and understandable) record scratch, and he has the right to be mad. However, the way Christopher Briney’s character acted afterward is what really rubbed me the wrong way. Throughout this series, we've been told how much Conrad loves Belly, but actions speak louder than words, and I can’t recall a single moment that made me swoon for this brother. However, his actions spoke volumes when he decided to sabotage the road trip back to Belly’s and then self-sabotage himself in the hotel room.
When evil Conrad entered the chat, out to make their drive back to Belly’s the most awkward and annoying trip of all time by throwing shade at his brother, I was cringing and I was fuming. To put it bluntly, I thought he handled this situation as poorly as he possibly could.
Then, Jeremiah literally gave him a chance to make his feelings known to Belly, and get her back. Jere knows his brother loves her, he validated his feelings. However, after a small moment of bravery where Conrad told Belly he loved her, he almost immediately took it back. This guy needs to confidently act on his feelings, not internalize them and explode.
To review: rather than having a constructive and stern conversation with his brother and Belly – which they probably deserved – he decided to torture everyone, himself included, through childish and petty comments. Then, when given an opportunity to act on what he’s feeling, he doesn’t take it. Absolutely no one deserved that treatment, and it was probably the least productive way to go about solving this complicated situation.
Jeremiah Went Through The Same Thing Last Summer
Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher now both know what it feels like to not get chosen by Belly, and it’s safe to say that one handled that rejection significantly better than the other. When Jeremiah learns about his older brother kissing their shared crush, he’s mad, but he doesn't act in such an immature way. In fact, he won’t even act on his feelings until Belly tells him multiple times that she is going to choose him months after she broke up with Conrad.
When Conrad and Belly were a couple, instead of showing his anger, Jere internalized it, which isn’t great. Ghosting is never the right answer, but I honestly think he was justified in his actions, because he did not want to “be the one to keep you guys apart,” as he told his brother in Episode 5. Jere was just as hurt as Conrad, and ultimately he respected his brother and Belly. It never felt like Conrad validated his brother’s feelings, while Jeremiah was constantly trying to do what was right for everyone.
My guy Jeremiah so clearly cares deeply about Belly, and he was just as hurt as Conrad was back in Season 1, and they've both dealt with the same trauma and loss in the last year. The least Conrad could do is show his brother some empathy, and try to understand that Jere has been best friends and in love with Belly for a long time.
Can Conrad Fix This?
Overall, what needs to happen is Conrad needs to go to Stanford, and get away from this situation. It’s clearly toxic for everyone. He needs to heal from this traumatic year, and learn to not internalize everything and effectively communicate his feelings. I’d like to believe he knows that, and I’m happy that by the end of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Season 2 finale he seemed to come to that realization too. Whether he simply gave up or has decided that moving on was the best thing for him, he needs this space, and I hope when he sees his brother and Belly again he’s found some peace.
I really want to like Conrad Fisher, I do. However, throughout both seasons of the show, and specifically during the Season 2 finale, I simply couldn’t. His actions were immature and ineffective. Both Belly and Jeremiah tried to tell him about their feelings. Even though they shouldn’t have kissed at his school, Conrad wasn’t totally blindsided -- if he had opened his eyes and noticed their feelings, he would have seen the writing on the wall.
I hope I can find a way to make peace with Conrad in Season 3. However, after that finale, I’m not cool with him. My guy Jeremiah is nice and thoughtful, and he deserves love and a brother who cares about him and validates his feelings. Right now, that’s not what he’s getting.
You can stream Seasons 1 and 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty, in full, on Amazon Prime.
