Controversial Love-Triangle

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? I’m getting sick of that question, aren’t you? And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you are clearly living under a rock.

A SERIES THAT TOOK OVER SUMMER 

The Summer I turned Pretty TV show is from Jenny Han’s books. The first season was released on Prime on 17th June 2022, but this article will be talking about the third and final season, the season that demanded the world’s attention, released July 16, 2025. 

The story follows Belly (Isabel Conklin) and her entanglement with the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. Over three seasons, audiences have watched Belly grow up in the beloved summer house. She has faced heartbreak, and navigated coming-of-age challenges, all while torn between her two childhood friends.

Season three brings the stakes higher: set during Belly’s final year of college, it explores love, identity, family and friends. Belly’s identity is wrapped up in that summer house; however, it may be slipping away for good and her foundation begins to crumble when her first love, Conrad, walks through the door that summer. 

WHY THIS LOVE TRIANGLE IS DIFFERENT 

 Why has this love triangle somehow grabbed the world’s attention compared to others? 

Unlike the good-versus-bad dynamics of typical TV romances, The Summer I Turned Pretty presents a nuanced conflict. Neither Conrad nor Jeremiah are painted as “the villain” or “the perfect choice.” Instead, viewers are drawn into a messy, deeply human love story, which feels more like real life than fiction.

Audiences have become fiercely divided, with hashtags like #TeamConrad and #TeamJeremiah trending weekly. Viewers are either fiercely loyal or changing teams after each episode. It’s a weekly obsession.

The audience has become so invested in the characters that fiction has become reality and the actors are facing both adoration and backlash online.

“I think it’s important to also understand and realise that this is a fictional story – and it’s also not me,” actor Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah) told theBBC, addressing online hate directed at him personally.

STRENGTHS OF THE SERIES 

1. Music As The Emotional Backbone

The author Jenny Han has said in ENews that she has credited Taylor Swift’s music as the inspiration for the series, and the music has helped Han find the emotional vein of the story when writing the books.  For the show, Taylor Swift’s songs are carefully placed throughout to fuel the emotional highs and lows. In ENews, Han points out, “so many people have been connecting her music to the story.”

2.  Jenny Han’s Creative Direction

Unlike many book adaptations, Han herself plays a key role behind the scenes, even directing certain episodes. Fans of the novels have praised the authenticity this brings, along with subtle “Easter eggs” woven into the narrative that spark constant online theories.

3. Writing That Sparks Debate

Whether through hidden clues, character arcs, or song choices, the writing keeps audiences on edge. As Han told the Los Angeles Times, “There are going to be surprises.”  Social media has gained so much traction with fans debating over the details of the episodes, and viewers even feel betrayed over the theory that Taylor Swift songs only play for Belly and Conrad scenes. In the Los Angeles Times article Han laughed, saying, “However, I never said that Taylor was only for Belly and Conrad.” 

4. Performances That Feel Too Real

The cast’s performances have been so convincing that audiences often blur the line between actors and characters. This has unfortunately led to misplaced criticism, but it also proves just how effective the acting has been. However, the online hate towards the actors and their characters has started to annoy some of the public and even other influencers, with the BBC noting a comment online, “It’s fictional. People need to stop taking it so seriously.” Influencer, Drew Afualo, stated in a  Rolling Stones article, “Watching white women call me a PERFORMATIVE feminist & ‘not a real feminist’ solely bc you prefer one fake brother over the other, is a level of tone deaf idk how to really articulate nor process.” 

THE DOWNSIDES 

As the season draws to a close, the audience is getting more critical and disappointed. 

Viewers have criticised some season three episodes as “filler” and episode nine described as more of an “AirTag ad” than a meaningful addition.

Some book fans have been disappointed in Han’s decision to adapt parts of the story. There is also concern that Han may have gone so far as to change the ending. 

TVFanatic states that people worry the love triangle may not resolve in a satisfying way, with speculation growing that Belly might choose herself instead of either brother. However, the writer Han has shown her prone to change and adaptability by saying in the Elite Daily, “to me, it could always be better.”

Both readers and TV-only viewers find themselves in uncharted territory as they wait for the final episodes. 

IN THE END

The Summer I Turned Pretty’s love triangle has captured attention precisely because it avoids easy answers. Whether you’re Team Conrad, Team Jeremiah, or Team Belly-herself, one thing is certain: this is more than just a beachside romance. It’s a cultural moment revealing just how invested audiences can become in a story that feels painfully, beautifully human.