The best (and most heart-wrenching) moments of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
Dylan Hughes Warning: This article contains spoilers for the new Amazon Prime series: The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Recommended VideosAmazon Prime recently introduced its newest television series, The Summer I Turned Pretty – and it’s quickly becoming a pop culture phenomenon. All of the story’s summer love and romance take us back to the glory days, leaving us in dreams of butterflies and summer air, first kisses, and falling head-over-heels for that special person.
The series follows Belly Conklin as she travels to the summer home she shares with her mother, brother, and their family’s best friends. The season belongs to the moms and the kids, so Belly, Laurel, and Steven join Susannah, Conrad, and Jeremiah every summer.
The things they hope for change as the years go by, all of the children want to grow up, the one constant being Belly, always wanting Conrad as a confidant, a friend, and her boyfriend as she grew up.
There’s something about this summer that’s different from any before. Belly is more grown-up now, and not just in age — as Susannah says, she’s “in bloom.” There’s also the elephant in the room, as Conrad seems different from before, and Laurel and Susannah share deep conversations. We soon realize that it’s not just the summer she “turned pretty” – it’s the summer they’ll all remember as the one where it all changed.
The Summer I Turned Pretty ismore than a coming-of-age drama – audiences are laughing, crying, and falling in love. We present to you our list of the show’s most beautiful and heart-wrenching moments.
Jeremiah saves the day
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While all the girls wanted Jeremiah as their date, he took notice when Belly needed a knight in shining armor. No one looks at Belly the way Jeremiah does. She’s no conquest for him, not just a summer fling; he adores her and seems to be able to answer her questions before she even has time to ask them.
So when Belly stood in the middle of rehearsals for the big debutante ball all alone – Jeremiah seemed to sense that she needed someone to step up. As he made his way onto the dance floor, Steven offered him a jacket in order to “look more the part,” and all eyes were on the pair as they began to practice the big dance.
When he switched up the music and turned the mood to fun and memorable, he shook things up as only Jeremiah can. Depending on which brother you most ship Belly with, this scene either made you cheer or roll your eyes — but the fact that he made it happen for her is admirable and adorable.
Steven and Shayla’s emotional conversation
Steven — who had been spending a lot of time with Shayla — was kissing Belly’s best friend Taylor at a party when Belly walked in. She was immediately infuriated at the pair, feeling betrayed by her brother and her best friend.
The moment led to a fight between Belly and Taylor, which soon caused an even bigger rift between Steven and Shayla. While the two hadn’t put a label on things just yet, they were enjoying one another’s company, and neither was spending time with anyone else.
When Belly let it slip that Steven kissed Taylor, Shayla and the rest of the debs left the Fourth of July party, but not before Steven could catch them. He seemed shocked at their sudden departure and asked to go with them, and that’s when an unfortunate conversation happened between the pair.
Shayla told Steven that she heard about the kiss and that it was totally fine because they weren’t serious anyway – right? She seemed to shrug it off, but her face was betraying her. Shayla seemed heartbroken, her eyes full of sadness, but she played it off well enough. She told Steven she’d see him around, noting that they didn’t have to “do everything together.”
Steven walks away heartbroken, with Shayla leaving feeling just as hurt. It was the scene that sneaks up, breaks your heart, and is over just as quickly.
Laurel and Susannah’s friendship
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Another highlight of the series was most certainly the friendships, and perhaps our favorite one was that of Laurel and Susannah. Their bond is what allowed our favorite summer kids to grow up together and care for one another.
Laurel and Susannah are the kind of friends you hope to have, so it was impossible to zero in on one moment. From the beach walk to one of their favorite spots on Earth to the countless times they’d cuddle on the sofa and talk all night, they are a safe haven for one another. They know each other’s secrets, keeping them close, and each knows what makes the other happy, striving to help them achieve it. Laurel and Susannah look out for one another, forming the impenetrable unit that makes life beautiful.
Through the series, we see Laurel look over Susannah with the type of care and compassion we hope to find in our closest confidant, and when we learn why, it’s all the more heartbreaking. Time is the most valuable thing we’ve got when it comes to our loved ones, and they never waste a moment.
John’s heartbreaking conversation with Laurel
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While the bond between Susannah and Laurel was spectacular, it was also a larger-than-life existence for everyone involved – including their husbands. In an emotional conversation in the last episode of season one, Laurel’s ex-husband John makes a note of just that.
As she talks to him about needing his help in the fall because things are changing with Susannah, he tells her that there were always three people in their relationship, with Susannah being the ever-constant presence. He doesn’t further elaborate on the matter, but because of prior conversations in the series and the way he says it so matter-of-factly – it’s clear that it was a heaviness for him in their marriage.
While she understands his perspective, it’s clear that Laurel wasn’t going to remove Susannah from that pedestal – no circumstance would allow it. They are each other’s number one, and without meaning to, it meant that other people — aside from their children — would always be number two; not lacking in love, but maybe in urgency.
Conrad’s summer
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When Belly first saw Conrad again, the moment was filled with tension – she was anticipating magic this summer and wanted it with him. He walked up to the car expecting to see the “same old Belly” but saw a new person standing in front of him, someone transformed. The moment was over as quickly as it began, but it wasn’t their last.
Throughout The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly and Conrad shared deep intimacies with just a glance, and deep hurt as well. The pair had always been close, Conrad looking out for Belly and including her in their activities – but this summer, he was building a wall between them.
It wasn’t just Belly – Conrad seemed to keep everyone at a safe distance, not allowing anyone to get too close. He stayed home more often, skipping out on boys’ nights, and spent too much time cleaning up and making himself helpful. He gave up playing football and decided not to add anything to his plate, but instead of doing it for the simple idea of a relaxing summer – it was evident that there was a deeper meaning.
Conrad also spent a lot of time trying to talk to Belly, but something (or someone) was always interrupting them. He had something important to say, but the moment for it was never right. When audiences find out the secret Conrad had been keeping; everyone looked at his behavior through a different lens.
He hadn’t been pushing anyone away; he was carrying so much weight that he didn’t know how to ask for help. He was falling apart in front of them and held on to anger and fear to keep himself safe. When Conrad takes a moment to breathe in the season finale, we see a light return to his eyes – and there’s only one person he wants to share that moment with. It’s a beautiful full-circle moment, and one of our favorites of the entire series so far.
The big win
One of the highlights of the first season was a moment that brought Belly together with her best friends – the big volleyball game. Playing for charity, all of the teams want to win so that their donations are matched, and their organization benefits the most. Things get very intense, and Belly draws in the help of all of her pals.
Kicking things off with Taylor, the two play for a short while until Taylor gets “hurt.” As she walks to give her Team Belly shirt to Jeremiah, who will be taking her place, she throws him a wink – letting us know that the fall and ankle injury was just a ploy. Taylor is rooting for Jeremiah, and she isn’t afraid to let him know it.
Belly and Jeremiah play together well until he just isn’t stepping it up enough. After a genuine apology, Belly calls for a timeout and asks for Conrad’s help. The two finish out strong and win the charity match. Sharing sweet moments — as she did with Jeremiah, too — it’s clear that their bond is strengthening, despite the ups and downs of their summer together.
The scene was magical because it allowed us to see Belly with her people – the ones who make her the happiest.
Nicole reading that text
Belly isn’t the only one who has eyes for Conrad; as viewers discover in the first episode, a girl named Nicole also thinks he hung the moon. The two met during the last weeks of the previous summer, with Belly’s family already having left. They picked up where they left off the year before, enjoying each other’s company.
Nicole isn’t the only girl occupying Conrad’s heart, however. There’s a pretty heartbreaking moment when she reads a text, having spent almost the entire summer falling for Conrad, when she comes to understand it. We’ll let you watch the series to find out exactly what the text said, but it’s enough to bring out a side of Nicole we hadn’t seen yet, a jealous and hurt one.
She’s a character you grow to love, and while you might be rooting for Conrad and Belly — if you’re not team Jeremiah — it’s still hard to watch Nicole get hurt. In true queen fashion, she brushes it off because she knows her worth, but the fact is, no one signs up for heartache.
When Conrad shows up for Belly at the debutante ball
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Our second favorite Conrad and Belly moment happened at the debutante ball. While Conrad asked Belly — after his mom recommended that he take her — she ended up asking Jeremiah to be her date. Belly thought Conrad had only asked to make his mother happy, but the truth was, he wanted to go with Belly.
Conrad also loves his brother and wants him to be happy, so he told Belly she made the right choice and stood back as the two prepared to have their debut into society together. Something happens with Jeremiah at the ball, and he misses Belly’s big moment – but she doesn’t experience it alone.
At the perfect moment, Conrad and Belly lock eyes, and he comes over to her. The intimacy they share is next-level, and — as if it was written in the stars — they end up sharing the dance.
“For Belly, Conrad is the sun and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear.”
Everyone notices their chemistry, how perfectly the two work with one another. Belly says that Susannah knew she was meant for one of her boys, and this moment reminds Belly that it’s always been Conrad for her.
A perfect Taylor Swift song is playing in the background as this moment commences, and their dance is breathtaking. Everyone else in the show seemingly disappears, and it’s just Conrad and Belly.
When everyone finds out the summer secret
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The summer was defined by a secret, not everyone was made privy to it – and that secret was revealed before its keeper hoped it would be.
The summer in Cousins was essential for several reasons, including the idea of more time, quality time, and togetherness. There were memories to be made, portraits to be painted, and love to be shared. While these things happened each summer — this one was different — it would likely be the last that they’d share together.
Life was changing, right? The kids were getting older — some would be going off to college — what if their schedules no longer aligned? What if June to August was no longer for the mothers and their kids?
The endless summer was coming to an end, secrets were revealed, and decisions made. The TV series is based on a series of books, so the story is clearly not over. Fans will have to wait until season two to see how things play out.
That kiss
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Belly and Conrad share a special moment at the beach in a memorable scene, an after-credits trailer. That light we’ve seen flashes of has returned to his eyes, and he’s enjoying the moment with his best girl.
Belly congratulates him on his influence on the decisions made, and while he credits it to Jeremiah, Belly notes that he had a heaviness all summer that he had to carry – and it wasn’t fair. She wished, so desperately, that he’d told her long ago.
Conrad admits that he tried, but the time was never right. He tells her there’s a lot he wishes he could say, and while she tells him she doesn’t want this to be a bandaid, he assures her that it’s not.
Conrad stands up to join Belly, who jumped to her feet, and he seizes the moment after what felt like months to fans watching. We’re— pretty obviously — team Belly and Conrad here, and this moment was our summer wish.
You can see The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video now, and you can read the books by Jenny Han if you’ve not done so yet, while we painstakingly wait for the next season.
