“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is beloved by young audiences because it captures the excitement and fears of growing up against a beautiful seaside setting.
Season 1 follows the ups and downs of first love, mixing dreams with reality. Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah navigate these new feelings while their moms guide them and deal with their own romantic pursuits.
In Season 1, having Susannah and Laurel around helps balance the kids’ adventures and adds depth to the series. But in Season 2, their absence changes the tone.
As the teens face loss and change, the lack of parental support is noticeable. At first, it leads to fun and mischief, but eventually, they realize they can’t avoid their problems.
In Season 1 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Belly was excited to escape to Cousins Beach for a vacation. She left behind her hometown to enjoy a carefree time with her family and the Fishers.
However, when her best friend Taylor visited and hooked up with Belly’s brother, it caused tension. Belly didn’t want her vacation bubble to burst with drama from home.
Susannah’s Death Changes Everything
In Season 2, after Susannah’s tragic death, things change. The loss affects Belly’s relationships with the Fisher brothers and her own mother. With the adults gone, Belly, Steven, Taylor, and the Fisher boys rely on each other more.
Unlike before, this summer feels different. Reality intrudes on their beach getaway, and Belly realizes the importance of their tight-knit group as she grows up.
In episodes like “Love Game” and “Love Fool,” we see how having the whole group together makes “The Summer I Turned Pretty” more lively. The fun the kids have when they’re all together helps balance out the sad parts about grief.
When the Fishers’ cousin, Skye, and their mom, Julia, show up wanting to sell the summer house quickly, things get complicated. There’s an old feud between Julia and Susannah, causing them to be estranged from the family.
Skye seems to have taken on some of her mom’s bitterness. When the kids befriend Skye, she’s torn between forming her own opinions and following her mom’s lead.
Julia is in a hurry to sell the house and doesn’t care much about the boys’ feelings. This upsets Jeremiah and Conrad, who feel like she’s ignoring them to make things easier for herself.
As Conrad thinks about getting a lawyer to help keep the house, the rest of the gang helps calm him down. Just when we’re worried the kids are too stressed, they switch gears to play games and go camping.
In Season 2 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” the teens make the most of their last summer at Cousins Beach. They play games, like Truth or Dare, and this shows us how they’re growing and maturing. They learn to communicate better, solve problems, and support each other.