I thought season 3 was gonna fix it but it's not getting better. My biggest complaint about the show is how underdevelopped Belly is outside of the boys she's in love with. Conrad and Jeremiah have quite personality of their own. They have passions that are part of their character (or in Jeremiah's case, lack of). Conrad is closed off and has a hard time confronting his emotions, which is true for every aspect of his life (not only romantic) and he has often panick attacks, probably due to him always bottling everything inside. He's also academically smart, confrontational and the show often focuses on him having to step up as the oldest, which is quite interesting to see. Jeremiah is cool, relaxed dude, who just wants to have fun and not take things seriously, which could explain how now in season 3, he doesn't seems to have a drive and feels lost. He feels the needs to compare himself to Conrad because Conrad seems to have things figured out. I don't know if it's the writers intentions but Jeremiah comes off as a bit of a "nice guy", in the Dawson from Dawson's Creek type of way, like "Sorry for what, Conrad dumping you?" Is an objectively nasty and cruel thing to say to your so-called best friend.

Belly is a romantic, sensitive and what else ? Her inner monologue is so repetitive it's not even funny. It's always about Conrad and Jeremiah. The last time her inner monologue wasn't about those two boys, it was in the first episode of season 1 (and even then it was about how boys never looked at her). She giggles a lot and what else ? There's no other dimensions to her romantic persona. Never Have I Ever is another show that focuses heavily on romance, with the love triangle being central to Devi's character but she doesn't only have that. She's impulsive, a control-freak, smart, and power-driven (and all of those traits are not only used in her romance life but in other aspect of her life like friendships, rivals, family and school), she could be a bad friend, which was acknoledged by the show but got better progressively . Same thing with Buffy from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

All of Belly's convo with Taylor are about either Conrad or Jeremiah. One thing I think My life with the Walter boys did better than the summer I turned pretty, was making Jackie nicer than Belly is. Jackie is a girl's girl and is not fighting Erin over Cole, instead she's supporting her to look for something better. From the jump, Belly ATTACK Nicole with an aggressive "who the hell are you ? " and we do not see her being really friendly with Nicole that much. At the end, the convo between the two is mostly about how Conrad is wrong for Belly than how Nicole has been screwed over by him. And still, it's not enough to tell me who Belly is. Her volleyball thingy is just there when it's convenient to her love life, once again. Even when Steven was hit at the hospital, what were her thoughts then ? Why couldn't we dive into what she was thinking for one of her family member ? And it was just a device to realize that she needed to give Jeremiah another chance ??

Her being incredibly inconsiderate of Conrad's grief feelings is just viewed as normal by the rest of them and it's even seen as if it was Conrad who was a dick and don't get me started at the funeral, how rude was that (I'm glad Laurel called her out on it tho). Again, it's not enough to tell me who she is outside of those romantic relationship. Is she just like that in the other aspects of her life ? What are the other aspects of her life that aren't directly linked to the boys ? When Steven said that Belly is an incredibly complex and AMAZING person and stuff, I was just looking like, okay ? Because I haven't exactly saw the aspects of her personality because in romance.... she's not exactly the best. Her line in season 3 like "how yeah, you were the one who weren't supposed to hurt me", I was like how about you don't hurt others too, how about that ? How about them apples ? People said that Conrad loves Belly because she makes him happy and laugh and they cannot really gives me another reason. And for Jeremiah, well, the reasons are not rushing out. Again, Never Have I Ever comparaison, Paxton and Ben liked Devi for different reasons. Paxton liked Devi because of her outspoken nature, and how she pushed him academically and morally. Ben liked Devi because of her competitive nature that challenged him (which in season 4, they both realized at the beginning, was bit toxic for the both of them), ugh the writing on this show was amazing, but let's get back to tsitp.

I cannot even tell if she had growth or not as a character because... i don't know her. She's not worse than Bella Swan from Twilight I guess but still.

“All this time, I wanted to believe I had changed. That I’m not the same girl I was. But I am still her and was that girl so bad? She followed her heart no matter what. And despite all of her mistakes, I have to believe she’s still worthy of love. I still love her. And I still love him.” - Belly

This resonates with teenage & adult me (15+ year ago) so much. It healed something inside of me I didn’t even know was still there. I keep seeing Belly’s declaration of love quote to Conrad getting the love, but I think Belly’s declaration of love for her true self is just as significant :)

I feel like people in general have been overly harsh on Belly for leading on both brothers. While I don’t think she’s entirely innocent, people seem to forget that she saw Susannah as a second mother, often times feeling more connected to Susannah than her own mother. She was grieving her loss as well, with much less support than either of the boys had, and much less grace given to that loss as well and held to a much harsher standard than anyone else in her situation.

In addition, she’s been in love with Conrad since she was 12, and compounding with Susannah’s loss, she feels like she’s losing both of the boys as well, the boys she’s put on a pedestal since she was a child. She’s understandably depressed, sad, but unable to grieve in order to support not only the boys, but her mom as well.

Could she have handled it differently? Sure. But to demand foresight and thought from a grieving 17 year old? I think people could stand to give her some grace here.

This just confirms, that when Belly's with Conrad, her true feelings come out. When she's with Jeremiah, she's supressing.

People are seriously undermining the fictional character that is Belly.

#Justice4Belly

I've followed this story and don't understand how so many people haven't picked up on basic details.

Belly has grown up with Conrad and Jeremiah her entire life. As soon as she was able to have a crush, she had a crush on Conrad. Conrad had a crush on another girl.

The show is literally named "The Summer I turned pretty." This Meaning, we knew the setup. The nerdy family girl who was always hanging around was suddenly going to turn attractive and create a love triangle of sorts. That's why we are here, folks.

Except, we get thrown this throat lump of the cancerous death of the mother who brought all of these main characters together.

This show is about teenagers mapping out emotions, boundaries, communication, mourning, and hormones!

The main character, Belly, is trying to sort out the suddenness of getting attention and losing an aunt figure.

From what I understand is that her and Conrad tried out a relationship. Conrad was all Belly wanted. Until she realized how Conrad shuts down and shuts people out. Her fairytale she built up in her mind about Conrad wasn't how it really played out. Conrad also learned a lesson on communication and handling his emotions.

Jeremiah had a conversation with his mother about putting his feelings first. To quit faking happiness. When Belly talks about Jeremiah's kiss; she said it was very hot.

So, finally, her and Conrad have a conversation, and Belly makes it clear they move forward as friends. Even in her narration, she says this is the best way to move forward. Since Conrad can't seem to find the proper time to tell her his real feelings. Belly is completely oblivious that he even cares for her. Because of how he treated her and how he told her

THEY WERE A MISTAKE.

So Belly mourned that. Accepted that. Conrad wasn't who she dreamt up in her mind. They're friends now. She's also trying to keep the magic of Susannah alive. She's also trying to make everything right. As a TEENAGER.

Conrad is possibly moving to Stanford. Belly can join Finch with Jeremiah. All season, Belly's best friend has noticed her and Jeremiah's connection. Jeremiah himself believes he can make Belly the happiest. The only other person who knows how Conrad feels is Steven. Even though Conrad has had plenty of opportunities to tell Belly how he feels. Again, teens trying to sort out communications and emotions at a difficult time.

Belly sees things as all fixed. They kept the beach house. Her and her mom patched things. Her and Conrad are official friends. She made a magical night happen. Conrad will be moving away. Her and Jeremiah could possibly live on the same campus. Jeremiah seems like the obvious choice for her.

Truth: I haven't read the books. I'm just a fan of the show. But based on how the characters are written; Conrad seems way too serious and closed off for Belly. Her and Jeremiah are playful and emotional. Conrad seems better fit for someone more serious, calm, and mature like himself.

Rant over. Quit hating on my girl, Belly.

Belly is fundamentally a good person. She made a few mistakes but that's what makes her human, she was 16yo and was confused. Conrad constantly messed w her mind (he says he loves her and an hour later he takes it back??) and Jeremiah bombed her w all this love though he knew a part of was in love with Conrad..

Belly was committed to Conrad when they were together but still put an effort to fix her friendship with her best friend. And belly was committed to Jeremiah for 4 yrs...

She truly loved both Conrad and Jeremiah (and cut her a little slack, I bet that if two gorgeous boys loved you when you were 16, you wld have behaved 10x worse than her)

Also, people only point out the fact that belly cheated on Jeremiah in s1 but Conrad cheated on Nicole, Jeremiah hooked up w a lot of ppl that summer and Steven cheated on Shayla.

The only time I didn't like Belly's behavior was at Susannah's funeral. Considering Conrad had just lost his mother, I thought Belly could have been more supportive and composed, rather than letting her emotions get the better of her. So if this is the reason why you don't like belly then that's valid.

But I believe Belly receives all this criticism due to internalized misogyny. The audience tends to hold female leads to an unrealistic standard, while granting male leads more leniency for their mistakes. In reality, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly all make impulsive and make immature decisions (which is a natural part of being teenagers/being 21-22) This double standard highlights a broader issue, where female characters are scrutinized and blamed more harshly than their male counterparts.

Imagine if she stuck it out as a nerdy teen and didn’t have looks to fall back on and worked on multiples aspects of her personality for character development and was funny, smart, talented, capable, bright, charming and THEN discovered that you can work on your looks at any point. Lol 😂 that would’ve been nice. Oh WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN!! 🤣🤣🤣

I’ve watched the show twice in a row since it’s come out now and decided to check out the books. So far I have only read the first book but I can confidently say that the show is far better judging by the first book. Belly can be annoying in the show but she is insufferable in the books. She is selfish and bitter so much of the time, and there were never moments where I was truly rooting for her happy ending. When she confronted Conrad at the end, bluntly confessing her love to him and then calling him selfish and terrible for not feeling the same while he literally had a girlfriend, I was in actual shock. Belly in the books is so out of touch from everyone else, even at the end when she is conrad are sitting on the beach after the reveal about susanna and then she KISSES him like babe PLEASE read the room. Yet again, even in this moment of tenderness where conrad is going through it somehow she makes the moment about her getting that perfect summer kiss she’s been pining for, like it’s a trophy or something. Yes conrad was an ass there’s no denying that, but the way belly acts like the poor victim everytime she doesn’t get way is such a turn off. Even the way she fully ghosts Cam just because things get awkward and she’ll always love Conrad. It’s immature and rude. I get it, she’s fifteen, she’s in love, many emotions, but at the same time basic respect feels like something you learn at seven. The first book really makes me root for Jeremiah, not as a ship with Belly, but just as a character. Belly really doesn’t deserve him and he honestly gets the most depth out of all the characters here in my opinion. Too bad that didn’t translate into the show… In the show I am 100% team Conrad but in the book I am 100% team Jeremiah. Of course I will finish the series but DAMN if Belly does not grow tf up and at least develop one likeable trait this is gonna be a rough ride. I could go into more depth about my quarrels with her character, but right now it is just impossible to sympathize with her. Does anyone else feel the same?

In so many teen dramas, the heroine is either never shown eating, or food is only used as a prop - a milkshake at a diner, an untouched salad, a coffee cup in hand while walking down school hallways. It creates this quiet but powerful message that “cool” or “desirable” girls don’t have appetites, that they’re above something as ordinary as being hungry.

In contrast, Belly actually eats. She asks for food, says she’s hungry, snacks while hanging around the boys, and we see the people around her (Conrad, Jeremiah, Steven, even her mom) making sure she has something to eat. That normalcy makes her feel more real and less like a glossy, airbrushed TV character.

What also stands out is that Belly’s body looks healthy and relatable. She doesn’t fall into that unrealistic “Hollywood teen” mold of being impossibly thin while somehow having the energy to swim, party, cry, dance, and survive heartbreak all summer. Instead, she looks like a normal girl soft in some places, glowing in others, and comfortable enough to wear shorts, sundresses, or a bikini without the camera shaming her. That relatability is huge for young audiences, especially when so many shows glamorize one type of body or silently suggest that you’re only worth noticing if you’re waif-like.

So in a way, The Summer I Turned Pretty flips the script, it gives us a heroine who is loved, desired, and central to the story while also being allowed to have an appetite. And that feels quietly revolutionary for a teen show.

Belly feels like a normal teenager in a way so few heroines on screen do. She isn’t written as the polished, flawless “main girl” who always has perfect comebacks, perfect hair, and perfect choices. Instead, she’s messy at times confused, tense, insecure, often unsure of herself, and sometimes making choices that viewers want to scream at. And that’s exactly what makes her feel real.

So much of the show is about her stepping out of her comfort zone, testing boundaries, and learning who she is. We see her stumble, try too hard, misread people, get hurt, and still keep moving. That awkwardness is the point: growing up isn’t about looking perfect or making the “right” choice every time. It’s about finding your way through mistakes. Belly embodies that, and it’s both frustrating and comforting to watch because it mirrors the teenage experience so well.

And then there’s how she’s presented visually. Belly doesn’t hide behind filters of perfection. She has freckles across her face and doesn’t cover them up. Sometimes her nails are chipped, her hair isn’t perfectly styled, her skin looks like actual skin with texture, with imperfections, with the glow of being out in the sun too long. She walks around barefoot, wears mismatched pajamas, throws on hoodies, or ties her hair up without fuss. She doesn’t always look “photo-ready” she looks like a girl actually living in summer.

That comfort in her own skin, even when she feels insecure inside, makes her so relatable. She isn’t trying to perform “coolness” the way so many teen characters do. She isn’t edited into a fantasy she’s allowed to be soft, imperfect, and growing. And still, she’s the heroine. Still, she’s loved and noticed. Still, the whole story turns around her.

This matters because it expands the definition of what a heroine can look and act like in a teen drama. Belly shows that you don’t have to be flawless, confident, or perpetually camera-ready to be central, to be important, to be loved. Sometimes, it’s in the freckles, the chipped nails, the insecurities, and even the bad decisions that a character becomes real.