This Season of “The Summer I turned Pretty” has left some viewers in tears and others speechless. Many viewers were speechless due to the poor acting and awkward plot. The show has turned predictable because Belly is constantly going back and forth between the boys every season. The show released its first episode on July 16 and will continue to release one episode every Wednesday until the finale airs on Sept. 17. The choice to not release all the episodes at once made the show “not binge worthy,” according to online blogger Heidi Dischler. Using this tactic in the show creates the risk of losing viewers.
Author, screenwriter, and showrunner Jenny Hann tends to drop hints also known as “easter eggs.” Some of these include putting hints in crossword puzzles to keep viewers guessing and coming back each Wednesday for more. Fans have also been watching closely and noticing certain colors associated with each Fisher brother, Conrad being red and Jeremiah being blue. This comes into play when she is with one brother and wearing the other brother’s color.
One positive note is that Lola Tung, who plays Belly, and Hann are well known Taylor Swift fans. Hann includes multiple of Swift’s songs because she has her own personal connection and wants to capture the characters feelings and emotions. Some of the more popular songs included are “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” and “False God.” Hann chose Swift’s songs because she believes that they enhance the emotional depth, and she also uses them for fan connection. Fans may feel a certain way towards a character because of their personal experience with the song used in a scene. This allows viewers to have a deeper connection to the show.
The seasons of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” are all vastly different. The first season being fun, uplifting and full of all the summer feelings. The second season is immensely different, being more emotional, with a focus on getting older and life changes. Although the third season is more uplifting than the second, viewers are still not as attached as they were to the first. While watching you have to remember that there is a five year age difference between the first and third seasons, so viewers can not expect this season to be the same as the first season when they were five years younger.
The show is based off of three books, so some fans have been left either disappointed or pleasantly surprised by changes made in the show. Some viewers are sad that their favorite parts have been left out. Also, some very important parts of the plot have been left out, though the show does try to keep the same core parts and plot as the books. Some viewers are still not as emotionally connected to the show as they were to their favorite book series because it is not exactly portrayed the same as fans of the books would have thought. Hann stated in an interview with E-Magazine that she could “change the ending” leaving some fans desperately searching for “easter eggs” of what the ending could possibly end up being.
The viewers of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” have taken it upon themselves to pick teams, Team Jeremiah, or “Jellyfish,”Team Conrad, or “Bonrad,” and lastly “Team Belly.” These three teams have led to intense debates about who Belly should end up with. The people on Team Jeremiah believe that he is more supportive and is a very stable choice. Team Conrad fans have taken the debate online saying differently. A relationship expert Shan Boodram takes to her blog by saying, “a vote for Conrad is a vote for emotional stability.” Team Belly on the other hand believes that she is too emotionally immature. Fans have taken to social media by saying they are “Team Belly working on herself.” These fans have made the show very interactive. This keeps viewers coming back every episode to see if their minds have been changed. No matter the team, this season clearly has no winners.
