The Summer I Turned Pretty returns for another season on July 14, and it is sure to be filled with a lot of drama, romance, and will-they-won’t-they. The trailer for the second season shares a glimpse of the beloved characters — some of which are unfamiliar faces. But before we see Belly (Lola Tung) and the rest of the crew onscreen, here is a recap of what went down in Season 1.
The Conklins Return to Cousins Beach
Episode 1, entitled “Summer House,” sees the return of the Conklin family — Belly, her mom Laurel (Jackie Chung), and her older brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) — to the small yet charming town of Cousins Beach to reunite with the Fishers, which consist of Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), and her two sons Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). These two families have been friends for many years, so the kids grew up together. Belly explains that they visit them during the summer season to just spend time with them and relax. She also confesses that she has had a crush on Conrad since they were kids, and she may or may not still feel the same way.
Belly wants things to be the same. However, what changed this time around is Belly — now with no braces and glasses, and obviously more mature. Jeremy greets her with a big embrace, but Conrad acts a bit off, which throws Belly aback, but she sets it aside for now. After all, she’s just happy to be back.
What’s the Deal With Belly and Cam?
Belly meets a shy, curly-haired whale enthusiast named Cam (David Iacono) during a bonfire party, a party that her brother did not permit her to go to. When she finds herself alone, taking a breather, she encounters Cam. They quickly bond when they realize that they met before during a Latin convention back in seventh grade. By the end, they share a cute kiss before Belly leaves. As the gang comes back home, they are scolded by Laurel. However, we see Belly looking all flustered and gushes about it to her best friend Taylor (Rain Spencer) through text.
For the next couple of days in Cousins Beach, Belly and Cam continue to get to know together, going on little dates, learning about each other’s hobbies, and just feeling free — a cute first relationship for Belly. There’s even a time when the two are enjoying a drive-in movie date, but they are interrupted by the boys, much to Belly’s annoyance. However, throughout all this, we can see Belly still trying to figure out her feelings for Conrad, and it’s something that became obvious for Cam. One day, Cam asks Belly to hang out. As they sit on the beach, Belly confesses that while Cam is an incredible guy, she doesn’t want to lead him on, saying that she can’t force herself to love him the way he deserves to. And, well, that’s the end of this summer fling. For those who want to see more of Cam, he will be back in the second season!
All About Susannah and Laurel
Besides the teens and their problems, one of the precious things about this show is the pure friendship between Susannah and Laurel. They have been through thick and thin. Laurel is a devoted parent and is often strict about a lot of things. She is also recently divorced and is now trying to find herself once more. Susannah, on the other hand, is more laid-back and optimistic about life, always the light of the room. Marriage is also complicated on her end, as she actually caught her husband with his secretary. One of the major fights these two women got into was in Episode 4, entitled “Summer Heat” because Laurel secretly invited Adam, Susannah’s estranged husband to their Fourth of July party. This is the moment Susannah tells Laurel the truth about her marriage. Laurel also encounters a problem of her own, which is regarding her ex-husband and his new partner also attending the party, causing her to feel a bit insecure. But since Susannah and Laurel are literal platonic soulmates, they soon make up.
During a confusing period of her life, Laurel is also seen getting into the dating life again. She meets a fellow author, Cleveland Castillo (Alfredo Narciso), and they end up hooking up quite a few times. As for Susannah, she also had some fun with a stranger when they are enjoying a girls’ night out. This is something that Susannah needs — something fun, chaotic, and free — because she hasn’t felt that way in a while because of her cancer. But Laurel is always trying her best to be with her best friend, to make her as happy as possible. It’s probably the best friendship on the show.
Steven Gets a Job and Faces Girl Problems
The subplot of this show focuses on Steven. We see him hanging out with Shayla (Minnie Mills), and they become close throughout the episodes. When they are on the beach, Shayla even asks Steven to be her date to the upcoming debutante ball — which is a huge point in the show later on. Things are going well for the couple until it’s not. During a party, Belly catches him and Taylor kissing upstairs, showing a crack in Steven’s character. When Shayla learns about it, Steven profusely apologizes, but deep down, he knows that things will never be the same between them. Besides relationships, he also got a job at a country club, working for wealthy (and slightly problematic) men. By the end, we see him and Shayla still together. However, it is said that for the next season, they will be broken up.
Belly and Jeremiah’s Whirlwind Fling
Moving on to one part of the famous love triangle — Belly and Jeremiah. For those who haven’t read the books, this is a bit of a surprise. For one, Jeremiah never really showed that he sees Belly that way, it only became visible when he starts to see something happening between her and Conrad. Jeremiah is — at least, in the first season — actually not too bad a guy. He often just does his own thing, flirting with both girls and guys. He’s more outgoing than this brother, and, like his mom, is usually the life of the party. Belly has always loved him, but never that way.
Things between him and Belly pick up in Episode 5, “Summer Catch.” After Belly tells Conrad that she is not going to wait for him anymore, and breaking up with Cam, she goes to the pool, where Jeremiah also joins in. Jeremiah tells her about how he feels, and it ends with them sharing a kiss. In the next episode, during a volleyball tournament, Taylor even shares that she is Team Jelly.
During a boat party, Conrad’s girlfriend Nicole (Summer Madison) and her crew accidentally see Conrad’s message to Belly, asking her about the ball. This ends with them stealing Belly and Taylor’s clothes, causing the two friends to walk back home with a mere towel between them, but thankfully, the Fisher brothers saved the day. Jeremiah and Belly drove together, and at one point, indulged in a makeout session. In the season finale, the two go to the highly anticipated debutante ball together. However, before the big dance, Jeremiah slips away as he learns about his mom’s diagnosis for the first time — and this is when Conrad steps in.
It All Comes Back to Belly’s First Love, AKA Conrad
Conrad has been a mysterious guy, right off the bat. He appears to be closed off since the first episode, and it’s something that everyone notices. But eventually, we find out that the reason he’s like this is because he is trying to cope after learning about Susannah’s cancer, which he just stumbled upon in an accident. He has to keep everything inside because he doesn’t want anyone to know, especially his brother. This, in turn, affected his relationship with the people he loves, such as Belly. He tries to say how he feels about her, but, as we can see, it has been a struggle.
As mentioned, Belly has had a crush on him since they were little — almost everyone knows it. And she has dreamed of being with him one day. After all, he’s her first love, and as Nicole says to her at the ball, your first love never goes away. No matter how many times Belly brushes off Conrad, telling him that it’s too late, she can’t just shut off her feelings. You can’t fight love. At the ball, we see him replacing Jeremiah for the dance, and it ends with him saying he was glad that he was the one who danced with her.
Things after that become another level of complicated because now the truth about Susannah is out. The Fisher brothers convince her to undergo chemo, but this very moment is something that would change their whole lives forever. The last scene of the season shows Conrad and Belly on the beach, where Conrad finally tells Belly everything. Then, we see them (finally) kiss. It seems like Belly has gotten what she has dreamed of — but will this happy feeling last?
Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty will be releasing its first three episodes on Friday, July 14. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
