After three summers of love triangles and heartbreak, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” aired its season finale on Sept. 17. Fan reactions have taken over social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as they voice their opinions on the ongoing debate of “Team Conrad” versus “Team Jeremiah.”
This young adult series, written by Jenny Han and based on the book of the same name, centers on Isabella ‘Belly’ Conklin and her relationships with two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher, as she navigates family, friendships, loss, and romance.
The release of the third and final season reignited the heated debate between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah across various social media platforms, but it did not stop there. A recent poll of 71 Sparta students and faculty revealed that 89% identify as Team Conrad, 8% as Team Jeremiah, and 3% as Team Belly.
“Team Conrad, obviously. Jeremiah always has himself first, and he’s never really put Belly first,” says Junior Claire Bryant, when questioned on her favorite brother, claiming this season “confirmed her opinions.”
Unlike Bryant, who has been on Team Conrad from the beginning of the show, this season has converted some previous members of Team Jeremiah to Team Conrad. Senior Kal Dean, when asked about her allegiance, expressed that she is a recent Team Conrad convert.
“Before season 3, I was Team Jeremiah all the way, but during this season, I quickly switched to Conrad’s side. Looking back at all three seasons, I can see how it was going to be Conrad from the beginning,” said Dean, who now believes Jeremiah to be “childlike” compared to Conrad.
Similarly, senior Aubrey Neff has also converted to Team Conrad with the new season.
“Last season, I think Jeremiah’s character development went downhill, and they did that so Conrad could have a better character development, which he did. With how both characters’ personalities ended, Conrad was right for Belly.”
Overall, Sparta’s reactions to the ending of the third season have been fairly positive. Yet some, like Bryant, believe that the storyline was spaced out oddly and feel that the events of the last episode were “crammed.”
For fans who feel similarly, the author has decided to continue Belly’s story in an upcoming movie. With the release date undetermined, many fans are anxiously awaiting more news about the film.
“I hope to see the future of Belly and Conrad as parents at the summer house. I am excited to see what they do and whether they flash forward,” said Bryant.
Dean, like Bryant, wants to see Conrad and Belly’s wedding, but also hopes that the unexpected addition of the film does not ruin the show. Neff is also wary of adding a movie and hopes it does not hurt the franchise. Faculty are also intrigued by the news of the film, but have some reservations about this decision.
“I would watch it if they came out with a movie, but I’d be worried it would be bad like season two,” said English teacher Mr. Nick Vetrone, who says he is neither Team Conrad, Jeremiah, or Belly, opting for “Team Edward” instead.
With a strong Spartan lean towards Team Conrad, the upcoming film provides fans with more time with Belly and the Fisher brothers. Until then, students and faculty at Sparta can continue debating who’s the better brother.
