The Ultimate Recap: 7 Shocking Twists And The Messy Love Triangle Ending Of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, which premiered in July 2023, delivered a tidal wave of drama, grief, and a love triangle so messy it split the fandom in two. As of December 19, 2025, the series remains a massive cultural touchstone, with fans still hotly debating Belly’s ultimate decision and the heartbreaking events that defined the summer after Susannah’s death. This season moved past the lighthearted romance of the first, diving deep into the emotional turmoil of loss and the complicated reality of growing up.
The second installment, primarily adapting the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You, immediately established a darker tone. The carefree days at Cousins Beach were replaced by a painful new reality: the Fisher family matriarch, Susannah, passed away after her cancer returned. This tragedy serves as the central catalyst, shattering the bonds between Belly Conklin, Conrad Fisher, and Jeremiah Fisher, and forcing them to confront their grief while fighting to save the one place that holds all their memories.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Main Cast & Character Profiles
The second season saw the return of the core cast, alongside two significant new additions who acted as formidable antagonists to the main group. Here is a look at the central players and their biographies.
- Lola Tung as Isabelle "Belly" Conklin
- Biography: Born in 2002/2003, Lola Tung is a rising American actress who made her professional acting debut as Belly Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty. She studied at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and later attended Carnegie Mellon University’s drama program. Her portrayal of Belly, navigating first love and profound grief, cemented her status as a breakout star.
- Character Arc (Season 2): Belly starts the season isolated and heartbroken after her breakup with Conrad and the loss of Susannah. Her journey is about finding her way back to the people she loves and ultimately choosing to pursue a relationship with Jeremiah, believing Conrad is no longer an option.
- Christopher Briney as Conrad Fisher
- Biography: Born in 1998, Christopher Briney is an American actor known for his roles in Dalíland and, most prominently, as the brooding, emotionally closed-off Conrad Fisher. He graduated from Pace University’s BFA program in Acting for Film, TV, Voiceover, and Commercials.
- Character Arc (Season 2): Conrad is struggling with his mother’s death and the pressure of Brown University. His inability to communicate his feelings—especially his enduring love for Belly—leads to misunderstandings and pushes her away, even as he fights desperately to save the Cousins Beach house.
- Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah "Jere" Fisher
- Biography: Born in 1999, Gavin Casalegno is an American actor and model who began his career as a child actor, appearing in films like Noah. His role as the charming and open-hearted Jeremiah Fisher has earned him a massive following, placing him firmly in the center of the "Team Jeremiah" fandom.
- Character Arc (Season 2): Jeremiah is initially angry and distant following Susannah’s death. He and Belly reconnect over their shared grief and a mutual desire to protect the beach house. He is the more emotionally available brother, which ultimately leads Belly to choose him in the season finale.
- Kyra Sedgwick as Aunt Julia
- Character Role: Susannah’s estranged half-sister. Julia inherits Susannah’s share of the beach house and, motivated by her own complicated past and financial necessity, decides to sell the property, creating the main conflict of the season.
- Elsie Fisher as Skye
- Character Role: Julia’s non-binary child. Skye is a new character not featured in the books. Their presence provides a fresh perspective and eventually helps Julia see the emotional value of the beach house to the Fisher and Conklin families.
- Other Key Returning Cast: Sean Kaufman (Steven Conklin), Jackie Chung (Laurel Park), Rachel Blanchard (Susannah Fisher - flashbacks), Rain Spencer (Taylor Jewel).
The High-Stakes Plot: Saving Cousins Beach and Navigating Grief
The core narrative of Season 2 is a race against time to prevent the sale of the beloved Cousins Beach house. This plot is a significant departure from the second book, which focused more on the characters' individual grief and Belly’s academic struggles. The TV adaptation introduced the new characters, Aunt Julia and Skye, to personify the threat to the house, making the stakes immediately higher and more tangible for the audience.
The season is structured around a series of flashbacks, detailing the painful year following the Season 1 finale: Belly and Conrad's short-lived, tumultuous relationship, Susannah’s decline, and the subsequent fracturing of the group. The present timeline sees Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah uniting in a desperate attempt to convince Aunt Julia to keep the house. Steven and Taylor also join the cause, providing much-needed comic relief and emotional support amidst the heavy themes of loss and betrayal.
The journey to save the house takes the group on a road trip, culminating in a tense standoff with Julia. This forced proximity reignites the romantic tension, leading to some of the season’s most debated moments. The introduction of Skye, who is initially aligned with their mother's decision to sell, adds a layer of complexity. Skye’s eventual understanding of the house's emotional significance helps turn the tide, but not before the love triangle reaches its peak intensity.
7 Shocking Moments and the Definitive Ending Explained
The second season was packed with emotional gut punches and significant deviations from the source material, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion. These are the seven moments that defined the season and how Belly's choice was finally made.
- The Funeral Flashback: The scene detailing Susannah’s funeral and the subsequent argument between Belly and Conrad was arguably the season's most heartbreaking moment. It revealed the depth of their mutual pain and why their relationship ultimately failed, setting the tone for their distant dynamic throughout the season.
- Aunt Julia’s Arrival and the Sale Threat: The sudden introduction of Susannah's estranged half-sister, Julia, and her immediate decision to put the beach house up for sale was the main plot shock. This high-stakes conflict gave the "save the house" mission its urgency and served as a powerful metaphor for the loss of their childhood innocence.
- Belly and Jeremiah's Kiss: While trying to save the house, Belly and Jeremiah share a passionate kiss, confirming the reignition of their romance. This moment was a major flashpoint for fans, officially escalating the love triangle and signaling a shift in Belly's focus away from Conrad.
- The Volleyball Comeback: Belly’s decision to rejoin her volleyball team is a seemingly small but crucial moment of personal growth. It symbolizes her moving past her year of grief and isolation, reclaiming her identity, and choosing to look forward rather than dwell on the past.
- Conrad's Near-Confession: During a rainstorm, Conrad almost confesses his enduring feelings to Belly, telling her he "always thought" they would end up together. His inability to fully commit and his subsequent retraction of the statement due to his emotional state solidified Belly's belief that he was still too emotionally unavailable.
- The Motel Room Confession: The final confrontation in the motel room is where the love triangle comes to a head. Belly finally confronts Conrad about his mixed signals and chooses to believe that Jeremiah is the one who sees and accepts her fully.
- The Definitive Ending: Belly Chooses Jeremiah: The Season 2 finale sees Belly choosing Jeremiah. While sitting on a bench at Brown University, she tells Conrad that she can no longer wait for him to be ready. She then calls Jeremiah and tells him she wants to be with him, confirming that she is ready to move forward with the younger Fisher brother. The final shot is Belly rejoining her volleyball team, symbolizing her looking to the future with Jeremiah by her side.
The Love Triangle Debate: Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah
The central pillar of The Summer I Turned Pretty remains the love triangle, and Season 2 intensified the debate like never before. The season's narrative made a strong case for both brothers, leading to a polarized fan reaction.
The Case for Jeremiah
Jeremiah’s appeal in Season 2 was his emotional transparency. He was the one who was present for Belly, sharing his grief and being consistently clear about his feelings. He offered Belly a sense of stability and fun that Conrad, consumed by his own pain, could not. Fans of "Team Jeremiah" saw this as Belly prioritizing her own happiness and choosing a healthy, communicative relationship over the volatile passion she shared with Conrad.
The Case for Conrad
Conrad's supporters, "Team Conrad," argued that his emotional distance was a direct result of his profound grief over his mother and the stress of his academic life at Brown University. They saw his actions—like driving all night to save the house and his subtle acts of care—as proof of a deeper, more enduring love. For them, Belly's choice felt premature, believing that Conrad was her true soulmate, as the first book suggested.
Ultimately, the season positioned Belly's decision as a choice for self-preservation. She chose the relationship that felt less complicated and more immediate, setting up a major conflict for the confirmed third season, which will adapt the final book, We'll Always Have Summer. The final season is expected to explore the consequences of this decision and the inevitable return to the "Conrad vs. Jeremiah" dynamic.
Topical Authority: Exploring Key Themes and Entities
Season 2 expertly wove in several complex themes, giving the show a deeper emotional resonance beyond the typical teen romance genre. Key entities and themes explored include:
- Grief and Loss: Susannah’s death is the emotional core, exploring how different characters—Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Laurel—process profound loss and how it affects their relationships.
- Cousins Beach: More than just a location, the beach house is an entity representing childhood, memory, and stability. The fight to save it is a fight to preserve their past.
- Mother-Daughter Dynamics: Laurel Park's struggle to write her second book and her complicated relationship with Belly, particularly after Susannah's passing, adds a mature layer to the storyline.
- Brown University: Conrad’s academic life and the pressures of college serve as a backdrop for his emotional state, highlighting the stress he is under.
- Volleyball: Belly’s passion for volleyball represents her personal identity and return to normalcy, a critical entity in her journey of self-rediscovery.
- The Second Book Adaptation: The season is a loose adaptation of Jenny Han’s novel, It’s Not Summer Without You, but the addition of Aunt Julia and Skye demonstrates the show's willingness to create new, high-stakes drama for the screen.
With Belly and Jeremiah officially together and Conrad left heartbroken, fans are eagerly anticipating the next chapter. The third season promises to be the most dramatic yet, as the love triangle’s final act plays out.
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