The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Love Scene
Jasmine Blu
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We're barely into the season, and it's already hitting us in the feelings at every turn.
The slow, steady pacing of the season as grief and sadness hang heavy over everything continued on The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 2.
But things kicked up a notch as we fell even more in love with Conrad and Belly during a pivotal flashback and grasped the full potential of Belly and Jeremiah in the present.
Much of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 1 was about dropping us into the lives of Belly and the others and catching up with some things that transpired throughout the year.
To say things got off to a slow start would be an understatement. And that sluggish, artsy pacing carried over into this installment too.
But alas, it didn't meander quite as much, and it had its worthwhile moments, as the crucial point of the hour that rolled into others was reuniting Belly and Jeremiah for the first time since Susannah's funeral.
There was a lot to unpack there, even with us knowing so very little about how things were the last time they saw each other.
But we knew they needed to make amends, clear the air, and ensure they had one another in each other's lives.
Before anything else, Belly and Jeremiah were best friends, and it was essential to see them both willing to acknowledge that and the value it brought to their lives and how they have been lacking ever since.
I was dying to see these two reunite and hash things out. Belly and Jeremiah have always had a special bond, but sadly, it never gets its due compared to what they deliver with her and Conrad.
As far as love triangles go, The Summer I Turned Pretty handles theirs well enough, and it's more balanced than most, but for a bit, there's no denying that Conrad had a leg up.
But that's only because of how much time and devotion goes into showing the impact of that particular dynamic.
And that's why it was fascinating to see the juxtaposition of Belly and Jeremiah together in the present, arriving in Cousins, and entering the beach house to Belly and Conrad in the past, roughly six months prior, making a winter trip to their coveted beach and stealing sweet and sexy moments together.
The awkwardness between Belly and Jeremiah was understandable, and Belly did her best to dispel some of it until it all boiled over during the tire blow-out fiasco.
I loved seeing my girl take charge during the moment, setting aside the cautious, tiptoeing she did around Jeremiah's feelings and instead trying to talk him through changing the tire.
You think I'm pissed about the funeral? The funeral was fucked; everyone was messed up. I'm pissed about last summer. Belly, you were my best friend. We hooked up, then you hooked up with my brother, and then everyone expected me to act like I was fine, and I wasn't!
Jeremiah
Although, I was puzzled as to why she didn't just take over completely.
But the heightened tension between them exploded in a necessary way for them to express themselves and start the path toward moving forward.
Thus far, one of the season's highlights is that Jeremiah is getting the space to express himself and his feelings and get his perspective out there.
He's not just someone who this love triangle happens to, but he's an active part of it, and the fallout of Conrad and Belly falling so completely for each other does come in the form of the hurt both of them have caused Jeremiah.
Belly: When Susannah was sick, I was so focused on Conrad and on being there for him, and I should've been there for you, too, okay? And I forgot about you, and I hate myself for that. I hate myself--I hate that I let you down.
Jeremiah: It happened so fast, Belly. It was really, really bad. I had Dad and Conrad, sort of, but I needed you, but you just weren't there. you left me.
Belly: Hey, I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere.
In Conrad's absence during most of the present, interestingly enough, Jeremiah gets to come from beneath the shadow Conrad casts in Belly's world.
Jeremiah is the life of the party and an easygoing free spirit in all regards, compared to the more internal, introverted, and broody Conrad. In most aspects of life, Jeremiah's larger-than-life personality would lead one to believe that he never has to be in Conrad's shadow.
But that's part of the deceptive thing about people like Jeremiah. No one ever suspects how they're struggling because they can hide it behind a charming, inviting demeanor.
And the hour digs into that complexity a bit. In his moment of vulnerability with Belly, he's still every bit the younger brother who feels a bit shafted because Conrad got the attention and focus.
Belly is one of his best friends, and she spent more time ensuring that he was okay with everything that happened to Susannah -- she forgot about Jeremiah.
And once again, he's this afterthought who falls to the wayside, and his feelings are as well. I loved that Belly owned up to her behavior and genuinely and sincerely apologized for that.
She now recognizes how much Jeremiah was hurting, twice over, and that he didn't have anyone to turn to in that regard. He had his brother and father a bit, but he still needed her, too.
Again, Lola Tung was positively magical during that scene. She truly pours her all into every second of conveying Belly's feelings, emoting with every ounce of her body and inflection in her voice.
Why does he still have this pull on me? I don't want to see him, and I can't wait for it all at the same time.
Belly Voiceover
It's this young woman's breakout role, and she is truly breaking out with it. It's a noticeable comfort in her depiction of Belly as she's settled into the role, and her performance is more seasoned.
And Gavin Caselegno, with a bit more to chew on, held his own well enough. He gets to stretch his legs a bit more this season with the subject matter that's explored, and it's enough to have me looking forward to what he delivers moving forward.
It genuinely helped to have our introduction to the youngest Fisher boy first before the drama unfolds with Conrad.
After his and Belly's breakthrough, I wonder how they'll feed us the Belly and Jeremiah ship goodness that could give her and Conrad a run for its money.
Their present-day moments were managed well, but those Conrad and Belly flashbacks were everything.
They capture all of the wonder, purity, and consuming excitement of young love so well.
Christopher Briney perfectly executes the love-struck romantic male lead. Sure, he's in the early stages of pulling this off, but he still has that special something that makes you an instant believer.
He's not quite there yet, but he could be well on his way to reminding one of some of the best of the Romantic Male Lead Golden Age of the '90s.
Conrad sneaks secret looks at Belly like she holds the secrets of the universe and the key to his heart.
Every sideways glance in the car elicits the butterflies, partly because we've spent so long seeing Belly fawning over Conrad that it's genuinely refreshing to see their love story through his eyes, even in stolen moments when the camera pans to his face.
And Belly is typically none the wiser, making it all the more endearing. These moments of fondness, affection, and love are solely for the audience most of the time, meaning that Briney does a lot of heavy lifting in those moments between dialogue.
He especially nailed those moments during their winter fun at the beach house.
Belly is just so innocent and aloof in that endearing, relatable way where she still isn't fully cognizant of the effect she has on those around her.
Conrad genuinely wanted to make a move or two at the fireplace; the moment was set, and the same happened outside when they were playing in the snow.
But you could see the conflict of him being totally enraptured by Belly and not actually wanting to push her into something.
In that sense, it worked so incredibly well, especially in showcasing Belly's agency as a young woman, that she's the one who initiates things.
Conrad: We should probably...
Belly: No, no. Dont stop.
She went from seemingly aloof to his overtures to flat making her own, letting him know she was ready to make love with him and share this special moment in a place they both loved.
And the love scene was absolutely beautiful. Conrad and Belly were in their own special world, and we were right there with them, almost enough to make you feel like you were imposing on this sweet yet life-altering moment of intimacy between them.
It was such an incredibly shot scene with the warm lighting, the two bathed in the warm light from the fireplace. Conrad focused exclusively on her eyes, reading the moment, her, and conveying his feelings where his tacitness trips him up before sliding down to the infinity necklace he gave her, and it was such an evocative moment.
I appreciated Belly's confidence at the moment, even though traditionally, she'd be seen as going into this with the lesser hand, the least sexually experienced teen girl who has obsessed over this boy for most of her life.
Conrad, there's only you. There's only ever been you.
Belly
It was important to feel like she and Conrad were equals in that moment; both had everything to gain and just as much to lose with this moment of pure love, vulnerability, and trust.
Again, the The Summer I Turned Pretty Soundtrack came through, and this series' musical director is an M.V.P.
Interlacing that scene, Belly's soft confession that it has always been Conrad in his sleeping form with her stepping into the beach house to face him again was well done.
Admittedly, the timeline back and forth is still a chore at times, albeit necessary too. But there are moments when it does the job well, and that final scene was a prime example.
Belly's voiceover amid that love scene made it abundantly clear why Conrad always has this hold on her -- why she dreaded facing him again but also couldn't wait.
If the premiere and this hour seemed sluggish as we waded through all of the emotions and flashbacks, the final moments of this hour felt like a necessary spark.
We had Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah all together again, tension filling the room at the beach house, which is on the cusp of getting sold.
Conrad didn't seem happy that Belly was there, but he's always kept his real feelings so close to the vest that he's an eternal enigma.
But alas, whatever transpired between them, they can either set it aside or power through it, but whatever path they take, it's essential because it'll take all of them to fight for Susannah's beach house and everything it represents.
I held my breath during those final moments, then eagerly looked forward to pressing Play on the next installment.
Beach Musings:
- Jackie Chung remains underrated in this series, and while understandably, there's a lot of focus on Belly and the boys in extension to her, I am craving more Laurel content-- but those quiet moments of grief are a gut punch.
- It was interesting to hear Steven talking to Laurel about his scholarships and even certain things with Belly. It's evident that Laurel checked out of her kids' lives, and both he and Belly have done a lot of self-raising in the interim.
- Laurel's memoir about her friendship with Susannah being named "It's Not Summer Without You" was a nice touch.
- Have I mentioned how great Lola Tung is? Yes? Well, I'm mentioning it again, dammit.
Over to you, Summer I Turned Pretty Fanatics.
Was the buildup to that fateful reunion worth it? What did you think of how the series handled Belly and Conrad's first time? Sound off below.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
