Belly finally made her choice after nearly exhaustive back and forth between the two brothers. But did she make the right choice?

Opinions on that will differ based on whose team you're on, but one thing abundantly clear from The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 8, is that they know how to hurt us well.

With the summer house fiasco resolved, the fittingly titled Love Triangle had nothing but space to address Belly being torn between two brothers, and by the end of the hour, she seemed content with her decision.

But we all know it's a semicolon, not a period, at the end of this story, and the hour set up things quite well for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3.

And if all the chatter and the easter eggs are correct, it will fall in line with the third book, potentially verbatim.

There is so much to unpack here, but let's talk about how incredibly awkward and kind of hilarious the moments following that kiss were.

Conrad catching Jeremiah making out with Belly up against his car while Belly was wearing his sweatshirt was such a juicy but devastating cliffhanger for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 7, and the hour waste no time picking up exactly where we left off.

Conrad: I just have one more question. Which one of us is the better kisser?
Jeremiah: Leave her alone, Conrad.
Conrad: The world may never know.

• Permalink: I just have one more question. Which one of us is the better kisser?

Here's the thing, the mature part of me knows that Conrad was entirely and utterly childish and immature during that car scene.

He was mean, lashing out like a little kid with hurt feelings, lobbing passive-aggressive attacks at Jeremiah and Belly that didn't paint him in the best light. He was flat-out slut-shaming the girl he professes to love and his brother, too; there's no getting around that.

In many ways, it was offputting.

But as someone guilty of being petty and holding grudges, even I couldn't suppress a chortle or two.

Christopher Briney was having a blast playing this side of Conrad, and because you could visibly see that, it was difficult not to enjoy his performance during those scenes.

Conrad's bitterness led to some killer lines, and Christopher Briney's delivery of them was executed well.

The crack about which of them was the better kisser, followed by the "world may never know," was worth a giggle. And his casual observation about how his sweatshirt looks good on Belly was deliciously messy.

He seems to pride himself in knowing Belly better than Jeremiah when the fact is the reason this love triangle exists the way it does is that both brothers know Belly but know her differently.

No two people will know you the same way, and that's why every relationship in one's life, familial, platonic, or romantic provides you with something unique and fulfills something different.

Given the powder keg explosion of Conrad finding out, this hour could've devolved into something more toxic, angsty, and emotionally exhausting, so this rather humorous albeit at times problematic rendition of hurt, petty, passive-aggressive Conrad was the best angle to work providing some levity to the situation.

And this series is not afraid of leaning heavily into all the damn tropes, so I was thoroughly entertained when we got to a storm pushing them off the road and forced to share a motel room with only one bed.

The Sharing a Room with One Bed Trope is easily in the Top Ten of the greatest Tropes, and I stand by that ten toes down.

Fortunately, all that tension with Conrad running hot and Jeremiah biting back eased up a bit once they got there.

However, more importantly, the two brothers got to have a crucial conversation that changed the course of the installment and all of their futures.

Love triangles are messy enough, but it's particularly disastrous when it involves two brothers. What's difficult here is that, unlike Damon and Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, Connie and Jere aren't estranged.

They genuinely love each other and have rarely had any type of issues with each other. They've seemingly been close and a united front until they both caught feelings for Belly.

Jeremiah: I know what you're doing. You're acting like a dick, so no one sees how bad you're hurting. You still love her, Con. Admit it.
Conrad: Yeah, I do.
Jeremiah: Then you need to tell her.
Cornad: Why? She chose you.
Jeremiah: It doesn't feel like it. Not when she doesn't know she still has a chance with you.
Conrad: No, she doesn't care anymore. She's done with me.
Jeremiah: Maybe. Maybe not. She deserves to know how you feel. If she... if she picks you then... I'll let her go. If it was anyone else in the world, I would fight like hell, but if you're what she needs then I won't get in the way again. I just won't. I just want her to be happy, and I want you to be happy, too.
Conrad: Me too?
Jeremiah: So, are you going to tell her? If you're not going to do it for yourself, or for her, then please do it for me.

• Permalink: So, are you going to tell her? If you're not going to do it for yourself, or for her, then...

While it's apparent that the Fisher brothers had other issues between them, it was nothing they couldn't work through on their own. Making Belly the catalyst behind their fraternal bond disintegrating is where those of us who get exhausted by the love triangle component can take issue.

Essentially, regardless of other elements that crop up, there's no escaping that Belly comes across as the girl who tore apart two brothers, whether she intended to do so or not.

And we rarely get enough time with the brothers on their own, having conversations with each other that don't consist of Belly. And that's why they're among the strongest scenes when we get those moments between them.

Briney and Gavin Casalegno have great chemistry that needs to be taken advantage of more.

But I loved their scene outside that motel. Of the two, Jeremiah often suffered the most as the character who didn't have as much development or depth. Still, during The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, he's genuinely emerged as an old soul with a striking level of maturity, sensibility, and wisdom.

And it contrasts with how other characters often perceive him, which has been fascinating to watch unfold.

You can tell that Jeremiah genuinely loves Belly and doesn't want to hurt his brother, either. He's just as guilty as being so enraptured by this girl that he can't quite resist. He gets lost in those moments with her too, and everything else, including his brother, just disappears.

But he also knew they couldn't sustain themselves with whatever was going on, so it wasn't surprising that he initiated that conversation with Conrad, cut through his defenses and bullshit, and tried to get to all the uncomfortable bits.

I can't even be mad at him because this is who he is. This is who he's always been. He never lied about that. He gives, and then he takes away. So I release you, Conrad Fisher. I evict you from my heart.

Belly Voiceover

• Permalink: I can't even be mad at him because this is who he is. This is who he's always been. He never...

He knew Conrad still loved Belly and needed Conrad to admit it and do something about it too. Jeremiah was right until Belly knew the whole truth and realized that there were more options and that there could still be something with Conrad; he'd never know if he was really Belly's choice or some conciliation prize.

And Jeremiah has spent the better part of the season feeling like a consolation prize or security blanket. Jeremiah knew they all needed to clear the air and get the truth out there, even if it hurt.

It also speaks to how much Jeremiah has grown, particularly since Susannah died, and how much he loves his brother and Belly. He could state that if Belly did choose Conrad, he'd leave it there, stop getting in the way, and accept it.

After the year all of them had, life is too short to be fractured and angry.

In that conversation, Jeremiah comes across as the boy willing to sacrifice his happiness for that of Belly and his brother. You can sense that the hour intends to depict him as the level-headed one who can make tough choices.

It goes along with why he spent the better part of the season frustrated that Conrad was treating him like a kid regarding Susannah when he had been forced to grow up fast and showed how capable he was since Susannah got sick again.

While the season did a decent job of highlighting all of this for Jeremiah, how put together, seemingly stable, and level-headed he's been bar a few moments, it also makes me wonder if he's set up for an inevitable fall.

Interestingly enough, we have not gotten to see the full extent of Jeremiah's grief because so much of the attention has been on Belly or Conrad.

He's previously admitted how often his humor and outgoing persona is a bit of a mask, and when he wasn't trying to keep things together, he's gotten sucked into love triangle stuff.

As happy of a note things left off with Jeremiah, it still feels like he's due for an emotional fall.

The respective roles of the brothers this season have been among the most fascinating. We've known how Conrad felt this pressure as the eldest during The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1.

He carried much of that into this season, thinking he had to resolve the housing situation himself. But Conrad has been at his most vulnerable and broken all season.

Conrad: Belly, I didn't mean it. What I said earlier, I didn't mean it. I still want you. Of course, I do.
Belly: Conrad.
Conrad: You don't have to say anything. Not right now.I just wanted you to know that.

• Permalink: Belly, I didn't mean it. What I said earlier, I didn't mean it. I still want you. Of course, I d

We've seen him retreat into himself, snap people up, push them away, run, and so much more, and it's been painful.

Conrad is a character who is perfectly set up for serious character growth, and when he gets that, it'll be one of the most rewarding character arcs of the series.

Jeremiah encouraged him to tell Belly the truth rather than keep it to himself. You could tell he was afraid of rejection and that Belly wouldn't feel the same about him, something that would throw what was left of his stability off its axis.

His whispered confession in the dimly lit motel room at night was a fantastically shot scene. The imagery alone of Belly in bed, elevated above both brothers lying on the floor, in between them, was quite symbolic.

But the light cast on Conrad and part of Belly, while Jeremiah was in the dark on the other side, felt like some foreshadowing.

It was also interesting that for the viewers, Jeremiah was on Belly's right side, the one that typically represents the angel evoking good deeds, with Conrad as the devil on her left side, tempting her.

But if we were in Belly's position on the bed, the roles were reversed, with Jere on her Left and Conrad on her Right. It goes to show you that this season, for viewers, Jeremiah is meant to be the prime choice, but that may not necessarily be the case in the future for Belly.

Conrad admitting his feelings and that he lied about saying he didn't care about her anywhere while he had his back to her was heartbreaking because the guy truly struggles to manage, deal with, and express feelings.

I didn't kiss you to get back at him. You do know that, right?

Belly

• Permalink: I didn't kiss you to get back at him. You do know that, right?

The use of lighting spilled into the break of day, too, though. It was an interesting choice that, despite how Conrad found out about her and Jeremiah, Belly ran into the parking lot and still kissed him in plain view.

We don't know if Conrad saw them or not or if that impacted anything he said to her later, but it's possible.

But it was interesting that the idea of Jere leaving her terrified Belly so much until she saw that he had gotten them breakfast. She told him once again that he was her choice, and it was unfortunate that she's been so fickle that Jeremiah couldn't trust it for so long.

You can't blame him when he knew he was up against the infinite love of Conrad and Belly.

Jeremiah is incredibly intuitive, and the Belly/Conrad cycle never really ends.

The sun bathing he and Belly in light as they kissed sealed things for the moment. He's her best choice right now. And while it's quintessential to use Taylor Swift songs for so many of these occasions, it was interesting that Beyonce was used for that deal-sealing kiss.

While there isn't an exact rivalry between the two juggernaut artists, they are so distinctly different while being beyond this stratosphere with devoted fandoms, like each brother for this love triangle.

Even though Belly had to head back into the darkness of the motel room for her final exchange with Conrad, there was also this hint of hope to feed the shippers.

I can't even be mad at him because this is who he is. This is who he's always been. He never lied about that. He gives, and then he takes away. So I release you, Conrad Fisher. I evict you from my heart.

Belly Voiceover

• Permalink: I can't even be mad at him because this is who he is. This is who he's always been. He never...

It wasn't a surprise when Conrad once again took back everything he said to avoid getting hurt when he likely knew her answer and to make things easier and cut the triangle off at the end.

In a way, it was his way of extricating himself from the mess and putting Belly and his brother's happiness ahead of his own, like Jeremiah said he would do.

A clean break without bitterness is ideal for this trio because they all genuinely love each other, and that infinity necklace came into play yet again. It was a tough scene.

Belly's voiceover was hard-hitting as she mentioned how Conrad always gives and then takes away, and from her perspective, that's precisely what he does.

Setting that and Conrad's subsequent breakdown outside the motel room to Taylor Swift's Exile was a gut punch, mainly as the lyrics lined up with what was happening onscreen.

Conrad always takes for granted that the people he loves know how he feels because he thinks he shows them enough through his actions.

But for Belly, he's good for saying one thing and doing the other. Conrad gives her emotional whiplash, and that is absolutely draining.

I love Conrad with all of his angst, but he's definitely not ready for Belly yet, and that's perfectly okay. Conrad exists outside of a love triangle.

Belly: He broke up with me.
Susannah: Don't hate, Conrad.
Belly: I don't.
Susannah: He's having a really hard time with all of this. Please don't push him away; he needs you. He loves you.
Belly: He doesn't.
Susannah: Do you love him? Will you do something for me? Look after him. Will you do that?

• Permalink: Don't hate, Conrad.

To his benefit, he works on himself before engaging in a romantic relationship with the love of his life. Because of that, it's easy to accept that he's not ready for Belly right now, and she isn't prepared to deal with where he is in his life right now, either.

One of the frustrating aspects of this season and the series, in general, is that we essentially know how this story will end. Conrad and Belly are the ones who will be together.

They can barely hint at Belly and Jeremiah or her with anyone without simultaneously reassuring the audience that the door isn't fully closed on Conrad and Belly.

And that's why it always feels like an imbalanced love triangle, no matter how much they try to help Jeremiah keep up and stand a chance.

In this case, most people in their lives are pushing an almost offputting narrative that Belly deserves to be with Conrad and should "put up" with his emotional baggage and issues.

It's such a dangerous message to send. Conrad is great, but pushing the "She can fix him" narrative feels almost archaic.

It's not Belly's job to save Conrad. Conrad has to save himself.

Steven supporting Conrad because he's his best friend is one thing, but his adamant, vehement defense of Conrad when he knows how much Conrad hurt his sister is bizarre.

Stop chasing after me and go be with Jer. He's the one that wants you. I don't. Not anymore.

Conrad

• Permalink: Stop chasing after me and go be with Jer. He's the one that wants you. I don't. Not anymore.

And his subsequent dismissal and bordering on degrading takes on Jeremiah that felt unfounded felt off too. Perhaps it was used to make the audience more sympathetic to Jeremiah when, essentially, all the audience sees is that outside of Taylor, no one is actually in his corner, none of the Conklins or Fishers.

Jeremiah is always this afterthought while everyone gets sucked into Conrad's angst.

Conrad isn't the only one who lost his mother or is hurting, and the weird imbalance in depicting that everyone has to show Conrad more grace and consider his emotions and feelings without the same extending to Jeremiah is notably odd.

Even Jeremiah is expected to extend boundless grace, patience, and restraint while navigating his brother's emotions and behavior "because that's just how Conrad is," which is quite damaging in hindsight.

Steven claimed that Jeremiah would be too "easy" and that Belly needed someone like Conrad to "challenge her," but where is this idea that there's something wrong with easy?

Why is the perception that passion requires tumultuous, angsty, dramatic, bordering-on toxic love to be valid or real?

Belly lost her second mother; she's also struggling and in an emotionally vulnerable place. Why is her desire for something "easier" with someone she feels knows her without constantly trying to read between the lines and decipher actions and emotions a negative thing?

Even her last moments with Susannah were bittersweet for this exact reason.

Susannah: I'm so sorry. Belly.
Belly: Why? I'm the one who messed it all up.
Susannah: No, it won't always feel this way. It'll fall back together, I promise.
Belly: Me and Jeremiah or me and Conrad?
Susannah: All of you, to each other. I love you, Belly.
Belly: I love you, too.

• Permalink: I love you, All of you, to each other. I love you, Belly..

One of the last things that Susannah said to Belly was that she had to look after Conrad. She advocated for him, knowing that he loved Belly and needed her.

But should it be Belly's job to look after Conrad even when it's sometimes to her detriment? The emotional labor it takes to pour into someone like Conrad, who still hasn't figured out how to deal with his emotions or communicate properly, is too much for one person without taking a serious toll.

And Susannah also knew by that point how much Jeremiah loved Belly too. She also recognized that Jeremiah always puts on a brave face for everyone else and suffers silently in his own way.

The total disregard for her son's feelings when he's in a similar predicament but showcases it differently is odd.

Nevertheless, the Belly and Susannah scene was utterly heart-aching. Belly and Susannah's relationship was always so special.

Laurel shared the part about how Susannah was there holding her hand when she delivered Belly, how she called Belly "their girl," and Belly was named after her pierced heart.

Belly truly was Susannah's daughter, too. She called her her "treasure," among other things, and goodness, I miss Susannah so much.

Interestingly, we saw that she was writing letters for everyone for meaningful moments in the future, and Laurel knocked over the tray, mixing things up.

So for the book fanatics, it was another moment of solace that they would stay true to the source material. And it was more hope to dangle for those rooting for the Belly and Conrad endgame.

Like everyone else, Susannah was a huge Belly and Conrad supporter.

Despite Steven's investment in his sister's love life, his own nearly took a hit amid the bickering.

Steven and Taylor have been the season's saving grace with their relationship, and go figure; they saved their best scene for last.

Taylor: Team Staylor?
Steven: Staylor? Yeah, 1000%.

• Permalink: Staylor? Yeah, 1000%.

I absolutely loved everything about Taylor telling Steven how she felt. She's always loved Steven. She's cared about him more than he did her for a while.

And it's terrifying to be in a relationship with someone when you know you love that person more than they love you. It opens you up to a world of hurt, something Taylor wasn't accustomed to, and I appreciate her honesty about that.

I also appreciate the parallels of that to the Belly love triangle.

Steven is such a great romantic lead, and how he easily understood what she meant and how vulnerable she was at that moment and reassured her made my heart smile.

I will never get enough of Steven and Taylor. I'm talking happily go to hell shipping them.

Seriously, can they just get a spin-off?

End of Summer Musings:

• I'm glad the summer house saga ended, but it's wild how it had no bearing on anything in this finale. I still maintain that it was poorly executed, and Kyra Sedgwick was criminally underused.

• I'm so glad Laurel is going out more and even made a new friend. I need more Laurel in my life.

• I cannot lie; Milo's diss track was fire.

• Conrad's roommate talking about how pretty Jeremiah is made me laugh out loud. The boy is pretty, but damn, read a room.

• The Summer I Turned Pretty soundtrack remains unmatched.

• Respectfully, I didn't care if Belly could play volleyball; it hardly seemed like she cared, either.

• Season three should be Conrad's season. Christopher Briney slays his scenes, so it's about time we give Conrad more depth so Briney can show off his range. Let's end Sad Boi Summer Conrad, please, and thank you.

• Seriously, I can take or leave the love triangle; I want my Fisher boys to evolve and be their best selves. I'm rooting for their greatness!

• Lola Tung has been magic all season!

Over to you, Summer I Turned Pretty Fanatics.

What did you think of the finale? Did Belly make the right choice? Let's discuss EVERYTHING!

You can stream both seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video, and if you missed any of them, catch up with our The Summer I Turned Pretty Reviews!

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.