Let me just say this: being Team Jeremiah doesn’t mean you’re anti-Conrad. You can romanticize emotionally unavailable book boyfriends and root for the sunshiney golden retriever. We’re not at war. We’re just divided by which fictional brother we think deserves to get the girl.

Look, I’m Team Jeremiah, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind. Watching Conrad at the end of Season 2, completely gutted and trying to hold himself together while Belly left with his brother killed me. I’m not heartless.

His love? It’s so real and genuine. And it’s not something that deserves to be dismissed just because he wasn't the one Belly ended up kissing at the end of season 2. Just like Jeremiah's love shouldn't have been dismissed cause she ended up kissing Conrad at the end of season 1. I'm trying to be fair to both of the boys in this article. I'm trying to acknowledge that both boys have their flaws, and both of them also loved her.

But let’s talk about it. All of it.

Jeremiah Fisher Is the Bare Minimum? No, He’s the Standard

Can we stop acting like “he was there for her” is weak praise? That is the bar. That’s exactly the bar.

Jeremiah doesn’t leave Belly second-guessing her worth. He’s steady and a safe place. And no, just because he doesn't brood in corners doesn't mean he's any less deep. Some people smile through their pain. (Unlike someone we know who avoided all confrontation by not talking about his feelings.)

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“But He Cheated” vs. “But He Hurt Too”

Let’s talk about pain. Conrad is hurting. His mom’s dying.

His dad is horrible. He’s the firstborn boy forced into a father-shaped hole. And yes, that trauma shaped his distance. He’s not cold because he doesn’t care. He’s cold because he cares too much and has no idea how to show it.

Conrad doesn’t just like Belly. He aches for her. I mean, it physically pained him to not to be able to tell Belly he loved her. That deserves a star in my books.

But you know what? Jeremiah hurts too. His mom is dying too.

His dad is the same garbage fire. He carries just as much grief. But he doesn’t make Belly responsible for managing it. He communicates. He lets her in. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO IN RELATIONSHIPS.

One brother bottles it. The other shares it. That doesn’t make Conrad the villain. But it does make Jeremiah the better partner in the long term.

And Yes, Jeremiah Cheated — But So Did Everyone Else

Let’s address it. Yes, Jeremiah messed up. He cheated.

They were on a break. But it wasn’t okay. But the way the fandom has weaponized that single moment against him like he’s the only sinner in Cousins Beach? Delusional.

Because let’s not pretend Conrad was a saint. He emotionally cheated on Nicole for months. Belly kissed Conrad while still with Jeremiah.

And do not give me any of the "they weren't official" [censored]. Taylor cheated. Steven cheated. And guess what? They all got forgiveness but because fans like them.

Jeremiah makes one horrible mistake while drunk, reeling from heartbreak and suddenly he’s irredeemable? The double standard is insane.

Jeremiah is held to a moral standard nobody else on the show is asked to meet.

Confusion Isn’t Chemistry

Let’s be real: yes, the Conrad-Belly angst is chef’s kiss for books. I eat that up on paper. The ache?

Lingering glances? YES. Give me all of it. In fiction. But? In actual adult relationships?

The amount of times Belly had to decode Conrad’s behavior is insane.

The cheating? Yes, I'm not excusing that. But every other character cheated, including Conrad, so stop picking Jeremiah apart. None of them are perfect.

Image Credit: Poster for The Summer I Turned Pretty © Amazon Studios / Prime Video, used under fair use.

Conrad Loved First

There’s something about first love. Conrad was Belly’s first love. But more importantly, she was his.

Before she grew into the girl everyone wanted, he saw her. And even when he tried to hide it even when he failed and pushed her away, that love was theirs. His feelings weren’t shallow. It just got tangled with his grief, his non-existant communication skills, and everything else.

But loving someone first doesn’t mean you get a lifetime claim to their heart. I was once convinced Harry Potter was my soulmate — didn’t work out, did it? Just because Conrad saw Belly as more than a little sister before anyone else did, doesn’t mean she owed him her heart.

But it is sweet.

But I’m Not the Villain in Conrad’s Redemption Arc

Listen. I see the vision. I really do.

Conrad in Season 1? Closed off. But now? He’s wearing pastel Pinterest-boy sweaters and actually smiling? (Like, smiling, people. The man has dimples.) He still has a long time to go and actually starting accepting help from people who offer it, but he's improving.

He’s healing. He’s becoming the person Belly always hoped he’d be. And I love that for him.

I love that for us, the fans, because it means we get soft Conrad where he’s not pushing people away. He's finally showing up emotionally. Even his hair looks less depressed. He doesn't look like a dad with two kids and a wife at home. Someone else HAD to notice the wardrobe change. It's a trick that producers made to push us into wanting to choose Conrad, but that's another story.

The Debt Thing? Let’s Be So Serious.

Okay. Now the debt. Everyone needs to calm down about this whole “Jeremiah is irresponsible” arc.

Who wires someone $20,000 with zero conversation or plan? Adam Fisher, that’s who. The man is a walking red flag.

It's also not as simple as not reading an email, but sure let's go off Steven's one sentence. As if that man isn't a Team Jellyfish hater (I still love him).

Also: Stanford isn’t exactly a budget-friendly vibe and way more expensive than Filch, and guess who went there? Conrad. Where do you think that money came from?

Hmmm? Who do you think paid for Conrad's apartment?

People are fainting over the fact that Conrad is so mature because he has a fully furnished apartment. He got fired from his job on the first day! He for sure did not pay for it. His daddy did! The same way Jeremiah's father (the same man) paid for him.

Conrad’s Job Slip-Up in Context

Yeah, Conrad lost his hospital job on day one. No denying that. But come on, the guy was dealing with his childhood best friend's accident and you know how stubborn he is about pretending he’s okay when he’s really not.

Mistakes happen, especially when your brain is juggling a million things. Mislabeling a blood draw is bad, sure, but it’s a human slip-up under a lot of stress.

What really matters is that Conrad didn’t just bail. He pulled some strings and got a top neurologist involved to make sure Steven got the best care possible. That move gave a lot of comfort to Steven’s family and Taylor.

So before you start throwing shade about him “losing it on day one,” remember this: he was trying to be there for the people he cares about. If that’s incompetence, I’ll take it every day.

Can We Talk About the Engagement Ring?

Oh, the engagement ring. The way people clowned Jeremiah for that tiny ring like he wasn’t in college, barely staying afloat, and still obviously chose something chosen with love

All the people who judge the ring are (I don't want to say it) extremely materialistic. They think love can be measured. The bigger the better.

He’s not rich. But he TRIEDD. That ring was adorable. Thoughtful. And before you come at me with the “she’s a silver jewelry girlie” argument, please stop and pause. Have you seen Belly’s accessory choices? She wears gold as well as silver!

What happened to "I love shiny things but I'd marry you with paper rings."

Image Credit: Photo by Brandon Hoogenboom on Unsplash

The Public Humiliation Was NOT Okay

Let’s rewind to that lunch scene. Conrad gets praise for getting a job, and Jeremiah gets publicly embarrassed for taking an extra semester. Which, by the way, is completely normal.

Do you know how humiliating that is? And Conrad just... sat there? Said nothing?

I love him, I really do, but someone had to speak up, and it was Belly. It wasn't the brother who’s always so protective. Who left the person he was in love with so his brother could be happy. It could’ve been such a meaningful sibling moment. But it wasn’t.

Jeremiah is insecure of Conrad. Everyone knows it. Bonrad fans love to pick that apart.

But he defends Conrad and Conrad defends him. Wasn't that their thing?

Their Love Is Daylight, Don’t Fight Me

Jeremiah and Belly’s love is Daylight by Taylor Swift. It’s soo sweet.

It's so sweet that it makes your teeth ache. The singing in the car scene? ADORABLE. I will fight anyone who calls them cringe. Let people be happy.

Image Credit: Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

Their chemistry isn’t just about butterflies. It’s about belonging. I think it's exactly like summer, even in fall.

People say Jer and Belly have no chemistry aren't being fair. They've been together for for years so obviously they don't have "chemistry" in the "will I kiss you or not" sense like Conrad and Belly. But it's secure. And most importantly: they're happy with eachother.

I Love Conrad Too

I want to make this clear: I do love Conrad. I love his growth. I love that he’s finally learning how to be present.

I love how he's able to be present for Belly when Jeremiah isn't able to. He understands her just as deeply as Jeremiah does but now, not before. Maybe he did before, but he didn't show it when she needed him to. That's not his fault. He was going through stuff. But timing is everything.

There’s no villain here. Just a girl who can't make her mind.

So yes. I’m Team Jeremiah.

But I’m also Team Don’t Come For Conrad Unless You Can Appreciate And Acknowledge His Growth As Something Earned Over Years Rather Than The Writers Just Handing It To Him.