Your favorite beach boys are back! The Summer I Turned Pretty is officially back for season 2 on July 14th. The first season made us laugh, smile and it even made us cry. With the anticipation on high for this season, here are some theories and hopeful changes as well as a recap of the season 1 finale episode.
Where did we Leave off?
*Major spoilers for season 1 and book 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty ahead.
To recap the season 1 finale, the episode started with Belly choosing Jeremiah after being abandoned at the lake by a jealous Nicole and the rest of the debs. On the other side of town, Conrad is in a much better mood than in previous episodes. This is likely due to his opening up about his mom's cancer in the previous episode.
Steven admits to Shayla that he lost all the money he saved during the summer in a poker game against Liam in episode 6. Shayla, although disappointed, offers to let Steven wear one of her father's tuxedos instead. After arriving at the ball, Belly makes amends with Nicole, admitting that she is completely over Conrad, to which Nicole replies, "No one ever really gets over their first love." The rest of the ball goes smoothly... until it doesn't.
Jeremiah and Belly are introduced together and dance the opening number together. Laurel, on the other hand, is hit with a wave of sadness, and steps out for some air. She is followed by her ex-husband John, where he reveals that he always felt as if there were three people in the relationship.
He goes on to remind Laurel that Susannah won't be around for much longer, as her cancer is back. At this, Jeremiah walks in to notify John and Laurel that the escort's dance is coming up and that Belly doesn't want them to miss it. Jeremiah and Steven lead an adorably cringy dance number, after which Jeremiah steals Susannah's phone and disappears. With the final dance coming up, and Jeremiah nowhere to be found, an anxious Belly roams the dance floor searching for her partner.
With Belly alone on the dance floor, Conrad comes to her rescue and they dance the night away. Near the end of the dance, Jeremiah comes back, red-eyed after finding out Susannah's cancer has come back. Jeremiah approaches Conrad on the dance floor and tells him that they need to talk.
Conrad, already having known about the cancer, tells him that they can talk later. Jeremiah, realizing that Conrad has known the whole summer and didn't tell him, punches him in the center of the dance floor. Susannah breaks up the fight, and demands they tell her what's going on, to which the boys inform her that they know. Later that night at the beach house, Susannah tells the boys she will do the trial in an attempt to comfort them. To get their minds off the sad news, the families gather for one last dinner at the beach house. The next morning, Belly and Conrad talk on the beach, where Conrad confesses to Belly that he needs her and wants her. The season ends with Belly and Conrad kissing on the beach.
Where Does This Leave us Now?
The Summer I Turned Pretty book 2, It's Not Summer Without You, takes place a year after season 1 ends. School is out, and 4th of July is around the corner. With the summer ahead looking bleak, Belly's only plans for the summer include hanging out with Taylor and being dragged to an endless stream of parties. Soon, Jeremiah informs Belly that Conrad has run away and the two embark on a journey to find him. After a year of finding herself and maturing, will Belly keep pining after Conrad or finally move on?
The season 2 teaser trailer left us with a lot to unpack. The teaser starts with Belly lying on a lawn as Conrad approaches her and touches the infamous infinity necklace. The two almost embrace in a kiss before the scene cuts away.
From then, we see a series of scenes showcasing how much our favorite friendship has changed. We see Belly and Taylor competing in a volleyball game, Steven graduating high school, Belly and Conrad holding hands at a family dinner, Steven and Taylor sharing a slow dance as well as multiple scenes of both Belly and Jeremiah, and Belly and Conrad, which leads us to the question, who will Belly end up with? The book series, although insanely popular, was published in 2009, so there's no guarantee that this season will follow the same plot as book 2. One thing we can look forward to this season is the growth of characters all around. In an interview with ELLE culture editor, Erica Gonzalez, Lola Tung, who plays Belly, said "It was really interesting to just get to see a different side of Belly that we hadn't seen." We might also see some character development from Team Jelly captain, Taylor Jewel. Taylor in season 1 was definitely a step up from the book, but she still made mistakes as all teenagers do. In a teaser posted on Instagram, Taylor does a voice-over stating, "The past doesn't determine your fate, it's the choices that you make today."
Who Will Be In Season 2?
From the looks of it, most of the main cast will be back to reprise their roles. Lola Tung will star as Belly alongside Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah and Christopher Briney as Conrad. Other cast members include Sean Kaufman as Steven, Jackie Chung as Laurel, Rachel Blanchard as Susannah, David Iacono as Cam Cameron, and Rain Spencer as Taylor.
In addition to the main cast, newcomers Kyra Sedgwick and Elsie Fisher are confirmed for season 2, with the latter playing a character named Skye. Minnie Mills, who played the beloved Shayla, will not be returning for season two. The actress announced her departure via Instagram on April 19th.
When will Episodes Air?
July 14th: "Love Lost"
July 14th: "Love Scene"
July 14th: "Love Sick"
July 21st: "Love Game"
July 28th: "Love Fool"
August 4th: "Love Fest"
August 11th: "Love Affair"
August 18th: "Love Triangle"
Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad?
In an interview, ELLE culture editor, Erica Gonzalez, asked Lola Tung where Belly and Conrad's relationship stands in season 2, to which Tung replied, "I think they've all had a really tough year and things have happened that have caused them to grow apart." Similary, Tung has formed an opinion on Belly and Jeremiah's relationship stating, "I think that relationship also needs time and repairing and communication, and they kind of need time to digest what's happening in their own lives before they come together again."
My Predictions and Hopes
I don't have many predictions or theories for this season, especially since it doesn't look like this season will follow the exact plot of its book, but having read the book series, I do have some predictions of what we might see this season, as well as some changes I hope for.
1. Belly and Conrad's almost kiss is a dream: The very first scene in the 2nd book is Belly daydreaming about summer at Cousin's, and since Belly and Conrad's relationship is left undetermined after the season 1 finale, it is likely that their almost kiss scene in the trailer is, in fact, a dream.
2. Belly and Conrad holding hands at the dinner table is a flashback: One of the most shocking scenes from the trailer is Belly and Conrad holding hands at dinner with their families. If you look at the theme and color pallette of this scene, it's very orange and brown, most likely signifying the season of fall or Thanksgiving. Unless the timeline of this season changes and we have a time jump from Thanksgiving to summer, it's likely this scene is a flashback.
3. We will see a lot more of Jelly: As stated before, book 2 mainly follows Belly and Jeremiah as their friendship blossoms into a potential relationship and it's safe to assume this season will as well.
4. Laurel's character arc: The books didn't really dive into Laurel as a character and how Susannah's cancer affected her, and to be honest, season 1 didn't either, and this is one of the main things I hope to see change this season. Laurel and Susannah have been best friends for nearly their entire lives, and Laurel is probably the most hurt about this situation, as she's losing her soulmate. My hope for season 2 is that we get a couple of scenes showcasing how Laurel is handling the situation.
Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty is one of the most highly anticipated seasons of this summer, and I, for one, am counting down the days until it comes. Don't forget to catch up on season 1 and make sure your calendar is all clear for July 14th!
