If there’s one thing The Summer I Turned Pretty has done flawlessly, it’s divide the internet into two passionate camps: Team Jeremiah and Team Conrad. Both brothers have their shining moments (and their tragic ones), but after watching all three seasons, there’s a case to be made - a strong one - that Conrad Fisher is the one who really and truly deserves Belly’s heart, not because he’s perfect, but because he’s real, and the only one who actually grows into the kind of love that lasts.

Why Everyone Should Be Team Conrad

Yes, even after season 3.

Photo credit: Amazon by Wikipedia

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1. He loved her first - and always has

One thing that can never be negated is that Conrad had fallen for Belly way before she gave any thought to it. He came to see her as more than just a little sister, something that nobody else seemed to see. Even in scenes from Season 1, albeit holding back somewhat, it is very clear that he's struggling, an internal conflict caused because he cares too much.

He's wrestling with his mom's cancer, mounting an effort to protect his family from anything untoward, the least of which is trying not to drag Belly into the mess. That distance? It's not disinterest. It's restraint.

Jeremiah may indeed have been more accessible, but it was Conrad who had always quietly observed her, remembered the little things, and showed up when it counted. The necklace? The infinity sign? He purchased it far back before Belly even realized how deeply he felt.

Photo by COPPERTIST WU

2. Jeremiah is easy. But Conrad is real.

Jeremiah’s charm is obvious. He’s sunny, flirty, and fun - everything Belly thought she wanted after Conrad broke her heart. But being the easy choice doesn’t automatically make you the right one.

Throughout the series, Jeremiah struggles with one big flaw: he doesn’t truly see Belly. Not in the way Conrad does.

Conrad challenges her. He gets under her skin. He knows when she is spiraling, when she is sad, when she is pretending everything is fine.

There is a level to their connection - not just that chemistry but a deep emotional understanding that Jeremiah never quite attains. The beach is ideal for some Jesse time; with Conrad, you build a life.

3. Conrad grows slowly but surely.

People are quick to call Conrad moody or closed off, but let’s be honest: grief does that to you. He lost his mom. He tried to hold his entire family together.

He put everyone else first, and somewhere along the way, he forgot how to take care of himself. But in Season 2 and 3, we see him slowly open up - not just to Belly, but to Jeremiah too.

He apologizes and he admits when he’s wrong. He even steps back when he thinks Belly might be happier with someone else, even though it’s killing him. That kind of selflessness?

That’s maturity. It’s something Jeremiah hasn’t really shown, especially when jealousy gets the best of him.

By Season 3, Conrad isn’t just the brooding older brother anymore. He’s someone who’s learning how to communicate, how to feel, and how to love without conditions.

4. Belly was never really over Conrad, and neither were we

Whenever she starts a relationship with Jeremiah, the memories and feelings of Conrad haunt her. It doesn't fall under subtext. Crazy enough, all of the huge moments somehow go back to him - their dance, the fated first kiss, that agonizingly long car ride, and the necklace. Namely, those big moments are always Conrad moments for Belly.

You can't fake that kind of imprint on somebody's heart. Jeremiah might get a chuckle out of her from time to time, but Conrad gets to her emotionally. The heart is never just about the butterflies; it is about knowing someone down to their soul and repeatedly making the choice to be with them. Belly is never really done with Conrad, not out of habit, but because he is home.

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5. Team Conrad is not about perfection. It is about chance.

Nobody is ever suggesting that Conrad is perfect. But affection is not about picking the person who is always easy-going. It is about picking the person who makes you better, the one who demands you to grow, and the one who will not walk away in the face of adversity anymore.

Jeremiah was the summer. Conrad is the rest of the year.

To sum up, Conrad is willing to put in the work for a love that lasts.

We get why people root for Jeremiah. He’s lovable and easy to be with. But if you’ve been paying attention - really paying attention - you’ll see that Conrad’s love has always been the deepest.

Not loud, but lasting. Not flashy, but real.

Photo by Amazon on Wikipedia

So yes, after three seasons of heartbreaks, beach houses, and love triangles, there’s only one team that makes sense. And it’s the one that’s been written in the stars - and on Belly’s necklace - all along.

Team Conrad forever.