“The Summer I Turned Pretty” (TSITP) is set to release its third and final season in July, and fans and critics alike cannot stop talking about it. Based on the trilogy of the same name by Jenny Han, the show navigates Belly’s (Lola Tung) struggle to decipher her feelings toward close family friends, and brothers, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney).
Fans of the show enjoy debating which of the brothers would be the better choice for Belly. While Jeremiah is like a golden retriever and wants to be loved by everyone, Conrad is older and a bit mysterious. Because the kids grew up together, Belly had a crush on Conrad since she was young. But now that they’re older, she wonders if she truly loved him, or just the idea of him.
While many viewers enjoy Belly’s back and forth feelings for the brothers, others find it disturbing. “I don’t understand how she (Belly) can see their close relationship and come between them to fulfill her own selfish insecurities,” said senior Sophia Lewis. “She’s Creating drama that divides them when they should be able to find solace in each other after their mom died,” Lewis argued.
TSITP is not the only series to explore this particular romantic trope. “The Vampire Diaries” has a love triangle between two brothers, Damon and Stefan, and the main character, Elena. The newer Netflix series “My Life with the Walter Boys” is similarly based around the feelings of two brothers for the girl their family adopted.
Senior Kaylabeth Cunningham finds the trope as a whole concerning. “It’s weird how so many shows turn love into a competition between two brothers, like it’s romantic to be torn between family,” Cunningham expressed.
The plotline with two brothers is growing popular in modern media, but the romanticization of trading off brothers rubs some viewers the wrong way.
Pitting brothers against each other, competing for the same girl hardly encourages brotherly affection. Cunningham acknowledged her disapproval for the concept, “I don’t think love should come with betrayal as a subplot,” she explained.
TSITP has nearly come to its end and has left fans feeling very bittersweet. On one hand, the show fuels friendly debate over which brother is better. On the other, the redundant plot with Belly going back and forth time after time has begun to bore viewers and frustrate those who find the trope unsettling.
