When The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1 dropped last summer, teens were pulled into Belly’s world of Cousins Beach and summer love. When the second season premiered this summer, Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah girls alike were excited to see where Jenny Han would take this season.
The first episode began with Belly daydreaming of Cousins Beach, however, we soon find out that it is not summer and she is in school. Everything has seemed to go downhill since last summer as we see Belly struggle with schoolwork, volleyball, and the loss of Susanna.
In the first two episodes, we find out what really happened in the year after that fateful summer. Much like the books, the series jumps back and forth in time to tell the story of what happened with Conrad and how everything came undone.
The new season definitely did not fall short of expectations! Belly continues to change her mind about whether she should choose Conrad or Jeremiah (this season definitely altered her feelings). And fortunately, many characters return from season 1, including a fan favorite, Cam Cameron.
Aside from a visit to Cousins, there were definitely notable changes to the book’s storyline in the new season. Two new characters were introduced, Skye and Julia. Skye is the Fisher boys’ estranged cousin and Julia is her mother. To say the least, these two characters were definitely not popular and still have fans on the fence. They were both seen as an unnecessary addition to the show and left fans unhappy for a couple of episodes (many TikToks were created).
Another aspect of the show that fans looked forward to was the soundtrack. The last season contained songs by Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Tyler the Creator, Tame Impala, and Phoebe Bridgers. The second season had even more Taylor Swift (9 to be exact), Mac Miller, Lizzo, Frank Ocean, The Kid Laroi, and Miley Cyrus. Speaking of Taylor Swift, many fans noticed that her music only played during Conrad and Belly scenes, but the moment that Jenny Han caught wind of this, she played Taylor Swift’s “Delicate” during a playful scene between Jeremiah and Belly!
Even though sequels often fall short of viewers’ expectations, The Summer I Turned Pretty’s sophomore season was just as lighthearted and emotionally complicated as the first. Definitely head over to Amazon Prime Video and give this show a try!
