The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV Series)
The Summer I Turned Pretty is an Amazon original series. It follows the story of a teenage girl named Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) who has spent the summer of her teenage years at Cousins Beach. She has had no friends outside of her family. Belly’s mother and her sister, Susannah, have been going to the beach house with Fisher for many years. As a result, Belly has developed a bond with her mother’s family, and is often referred to as “Belly.”
In addition to Belly and her mother, the Conklin family has two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. Conrad is the oldest. He was a football player in high school, and is tasked with caring for younger kids in the family. However, Conrad is beginning to grow more withdrawn.
Belly’s first summer fling was with Jeremy Ross. They dated for a few weeks. But Belly wasn’t feeling the spark with him, and she decided to end the relationship. After their summer was over, Belly never called him back. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to try a new boy. Her best friend, Taylor, helped Belly get over Conrad. And so, Belly ended up with Jere.
Belly’s summer memories are centered around her time at Cousins Beach. This is where she meets Cam Cameron. At one point, Belly and Cam were playing a game where they spelled out the names of their classmates. When Belly noticed that Cam’s eyelashes were unusually long, she thought that Cam was really nice. Later on, Cam asks Liz to go whale watching. Belly agrees, but not before he asks her if she knows any other boys.
Belly’s parents met Susannah while they were attending college. Belly and her mom have become close with Susannah over the years. Belly has also developed a special connection with Cam, whom she’s known since grade school. Unlike other characters in the show, Belly and Cam know each other from before they meet. While it is unclear how much contact they had, it is clear that they had a soft spot for each other.
Throughout the course of the show, viewers become familiar with Cam and his friends. When they visit Belly at the beach, they discuss their childhood. During this time, Belly tries to invite him to a Fourth of July party. But when she gets there, she notices that he’s no longer wearing his usual t-shirt. Upon further investigation, Belly discovers that Cam is a vegetarian.
Other notable characters include Laurel, who is the aunt of Belly’s best friend, Jeremiah. She is an overprotective parent and her daughter, Gigi, is extremely protective of her.
Among the newcomers to the cast is Christopher Briney, who plays Conrad Fisher. Despite his character’s closeness to Belly, Briney plays a role that is very different from what he’s been known for. Ultimately, he plays the older brother of Jeremiah. His scenes are short, but he’s a solid actor.
Several other actors are in minor roles in the show. Some of them, such as Rachel Blanchard, are returning to the series for Season 2 and 3. Others, like Jackie Chung and Sean Kaufman, are new to the industry. Regardless of what roles they play in the show, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a binge-worthy show that’s well worth checking out.