‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Latest Episode Confirms the Show’s Biggest Problem With Belly

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 7.In Episode 7 of The Summer I Turned Pretty, the questions about whether Belly (Lola Tung) is really going through with her wedding to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) only continued. In the episode, the bride and groom reunited after spending some time apart and celebrated their Bachelor and Bachelorette parties with their friends. But, as the countdown to the wedding loomed over Belly, in combination with a round of ill-advised tequila shots and weed gummies, her pre-wedding jitters started bubbling to the surface. And, perhaps more importantly for her well-being, she finally confided in her best friend Taylor (Rain Spencer).

Belly Finally Opens Up to Taylor in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

Image via Prime Video

While Taylor has always been by Belly’s side, including after she did a spit-take when Belly told her about the engagement, Belly had been avoiding telling her about her feelings for Conrad (Christopher Briney). Instead, viewers only got to know how meaningful Belly’s time with Conrad over Christmas break was because of the show’s flashbacks and voice-overs. In Taylor’s eyes, Belly and Jeremiah were in love, and her past with Conrad was ancient history. That is, however, until this episode.

In one moment, Belly is dancing in a nightclub when flashes of her and Conrad’s best times together come flooding back. She then feels unsteady and goes to the bathroom with Taylor to catch her breath. There, while Taylor is trying her best to soothe Belly’s seemingly normal wedding nerves, Belly admits that when it comes to her “dream wedding,” she’s only pictured Conrad. Taylor, understandably, is immediately taken aback. Belly then goes on to explain that these feelings, the confusion, the Conrad of it all, are relatively new. When Taylor asks why she’s never opened up about any of this to her before, Belly admits, “I lied.”

In fact, not only has Belly been wrestling with this inner turmoil for months, but she’s refused to let anyone in on what she’s thinking. Despite having people by her side, like Taylor, Anika (Sofia Bryant), her mom Laurel (Jackie Chung), and her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman), Belly kept her feelings buried, and it’s finally catching up to her. While talking to Taylor, her immediate reassurance proves that telling your friends, and sometimes just saying things out loud, can really be the solution, or at least provide some relief. After their chat, Belly, who’s feeling lighter already, wipes off her tears and heads home.

Belly Continues to Hide After Conrad’s Confession

Despite opening up to Taylor in the bathroom, the night was just getting started for Belly. After getting home, she walks to the beach waiting for Jeremiah, but finds Conrad instead. And, in a sudden change of heart, Conrad declares that he still loves her. Belly then proceeds to shut him down, minimizing their relationship and confirming that she not only loves Jeremiah, but that she’s going through with the wedding. Leaving the beach, however, she drops to her knees and sobs. Not knowing how to face Jeremiah back in the house, she walks over to Taylor’s room and asks to sleep with her. Like the good friend she is, Taylor doesn’t hesitate to say yes and then asks Belly if she’s okay. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” Belly says in between tears. “Can we just go to sleep?” Once again, Belly refuses to open up about what happened and is letting her mind do all the spiraling alone.

As Belly continues to get caught in this brotherly love triangle, her not trusting in anyone might be the problem that tips her over the edge. After all, having your future brother-in-law confess his love for you days before your wedding is a heavy burden to carry, let alone if you have feelings of your own to reciprocate. Most of all, it seems like Belly herself has struggled to understand how she’s feeling about it all. At the end of Episode 6, she shared a moment with Conrad after his accident and kept asking herself, “What just happened?” Maybe, just maybe, talking to someone and sharing her feelings out loud would finally help her piece her feelings together.

Taylor Has Always Showed Up for Belly in the Past

Image via Prime Video

Taylor, despite her flaws over the years, has always shown up for Belly. Just this season, Taylor, who’s going through her own heartache after her split with Steven, was one of the first people to support Belly’s engagement with Jeremiah, went wedding dress shopping with her when her mother refused to help, and helped plan a beautiful bridal shower just for her. With so many strong years of friendship behind them, and the love and care Taylor continues to show for Belly, she deserves to know what’s going on in her best friend’s life.

So, why hasn’t she already? Well, it’s safe to say admitting to a love triangle between two brothers is quite an undertaking, especially for someone as unfiltered as Taylor. Not only that, but Belly is still young, still emotionally immature, and therefore still confused about what she’s feeling herself. Perhaps, if she can’t explain or own up to her own emotions, she sees no benefit in bringing anyone else in either. Plus, by not admitting to anyone that she has feelings for Conrad, she could still go through with the wedding with Jeremiah without anyone raising eyebrows. By leaving her doubts only to herself, she’s the only one who needs to deal with the consequences.

While readers of the original series know what will happen in the next few episodes, Belly’s fate with the Fisher boys, including whether or not she’ll actually walk down the aisle, is still up in the air. But, if there’s one thing Episode 7 has proven, it’s that Belly needs to do a better job of relying on and opening up to her friends. If she continues to keep everything locked away, it might not just be the wedding that implodes.

Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Prime Video

Directors

Erica Dunton, Jesse Peretz, Jeff Chan

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  Lola Tung

  Isabel ‘Belly’ Conklin

• 

  Christopher Briney

  Conrad Fisher

• 

  Gavin Casalegno

  Jeremiah Fisher

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  Sean Kaufman

  Steven Conklin