And with The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Episode 8, it seems a chapter of the series comes to a close.
It almost marks the end of the book series; all that remains is the epilogue, which will make its debut in the final three episodes, every bit like a combination of Emily in Paris and You.
But the entire season was building up to the explosive hour, and credit where it’s due, at least the installment was entertaining. It’s more than I can say about most of the season.
Meltdowns at Cousins
Plus, all of the actors were performing as if the rent was due the next day and they were $300 short!
Gavin Casalegno unleashed and did his big one, Lola Tung was heartwrenching and beautiful, and Christopher Briney was serving and having a BALL!
Angst, ire, toxicity, disgust, delusion — we had the gamut of emotions. But more importantly, we had a much-needed reckoning.
I’ll maintain that I still don’t see how the series could reasonably give us a Bonrad Endgame. The original storyline may have called for it, but goodness knows they haven’t actually made the case.
If I started out indifferent to the shipping, I can now say I have never been so radically against Belly having anything to do with Conrad Fisher.
But part of this is because the season has done such a number on the characterization of all of its characters that every installment feels as if we’re watching an entirely different show.
Conrad himself has always been a bit of a complex character, deeply flawed, and at times a bit of a hot mess. But it hasn’t stopped the series from romanticizing the hell out of him as if his most problematic traits are worth championing.
Even now, it wouldn’t surprise me if they still double down on Conrad serving as the romantic lead who somehow “deserves” to win Belly’s heart after a time jump that may conveniently consist of them skipping past any real growth and development. That’s not narratively satisfying.
Yes, I still have issues with the structuring of this season, particularly the weak execution in terms of the timeline, and the havoc it has wreaked on the characters, who often feel more like chess pieces moving across the board than actual, developed entities.
Conrad is a Menace to Society
But in the crapstorm that was this reckoning, which saw Jeremiah rightfully breaking things off with Belly, confronting Conrad, and almost everyone getting in their licks, I could at least appreciate the drama that ensued.
I also could appreciate that the series didn’t hold back on Conrad’s worst flaws. They came at us like a battering ram with nothing that resembled nuance, but in some ways, because there never is any when most dissect his character, maybe it was necessary. Maybe — it was still jarring.
Christopher Briney is not explicitly the romantic lead type of guy, no matter how much the series tries to fit him into that mold. Nah, this man truly comes to life when you give him material that has him acting just on the fringes of unhinged, and I love him for that.
It’s always his best work!
Forget romcoms, I need that man in thrillers, crime dramas, and dark suspense projects. He gives good villain! I’m sorry if you don’t see the vision.
It almost felt as if he pulled a Penn Badgley in YOU and wanted to remind people that while complex, Conrad Fisher is also diabolical and has issues.
All the time the season spent trying to convince us that Conrad had somehow evolved, changed, and grown because of his blink-and-you-miss therapy that took place entirely offscreen fell to pieces during this installment.
Is This Your Man?
Because for Conrad to have changed effectively, he would have to improve his communication skills.
The solution to improving on that front isn’t to spill your guts out when it’s most convenient for you at the expense of everyone’s feelings.
Conrad going from one extreme to the other was absolutely wild and gave me whiplash, and no matter how many people tried to set him straight, he just doubled down on his delusions and worst traits.
From the beginning, Conrad is a guy who only does things on his terms. He gets to dictate how and when he does something, how it impacts others, and control situations as they suit his needs.
The episode showcased just how manipulative he can be and his inability to respect boundaries, as he continued to force his presence on Belly even after she expressed discomfort and a desire for him to back off.
I’m sorry, it’s not fun for some shippers to hear, but there is nothing remotely romantic about Conrad repeatedly undermining Belly’s autonomy under the guise of him knowing what’s best for her.
It was also alarming that he thought securing his mother’s ring from Adam, only on his terms, was a great idea. Thus, inadvertently controlling the situation with Belly and undermining his brother in the process.
Bonrad? More Like Bonfire
He did the same thing he had always done: tell her one thing, then take it back or leaves her reeling. He yo-yos with her emotions, and we’re supposed to think it’s great that he gets under her skin.
However, what has been more concerning is seeing the lengths to which Conrad feels he is the authority on Belly, as well as the arrogance masquerading as humility (along with the self-absorption and selfishness masquerading as selflessness).
Essentially, Conrad is operating under the impression that the only reason Belly was with Jeremiah is because he decided to “give her up,” and Jeremiah was the default choice because he was better at the time.
But the moment he decides that Jeremiah isn’t “better,” he proceeds to blow everything up. He attempts to take ownership of Belly and their future together, as if he were reclaiming an old sweater he had loaned his brother, instead of dealing with an actual human woman with her own agency.
It only further solidifies that Conrad’s obsession with Belly seems to stem from her own obsession with him; the moments when she isn’t overtly fixated on him are when he chases after her.
Otherwise? It’s everyone Chasing Conrad (which lowkey sounds like the title of a Lifetime movie).
The One Where Everyone Was Finally Tired of Conrad’s Sh*t
The way the series distorts love with obsession, limerance, and possession is unquestionably toxic, and the latest episode certainly places that under the scope.
What’s fascinating is watching the complete lack of self-awareness that Conrad exhibits throughout. Through Belly, Taylor, Steven, and Jeremiah, he was finally held to account for one of the few times within the series, and he still didn’t seem to understand where he was wrong.
His genuine belief that Belly would call the wedding off, abandon his brother, and ride off into the sunset with him because he had finally decided to not only tell her how he felt but also tell her how she felt, too, was mystifying.
But it was genuinely satisfying for him to finally face the music. Aside from Laurel, we had the strongest moments coming from both Taylor and Steven.
Taylor calling both him and Belly out was golden. She clocked Belly for her codependency with Jeremiah (rooted in their mutual grief), which was what Belly needed to hear.
Whereas her point-blank confrontation with Conrad was a reality check, even if he didn’t heed it.
From the outside looking in, it has to be the most unfathomable thing ever to have someone claim to love Belly and profess to care about his brother, but detonate a bomb to the degree that he did here.
Riding the Delulu Train
And Taylor has been there to see how deeply Conrad’s hot-and-cold behavior and chain yanking have damaged Belly.
But it was Steven’s moment that was the most satisfying because it finally addressed a larger issue that the series had ignored up until this point.
It’s genuinely hard to support the idea that Conrad has not only been in love with Belly for four and a half years without making any real attempts to move on, but that he essentially ghosted everyone else in his life as a result.
Steven’s speech about how Jeremiah has always been there, been his friend, and that he’s been so close to the family that he even calls Laurel’s mother Halmeoni, spoke volumes.
That’s not something minor. Belly and Jeremiah were a couple for four years, and Jeremiah has been a permanent fixture in their lives. He also didn’t bail on them because his love for everyone else wasn’t dependent on whether or not he was with Belly.
We don’t actually get to see how the Fishers immerse themselves in the Conklins’ lives outside of Cousins. Sadly, we don’t see it here, but we hear about it, and it’s part of what made Steven’s words land harder and resonate most.
Conrad’s singular focus on just Belly isn’t romantic, it’s unhealthy, and it’s time to stop pretending otherwise. He fell off the face of the earth with everyone else the second he couldn’t be with Belly, which sends the impression that his relationship with the rest of them was conditional.
Laurel, being similar to Conrad and being the one who constantly chases him down, is likely the only reason he kept in touch with her. But it’s hard to put a positive spin on that.
The Summer the Characters Became Chess Pieces for the Plot
It’s really not fair for everyone else to always have to accommodate or work around Conrad’s conflict and emotionally avoidant behavior. The truth is that it’s not always on everyone else to do the emotional labor on Conrad’s behalf or to meet him halfway and adapt.
The series and even viewers severely downplay just how exhausting and emotionally draining that is, especially when it’s someone who seems unwilling to actually improve.
The series also gives the brothers their moment of reckoning, and the whole ordeal is sad, but a large part of that is because, even now, it still feels like a brotherhood that’s so one-sided.
To harken back to the “show versus tell” issue, the series always tells us that Conrad is doing things for his brother, not because he actually is, but because it sounds nice. Because Conrad’s motives are always related to Belly, not Jeremiah.
However, they’ve consistently shown that Jeremiah takes Conrad into consideration in his decisions TOO or at least genuinely cares.
There’s No Salvaging a Broken Brotherhood TSITP Never Cared About in the First Place
We’ve seen the various actions he’s taken with his brother in mind, whether it was tracking him down when he went missing, helping him study to get into Stanford, running to him first to relay vital news, defending him, and so forth.
It’s just hard to reconcile the idea that Conrad does things because he cares about and loves Jeremiah, when, from what they depict, his brother always seems to be an afterthought — something they perfectly highlighted throughout this entire episode.
It genuinely never crosses Conrad’s mind that he could be doing irrevocable damage to his relationship with his brother forever. It doesn’t give him any pause at all. This entire arc would be so much richer if that fraternal bond was strong enough where it felt like there was something to lose.
The episode at least allows Jeremiah to take a bigger stand in this regard, reminding Conrad that he did, in fact, give his brother time to make his feelings known and pursue Belly without interference or getting too deeply into his own feelings.
And the Cabo incident explodes between them. Frankly, the plot itself remains contrived.
The Summer They Played in Jeremiah’s Face (Set Him and Me Free, Please)
One of the hallmarks of Jeremiah’s character was that he has always been decent at communication. It’s literally how they contrast him with his brother.
Therefore, the idea that he found out about Christmas and never outright addressed it with Belly, even when they were fighting, feels off. However, I digress.
It adds some context to the scenario, but while many would interpret his cheating with Lacie as revenge and payback, it actually just confirms that he genuinely felt like Belly was choosing Conrad over him and sought validation.
Why? Because if it were really about seeking revenge on Belly, he would’ve justified his “cheating” on her with Lacie by throwing up Christmas and her emotional cheating rather than keeping that to himself until days before the wedding.
It also means that his proposal wasn’t a desperate attempt to distract from his cheating, but more so a desperate attempt to see if Belly really did choose him. Because she really didn’t have to say yes to his proposal. She even cut him off before he could finish it.
Conrad pushes people away while secretly hoping that they’ll chase after him. Jeremiah tests people to ensure that they really are choosing him. And I still need both of them to find healing.
Honestly, I Give Up
Jeremiah is sympathetic throughout this ordeal. And for the character constantly browbeaten for his immaturity, we at least can say that there have been attempts at growth.
For those willing to be the tiniest bit objective, they can acknowledge that he took his licks like a champ and felt the most well-rounded and mature of the trio post-breakup.
Through the breakup we saw real selflessness and love demonstrated through sacrifice on display. He also chose himself when he need to the most.
And it was refreshing to see Jeremiah not pull any punches, (literally, sheesh!), with Conrad regarding this whole ordeal.
We have a single episode where Conrad receives a wake-up call after pushing people to their absolute limits, but it’ll likely all be meaningless if it plays out the same way the book series does.
Seriously, after all of this toxicity in the name of supposed love and this much destruction, how can you walk back any of it?
Even after all of this, it still feels as if the series may lean into the notion that Conrad’s behavior in the name of love is still somehow worth it because “romance,” and I don’t know what to do with that.
Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty Online
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