This summer, season two of the show The Summer I Turned Pretty rocked the internet. Via social media, this show was targeted towards teens but ended up appealing to many more. The series had something for all kinds of people. There was a beach aspect for people who enjoy beach stories, there was a love triangle for the people who love love and there were deep friendships portrayed for the person watching who enjoys friendship storylines. The show quickly gained speed with its first season but blew up even more when viewers had to wait each week for new episodes of the second season.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88% and an audience score of 79%, season one of "TSITP" received pretty good ratings. Consumers loved the feel-good, teen summer that was shown. It brought teen angst and romance, while also showing important relationships. As an entire year passed, the excitement ramped up for the upcoming season. During that wait, it was revealed that, contrary to the newer custom of dropping a whole season at once, the second season’s episodes were to drop one at a time on Friday of every week. The first three episodes dropped on July 14, 2023, and every other episode would drop once a week following.
After the first three episodes were released, social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram exploded with memes, jokes and possible theories as to what the next episodes were going to look like. With social media, different ideas and theories can be blasted all over without a second thought. Comment sections were filled with paragraphs of arguments fighting for different romantic interests and hate for different characters ran rampant.
One argument in particular is who the main character Belly is supposed to date. On one hand, you have her childhood crush, Conrad Fisher. On the other, Jeremiah Fisher is a new interest of hers. This debate between the two characters started in the first season and only heats up in the second. It is being compared by some people to the great Edward or Jacob love triangle of the Twilight Series back in 2010. Arguments about the characters in the new love triangle quickly get heated.
The new season brought the same angst and feelings but also introduced the hard concept of death and grief. Viewers had to see characters work through their grief but have to continue to live their lives, then deal with the consequences of their last summer together.
The series is adapted from a book series by the same name. The show pretty closely follows the books so far with minimal deviations from the main plot points. Many fans of the books tend to prefer the character Conrad Fisher for a match with Belly Conklin, due to certain book plots and future timelines in the third book. People who haven't read the books tend to like the other Fisher brother, Jeremiah, due to his go-with-the-flow disposition.
This show is loved especially by teenagers due to the soundtrack. Most songs in the show are popular and big hits, therefore many different kinds of teens are driven to the show due to its diverse score. One large artist consistently featured in the show is Taylor Swift. Fans of the show want to listen to songs they love so many artists get continued exposure when their songs are featured in such a prominent show.
Social media has played a huge role in the explosion of this show. With constant access to everyone else's opinions, consumers can always get immediate feedback and validation from fellow Conrad or Jeremiah supporters. The author of the book series, Jenny Han, is heavily involved in the recording of the show. She can be seen interacting heavily with fans and posting teasers of her own. Social media has offered a great platform for teasers, behind-the-scenes and extra content that watchers may not have been able to see otherwise.
This show has brought many people together. Whether it was Taylor Swift fans, book fans or people who were fans of the actors in the show, many different kinds of people have been watching the show. With the delayed episodes came even more excitement surrounding the series. Having to wait a week between each episode allowed viewers to come up with all kinds of ideas and “hype” around upcoming episodes. Overall, The Summer I Turned Pretty has taken over the globe this summer, capturing the hearts of millions.