If you ask any fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty what their most heartwarming moment of the first season was; you’ll hear this response nine times out of ten: Belly and Conrad kissing on the beach. It was the radio over your head playing love songs from ’80s classics, the scene that causes you to leap from your seats and cheer in the excitement that your favorite characters finally got it right.
Belly and Conrad have been deeply intertwined since they first met, just kids who recognized something special in each other. They were best friends and confidants — and as Belly embraced the summer when everything changed, she was ready to take her relationship with Conrad to the next level. Over the years, she’d fallen in love with him, putting all of her hopes and dreams in his kind eyes, and even though things were tough for Conrad, he’d done the same with Belly.
Lola Tung knows the importance of not revealing plot points, but she did tell Elle that life’s circumstances did cause some space to exist between our favorite pair — and every one of the characters we love so much.
“I think they’ve all had a really tough year and things have happened that have caused them to grow apart.”
If the quote from Tung didn’t solidify that, the first-look photo of Conrad and Belly at the prom certainly does. Conrad is looking at her like he’s begging her to see him, and she’s looking away because she can’t comprehend where they’re at, what’s become of them, and what her heart is feeling.
The process is heavy on the pair as characters, but it also takes a toll on Tung and Chris Briney, who breathes life into the beloved and, at times, closed off Conrad. They had to film scenes where they’d just kissed and embraced their long-held feelings for one another back-to-back with moments when the tides had turned.
“We were trying to keep that magic of that last moment of the first season, while also being in the head space of this new season, which is so different.”
Fans shouldn’t fret, though, as those who have read Jenny Han’s books know that there are some moments when the sun still shines on Belly and Conrad, like the hot cocoa scene and a few other fan favorites, and they’re making their way into the series, too. Belly’s heart has always beat for Conrad, but love isn’t always a fairytale — sometimes it’s a sad country song.
Published: May 31, 2023 05:10 pm