Spoiler Alert: This article discusses plot details from The Summer I Turned Pretty.
If you've spent any time online, chances are you've encountered content related to The Summer I Turned Pretty, the popular teen drama series on Amazon Prime based on Jenny Han's book series. For fans of the show who frequent the online realm, reactions to the emotional beach scene featuring love interests Belly and Conrad have likely crossed your virtual path.
While the episode aired back in August, The Summer I Turned Pretty is currently making waves on TikTok. Fans are taking to the platform to share their thoughts on the scene, specifically highlighting the poignant lines, "Why? Why?"
For those needing a recap, the pivotal scene unfolds towards the end of Season 2 in the episode titled "Love Fest." Belly (Lola Tung), along with brothers Conrad (Chris Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno), and their friends decide to throw a significant house party to find closure after the sale of the Fisher family's beach house. Tensions rise between the Fisher brothers, and Belly becomes entangled in the complexities of their love triangle. The ensuing beach scene between Belly and Conrad (affectionately known as Bonrad) becomes a focal point.
Set against the backdrop of Taylor Swift's "Snow on the Beach," the scene sees Belly confronting Conrad about seeking Jeremiah's blessing to be with her, as Jeremiah also harbors feelings for her. In a drunken state on the beach, Belly reveals that had she known Conrad cared so deeply about her to approach Jeremiah, she would have fought harder to keep their relationship intact.
Fans, especially those shipping Bonrad, are taking to social media to express their reactions to the scene. Despite its airing last summer, enthusiasts are still reeling from Belly and Conrad's conversation, posting videos as recent as this month. Gen Z TikTokers, dubbed "why girls," are emotionally reenacting the scene to their cameras.
Sandra Felan (@_sandradenise) shared a video of herself mouthing the scene's words, expressing, "This argument scene on the beach is literally my Roman Empire ... it's such a perfect example of miscommunication I could talk about it forever." Felan's video has garnered over 1.8 million views and 279,000 likes.
"The minute I saw that argument scene, I just became obsessed with it. They perfectly executed the miscommunication trope, and I genuinely think about it all the time," Felan told Yahoo News. "So when I saw the trend of people saying 'my Roman Empire' when explaining something that they think about literally every single day, the only thing that came to my mind was that scene because of how often I really do think about it."
Felan isn't alone. Other fans are using the platform to share their own recitations of the emotional scene.
The Summer I Turned Pretty, currently Amazon Prime's third-most-streamed TV show, has been a social media sensation since its debut. On TikTok, the hashtag #thesummeriturnedpretty has amassed more than 16.5 billion views, giving rise to devoted "teams" – Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah. As Belly navigates her teenage love triangle, fans have become increasingly invested in her choices.
"[The scene] changed how I view the previous episodes; it paints all of their interactions in a different light," Felan said, "and it amplifies both of their heartbreak."
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