Jennifer Lawrence Reveals Her The Summer I Turned Pretty Hot Take

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty season three.

Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t like being under the same moon as Belly Conklin and Conrad Fisher.

Following the end of season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty, where Belly (Lola Tung) and Conrad (Chris Briney) finally became a couple after a complicated love triangle involving Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), the actors who appeared in the Hunger Games films shared who they were hoping would end up together.

“I was told by all my friends not to say this,” Jennifer confessed to Mubi during an interview with Robert Pattinson that came out on September 29th. “I’m on Team Jeremiah, definitely. I believe Conrad has a harmful personality.”

She went on, saying, “He seemed to be into her at first, but then he lost interest and just left her feeling uncertain.” She added, “For him to then tell her he loved her the night before her wedding is really awful.”

Even though her viewpoint isn’t shared by many TSIP fans-who are eager to see a movie continuation after the show ended-the 35-year-old remains firm in her beliefs and isn’t backing down.

As she put it, “I’m team Jeremiah. Rake me over the coals.”

Many viewers wanted Jeremiah and Belly to reconcile after he canceled their wedding upon discovering Belly still had feelings for Conrad, but the story didn’t end that way.

Following Belly’s year living in Paris after running away, Conrad traveled to France to tell her how he felt. While she first rejected his advances, Belly realized that she had gone to France hoping to reinvent herself.

“But I’m still me,” she said at the end. “And was that younger version of myself really so terrible? She always did what her heart told her to do, no matter the consequences. Even with everything she messed up, I have to believe she deserves to be loved. I still feel love for her. And I still love him.”

Cue Belly rushing to the train station, hoping to see Conrad before he departed, with Taylor Swift‘s “Into the Woods” setting the scene. Meanwhile, Jeremiah discovered a fulfilling relationship with his colleague, Denise Russo (Isabella Briggs), and rekindled his love for cooking.

It was challenging for Gavin to portray Jeremiah, particularly because his character had an affair with Belly after they became a couple in the second season.

“People generally don’t seem to like him, do they?” he said to The New York Times in August. “It’s also crucial to remember this is a made-up story-and it doesn’t reflect who I am.”

It’s been upsetting to see how negative feedback about Jeremiah has unfortunately affected some viewers’ opinions of Gavin. He shared, “I don’t believe anyone can handle that much emotional negativity, especially when things like this occur.”

Nonetheless, being a part of author Jenny Han‘s world has been a “dream job.”

He explained that the story is truly lovely because it reminds people of past romances. It evokes memories of childhood, summer days, and first loves-making it something many can connect with.

To understand the distinctions between the book We’ll Always Have Summer and the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, continue reading below.

Although We’ll Always Have Summer starts with Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) completing her first year at Finch University, the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is actually set during the final months of her junior year.

So, when Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) has an affair with Lacie Barone (Lily Donoghue) in the show, they’ve actually been a couple for four years, not just two.

Just before Belly starts her first year of college-shown in a quick flashback at the beginning of the season premiere-her brother Steven Conklin (Sean Kaufman) hastily wrote “Belly” over her given name, “Isabel,” on her dorm room door. Later, we see her college friend Anika Johnson (Sofia Bryant) referring to her as Belly.

However, in the book, Belly didn’t correct anyone who called her by her government name.

“I didn’t intentionally choose to be called Isabel; it simply evolved,” she explained in the book. “I distinctly recall struggling with my key, then looking up at the door where I saw it. The name ‘Isabel’ was spelled out in stick-on rhinestones.”

After that, she told her roommate, Jillian Chapel, that her name was Isabel, and that’s what everyone at Finch College began calling her.

As a lifestyle expert, I remember when Jenny Han‘s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before-the start of a wonderful trilogy that Netflix later turned into a movie-came out. It was published a few years after We’ll Always Have Summer, but Jenny is a master at connecting her stories! She cleverly included little nods and Easter eggs to her previous work, which fans absolutely loved.

For example, Belly had a picture of herself and Jeremiah wearing costumes inspired by Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey displayed on her dorm room wall. The second book in the series, P.S. I Still Love You, also appeared as an answer in a crossword puzzle that Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) was completing with Belly during Christmastime.

The show started delving into Conrad’s difficulties with his mental health, such as panic attacks, in the first season. This happened as he attempted to cope after finding out his mother, Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard), had been diagnosed with cancer once more.

By the third week, the student from Stanford University met with a therapist as he prepared to return to Cousins Beach for a memorial event honoring Susannah. During their meeting, he and the therapist discussed his worries about going to the event, but he didn’t talk about the difficulties with his romantic relationships. The important thing is that he’s going, isn’t it?

In the show, Belly finds out she’s been accepted into a study abroad program in Paris for the next semester, meaning she won’t be able to share a room with Anika when school starts in the fall. (Jeremiah hadn’t even asked her to marry him yet.)

As a lifestyle expert, I always say life throws curveballs, and that’s definitely the case in this story! The character changes her plans to move in with her friend because she gets engaged unexpectedly. It’s a relatable situation, and her friend, Anika, is incredibly understanding. As she texts, “I’m not mad. I mean, yeah, it sucks that we won’t be living together, but I’ll figure something out.” It just shows a really mature and supportive friendship – being happy for someone even when things don’t go as planned. It’s a beautiful example of prioritizing happiness and adapting to change! You can find more about navigating life’s transitions on my blog!

Although Taylor Jewel (Rain Spencer) and Steven’s connection isn’t a focus in the books, their complicated romantic relationship takes center stage as a supporting plotline in the newest season. Even though Taylor is currently seeing Davis and Steven is with Mia, they’ve been secretly involved with each other since reconnecting in Manhattan over spring break – the very same week Jeramiah was unfaithful to Belly.

While driving, Steven tells Taylor he ended things with Mia hoping they could try dating again. This news is a lot for Taylor, and she asks him to stop the car. As she steps out, Steven is hit on the side by another vehicle while turning around, resulting in a medically induced coma. Fortunately, he eventually fully recovers.

Although the same can’t be said for their relationship—at least at this point in the season.

In the story, Belly said yes to marrying Jeremiah-he proposed even though he had been unfaithful to her over spring break-and this highlighted how overly reliant they were on each other.

She described his expression when he proposed in chapter 10, saying, “He looked at me with such determination and sincerity.” She continued, “I knew his face so well, perhaps better than anyone else
 I might have even known his face better than my own-I’d spent countless hours just looking at him while he slept, gently touching his cheek.”

“I never want to find a bruise or cut on his face without understanding what happened,” she went on. “I longed to be with him. It was his face that I cherished.”

Oh my gosh, as I kept reading the book, it just hit me – her choice wasn’t *just* about what she wanted, it was like she was trying to trick herself into believing she didn’t even *love* Conrad anymore! And it’s so amazing because they did the exact same thing in the series! It’s like the showrunners totally understood what was going on inside her head. It’s just… *perfect*. I mean, I’m totally obsessed with how they portrayed that!

On the show, Jeremiah’s deception ultimately led him to propose to Belly. She later confessed to Taylor that Steven’s accident made her realize how precious life is. However, it’s still obvious that her choice was also motivated by her desire to avoid confronting her strong feelings for Conrad, the older Fisher brother.

Taylor’s mother, Lucinda (Kristen Connolly), doesn’t appear often in the original book. However, her financial situation is quite important in the Amazon series when it comes to the complicated relationship between Taylor and Steven. Steven discovers that Lucinda’s hair salon is losing money after she contacts Belly’s brother, hoping to bring Taylor and him back together.

Even though Taylor had ended things with Steven and didn’t want his help anymore, she teamed up with Lucinda to reduce her expenses and eliminate her debts. This difficult situation also explains why Taylor struggled to rely on others, such as Steven, for support. It highlights her independent nature and reluctance to ask for assistance.

When Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship began, he was still a junior at Finch, so he wasn’t worried about graduating. But in the series, he found out he would be delayed in finishing school. This new complication was actually why Belly first hesitated about going to Paris the next semester.

As Lucinda became more involved in the show, she and her daughter were the ones who helped Belly find her wedding dress and organize her bridal shower, because Laurel didn’t approve of the wedding plans.

Adding yet another complicated love affair, Kayleigh serves as Adam Fisher’s secretary throughout the series and is also the woman he has an affair with while his wife, Susannah, is receiving chemotherapy. In the novel, Jeremiah and Conrad’s father still employs a secretary, Denise Colletti, who is responsible for wedding planning. However, their connection remains purely professional.

In the book, Belly’s parents, Laurel and John (Colin Ferguson), had a clear and separate coparenting arrangement. However, the TV show’s third season took a different turn: after a book event and some drinks, they ended up having a romantic encounter, complicating their relationship.

After Steven’s car accident in episode two, Laurel and John didn’t notice Belly’s upset calls. This left them feeling intensely guilty about their impulsive hookup.

After a period of disagreement-including some arguments and John missing Susannah’s garden memorial-the two started seeing each other more often. For example, when Belly couldn’t make it to Thanksgiving, a video call with Laurel revealed that she and John were celebrating the holiday together.

As a longtime fan, I remember vividly that right before Belly’s wedding, Taylor finally let it slip that it was actually Conrad who talked Laurel into coming to the celebration. It was a huge moment, revealing so much about their dynamics!

“Conrad visited your mom,” she shared with her closest friend as they were drifting off to sleep in chapter 44. “He managed to persuade her to attend the bridal shower. She then told my mom, and my mom told me
”

Throughout the show, Belly comes to the realization, by herself, that Conrad had stepped in, which made her feel particularly torn apart while dancing. Specifically, after having an edible at her bachelorette party, she found herself revisiting cherished memories of them together, set to the song “we can’t be friends,” as she danced.

Throughout the show, Belly initially didn’t have the chance to study abroad in Paris because she missed the application deadline – she had previously agreed to give up the opportunity for Jeremiah. But, following the cancellation of their wedding, she spent a year in Paris, often called the City of Love. While there, she took classes online, formed new friendships, and briefly dated someone named Benito.

Although viewers only saw a brief look at Belly’s time studying abroad-specifically in Spain-through a letter from Conrad, the show devoted three full episodes to her experiences in France.

For Jenny, expanding on Belly’s time away from her family was needed for the character arc.

Oh my gosh, you guys are NOT ready! I was reading Entertainment Weekly, and Jenny – Jenny! – said that what we’re going to see of Belly in Paris and the ending is going to be SO surprising. She specifically said it’s way more than just a little ‘what happened next’ – it’s not just an epilogue, you know? It’s a real part of the story, and I’m already losing it!

She explained that she continuously revised the scripts while in Paris, constantly finding new elements to add. “There’s a lot to learn when you’re experiencing life on your own for the first time, especially in a new country,” she said, “and that journey is crucial for Belly’s development as she matures.”

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2025-09-30 16:48