TV Romance
Sorry, Belly! Taylor & Steven are ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Best Couple
While The Summer I Turned Pretty may have one of the most fiercely debated love triangles since the Twilight saga, it’s clear that the best couple on the show can’t be defined by high school-level geometry. That’s why this season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, I’m not rooting for Belly to end up with Jeremiah or Conrad. I’m Team Staylor all the way.
From book to screen, Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) has always had a thing for the Fisher boys. While she has fallen in and out of love with both Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney), the trailer for the show’s final season reveals that Belly and Jeremiah are planning on getting married while still in college. At the same time, Conrad can’t put his feelings for Belly to bed.
For anyone who’s read Jenny Han‘s We’ll Always Have Summer, it’s clear this rollercoaster of a season will be Belly’s wildest ride yet, regardless of whether the show sticks to Han’s original ending or not. However, the trailer also teases what’s next for a fan-favorite relationship that is not seen in the final book, the slow-burn romance between Belly’s brother, Steven (Sean Kaufman), and her best friend, Taylor (Rain Spencer).
Much like Belly’s longtime crush on Conrad, viewers could tell from Season 1 that Taylor has always had a thing for her best friend’s brother. While the duo share a kiss during the first season, their relationship doesn’t truly come to the forefront until Steven breaks out Belly and Taylor’s signature “Party in the USA” choreography during the Season 2 house party. From then on, it was clear no one could get even with Steven. (Thank you to Taylor’s ex Milo for putting out that banger of a diss track, though.)
In the rare window that Prime Video has given viewers into the show’s highly-anticipated final season, we can see that the couple is still going strong. During the trailer, Taylor leans out of a sorority house window, beaming as Steven blows her a kiss from outside. (10/10 romantic gesture if you ask me.)
When it comes to the love stories on The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly’s love for the Fisher boys fades into a single narrative: Belly has always known she would marry a Fisher. However, at this point, she has so much history with both of the brothers that it almost doesn’t matter which one she chooses. In fact, the intense pull she feels towards both guys leads me to believe that neither should be her endgame. The Fisher brothers will always be in her life, but I’d like to see Belly move on so that all three of them could sort out their differences as friends. I understand that they’ve all known each other forever and needed time to grow, but wouldn’t you want to be with someone who’s certain that you are the one?
Steven and Taylor, on the other hand, have carved out their own path, going from spending their childhoods in each other’s periphery to realizing that their shared experiences make them perfectly suited for each other. What separates their story from that of the members of the show’s central love triangle is maturity. As a viewer, it’s clear that Taylor and Steven would permanently call it quits if they needed to — or if their relationship was actively hurting someone else.
Sure, Steven and Taylor have indeed been just as (if not more) on and off than any of Belly’s relationships. However, the most important lesson of young love is that it isn’t always meant to last. Sometimes, even the strongest love stories are foundational, not permanent. And, honestly, that’s okay.
So, yes, I believe Belly when she says, “Life’s too short not to spend it with the person that you love.” But while others are wishing she would take her own advice and finally end up with their championed Fisher boy, I’m standing firm on the belief that it is Steven and Taylor who share the greatest love in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3 Premiere, Wednesday, July 16, Prime Video
