Just when fans thought season one of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was binge-worthy, season two was released this summer, and it had viewers glued to their seats. The eight episodes that were released each Friday soon became the most watched television show on Amazon Prime, for good reason.
The season starts off with Belly, played by Lola Tung, and her family back at home, a couple months after last summer. Every summer, Belly and her family go down to Cousins beach, where her mother’s best friend, Susannah, played by Rachel Blanchard, has a vacation house. We learned Susannah had cancer at the end of the first season, and at the start of season two, we learn she has died. With Susannah’s passing, the family decides to ditch out on their annual summer trip to Cousins.
The season goes through many flashbacks of the previous summer, where we learn what happened between Belly and Susannah’s sons, Conrad and Jerimiah, played by Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney. Belly tries to move on from her past, but she soon realizes she can’t escape it. A conflict then rises, and Belly decides to go back to Cousins, where she reunites with Jerimiah and Conrad.
After the group reunites, Belly and the boys use teamwork to resolve a situation going on at the house. While the team is attempting to solve the problem, Belly’s brother, Steven, and her best friend, Taylor, join them in Cousins. The rest of the season, the group goes through ups and downs, but they all have one thing in common: sticking together. Seeing the group getting along again made the show more enjoyable to watch because it made it more inspiring. One of the best moments was Belly, the Fisher boys and the rest of their friends down at the boardwalk. They all got along and didn’t stress over Susannah or their relationships.
Throughout all of these events, season two was filled with drama, teen romance and new faces. It was nice to see the original characters from season one, but the addition of new characters really put the season together. One of the new characters I enjoyed watching was Krya Sedgwick, who played Jerimiah and Conrad’s aunt. Although she was more of an antagonist, she made the season interesting, adding to the plot. Season two also focused on a new plot but still consistently followed the teens’ romantic lives, which made it easier to understand what was going on.
While the directors did well on the plot and the addition of new characters, the filming and the choice of soundtrack really put the season together. The directors chose many popular songs such as “Deja Vu” by Olivia Rodrigo and “Invisible String” by Taylor Swift. The songs complement the summer setting to help match the tone.
My main critique of season two was it lacked the summer enjoyment. While it does make sense because the characters are going through a death, there wasn’t as much enjoyment as in season one, making it difficult to watch in some parts.
Despite being a little less fun than the first season, however, If you’re looking for a romantic teen drama to boost your summer serotonin, especially as we enter the winter season, I recommend watching the new season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
