By Ronnie Amey, Arts & Entertainment Editor
photo courtesy of @thesummeriturnedpretty/Instagram
Are you team Jeremiah or Conrad? It’s a debate that has taken the internet and Moreau’s hallways by storm.
Published May 5, 2009, by author Jenny Han, the first issue of the hit novel The Summer I Turned Pretty hit the shelves. The novel’s popularity would lead it to turn into a popular trilogy and become an Amazon Prime adaptation, with the first season airing on June 17, 2022. The series generated a large following amongst young adults for its coming-of-age and romantic drama.
3 years later, on September 17, 2025, the show officially came to an end. However, the show’s loyal fans can look forward to a recently announced movie to follow along with the end of Isabelle “Belly” Conklin’s journey.
At the center of the plot, Belly struggles to choose between two brothers as a romantic interest: Jeremiah Fisher, the charismatic younger brother, or Conrad Fisher, the broody older brother. At Moreau, the finale sparked many debates. To gather a consensus on how the mariner student body was feeling, randomly selected students were asked who they believed Belly belonged with.
Out of 37 Mariners surveyed, a huge majority of 81% said they’re Team Conrad, while just 19 percent stood by Team Jeremiah. Many students chose Conrad because of his maturity and caring nature.
“He actually cares about her and has never moved on from her or loved anyone else,” said Marissa Schuman, a freshman.
A common appeal in Conrad was also his loyalty and consistency.
“I like that he never doubted his love for Belly, and even when there was another girl in his life, he still wanted Belly.” said Anika Torres, a sophmore
Many Conrad supporters also noted they felt that Jeremiah came across as less serious. However, the few who chose Jeremiah found his energy and fun personality admirable.
“I just feel like Jeremiah has more energy,” said Jazzlyn McClain, a sophmore.
Jeremiah’s ability to be there for Belly and his ability to care for people even when others don’t care for him made him a fan favorite amongst others.
“Because he’s always there for everyone when everyone’s not there for him. And I feel like he treats Belly right.” said Elegance Woolly, a junior.
A few also stuck with him simply because of his vibe in the most recent season.
A notable trend among students who answered/watched the show was leaning towards Jeremiah in the show’s earlier seasons and switching their support to Conrad by the 3rd and final season.
“The first season, I was Team Jeremiah, like his energy, and I think he was more chill compared to Conrad. But then, as the seasons progress, Conrad is just more mature and Jeremiah is just kind of not very serious.” said Alize Advincula a sophmore.
As shown in this brief survey, most Mariners leaned toward Conrad, with nearly 8 out of 10 students siding with Conrad by the end of the series. With the show officially wrapped but a movie recently announced, students will have one last chance to see if Belly’s final choice matches their own.
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