Just one episode remains in the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty

Has The Summer I Turned Pretty pretty much consumed your entire personality for the past few months? Don’t worry, I totally get it.

I’ve been watching the much-hyped TV adaptation of Jenny Han’s books since the first season came out in the summer of 2022, and nothing could have prepared me for how quickly the show would become a full-blown obsession for me.

The romantic drama tells the story of a teenage love triangle, in which protagonist Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung in her first ever on-screen role) finds herself torn the brothers Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher, played by Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney, respectively.

Set in the fictional seaside town of Cousins, the two families at the centre of it all have been spending summers together since they were kids, until one year everything changes and friendships begin to turn into something more.

On first glance it’s a show with all the ingredients for a low-stakes, feel-good summer binge: a gorgeous holiday beachhouse, relatable coming-of-age storylines and butterfly-filled summer romances.

But long-time viewers of the show will know that it also delves deeper into mature themes that give The Summer I Turned Pretty a lot more depth than people would like to give it credit for. There are thoughtful depictions of grief, careful portrayals of mental health issues, relatable interfamily disputes and generally just a lot of tear-jerking moments.

Playing Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty has been a breakout role for Lola Tung

At least, these are the lines of argument that I – a 29-year-old woman who was born in the bordering years between millennial and Gen Z – told myself while trying to understand why I liked a show that was likely intended for much younger people.

Eventually, I realised that I was living in denial, and had to come to terms with the fact that I was watching each episode twice in one day, and blushing over Conrad fan edits on TikTok. Only then was I finally able to accept that this wasn’t just a show that I enjoyed, but actually loved.

By making this confession, I not only became free, but soon discovered that the millennial obsession for The Summer I Turned Pretty is actually a bit of a phenomenon.

Now approaching the end of its third and final season, more millennials than ever are speaking about their affinity with the show. Here’s why…

There’s a strong sense of nostalgia at the heart of the show

Many fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty have noted that the show is deeply nostalgic, making us long for a simpler time.

In a recent article for

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