Jenny Han’s novel-turned-Amazon Prime Original Series The Summer I Turned Pretty is a sincere, sun-soaked tale of love, both young and old. While most of the popular new show is lighthearted and easygoing, it also offers a surprisingly deep look at modern love, regardless of whether you’re eighteen or pushing on fifty.
One of the more interesting dynamics in the show considers brothers Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher, played by Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney respectively. Both contrast each other heavily in the eyes of main character Belly (Lola Tung) – while Jeremiah’s pretty much a fun-loving, flirty, ‘golden retriever’ of a person, Conrad is broody, angsty, and a lot more mysterious. Then there’s the geeky, affable, book-smart Cam… in a nutshell, Belly finds herself as the centre of attention of every type of young man out there.
While she navigates the tough task of picking who she likes, it wouldn’t do too much harm to take a few notes from the characters when it comes to dating and relationships!
Share Your Burdens With The Ones You Love
A big part of Conrad’s journey involves him holding back his mother’s cancer diagnosis, which results in him losing interest in life, isolating himself, and also backing away from love.
While you don’t necessarily need to tell someone you like everything about your life, addressing your fears and stresses while taking the time to discuss them can do any relationship a world of good.
Don’t Curate Yourself, Just Be Honest
Regardless of whether you’re forty and divorced, or still remembering your sweet sixteen, it isn’t always easy to be 100% authentic with the ones you like or love. Today’s everyday approach towards romance leaves a lot of room for others to judge your affections, so we may end up tailoring ourselves to act and love a certain way.
When in doubt, be like Jeremiah. If you’ve got a chance to brighten someone’s day by being a bit silly, vulnerable, or sweet, take the chance!
Sometimes, All You Need Is To Share A Meal Together
Sure, this one sounds silly, but hear me out. Towards the end of Cam and Belly’s meet-cute, the young man takes her down for a walk, and also packs a couple of sandwiches for the two to enjoy.
Sure, there’s plenty of reasons to be tense and worry about the nature of their brief romance, but that tiny gesture of making someone a quick snack can go a long way – whether its cheering up an unhappy partner, navigating tough conversations, or just enjoying a quiet moment in delicious silence.
Chores Are 100% More Interesting With A Crush
Not every romantic/sexual encounter needs to start with a whole day out, chucking money at bars and restaurants. Sometimes, it’s not such a bad idea to get to know someone through getting chores and odd-jobs done together. Not only do you get to be useful to someone you like, but it breaks barriers down and feels a lot less ‘wasted’ than an expensive evening out on the town.
It also gives you a tiny glimpse of how a more ‘domestic’ arrangement would be between you and someone new – and it certainly sent Belly’s heart racing.
Late Night Swims = Sexual Tension
Sure, this one’s definitely a lot harder to pull off! But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this show, it’s that if you’re fortunate enough to find an after-hours swim spot together, sparks are definitely going to fly.
Catch the incredible first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video.
(Featured Image Credits: Amazon Prime Video)