By Christine Garcia
Jenny Han creates an unforgettable summer in the quiet, fictional town of Cousins, Massachusetts, the center of a tangled love triangle between Conrad Fisher, Jeremiah Fisher and Isabel Conklin. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a coming-of-age book series adapted into an original Amazon Prime television show.
After two seasons of the series, a rift between loyal fans began to form, forcing them to choose sides between the two brothers. If you were Isabel Conklin, would you choose Conrad Fisher or Jeremiah Fisher?
Team Conrad
In season one, Conrad Fisher is recognized by audiences as Isabel’s first love. Since the beginning of their relationship, Conrad always appreciated Isabel even before she had a ‘glow up.’ However, he never communicated his feelings to her until she was in a relationship with Cameron (Cam Cameron). Conrad becomes jealous, realizing his love for Isabel is more than friendship.
“For Belly, Conrad is the sun. And when the sun comes out, the stars disappear,” Jenny Han said in her novel, “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
For the duration of the series, Conrad is depicted as lacking in emotional balance, because of his inconsistent warmth and attentiveness in his relationship with Isabel Conklin. Conrad cannot communicate his emotions effectively, ultimately this issue ends their relationship.
Conrad demonstrates his affection in a variety of ways. In the course of their childhood, he purchased a $100 glass unicorn and a carnival prize, “Junior Mint”, for her. Through time and adolescence, he gifted Isabel an infinity necklace, served as her date to the debutante ball, and helped her win a volleyball tournament.
Although Conrad is devoted to Isabel, as the result of his mother’s (Susannah Fisher) sudden cancer diagnosis and death, his grief detaches him from Isabel. He becomes cold and distant, denying Isabel of her assistance. His life is in disarray. He understands that Isabel deserves to be with someone better. For this reason, he isolates himself from her.
Despite everything, Conrad and Isabel separate ways in season two. He disregards his romantic attraction for her so that she can happily be with Jeremiah. As much as he wanted to tell Isabel that he loved her, Conrad knew that Jeremiah made her happy, and he didn’t want to interfere with their relationship.
Team Jeremiah
In season two, Jeremiah becomes an enchanting romantic interest for Isabel. Like Conrad, Jeremiah addressed Isabel as a childhood friend rather than a potential love interest, in the progression of their friendship. However, the closer they are together, the more intimate they become.
“You’re my best friend. There are times I want to be more,” Jeremiah said as Jenny Han says in her novel, “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
For the duration of the series, Jeremiah was never Isabel’s first choice. Being the younger brother in his family means he endlessly competes with his older brother for everything, including their father’s affection and Isabel’s attention.
After Isabel chooses Conrad, he is bitter against their intimate bond because he feels that he liked Isabel first. Despite this, Jeremiah felt as though he was always the second choice, which created distrust within his and Isabel’s relationship.
However, Isabel develops romantic feelings for Jeremiah during their first summer without Susannah, his mother.
Grief is what made Isabel closer to Jeremiah. When Conrad was grieving the loss of his mother, Isabel settled with Jeremiah due to the circumstances where Conrad treated her poorly. Jeremiah is much more emotionally available and willing to commit to her, even at a vulnerable period in his life.
Since the beginning of the series, Jeremiah has never been afraid to express his attraction towards her, never wanting to hurt her feelings. Jeremiah brings stability to their relationship because he never leaves Isabel to wonder. Jeremiah acknowledges indispensable things in her life and encourages her to pursue anything that makes her the best version of herself.
Isabel has grown more as a teenager when Jeremiah is her boyfriend.
To Review
As the show progresses, Isabel will continue her self-development journey. She is still a teenage girl with no experience in romantic relationships, so navigating through challenging obstacles and making mistakes in her girlhood is inevitable. Though the fans might not know who she will choose in the present, in season three, Isabel Conklin is obligated to decide between Conrad Fisher and Jeremiah Fisher.
