The cast of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ sat down with Hota Kotb to discuss what viewers can expect from the upcoming season. Let’s just say maturing seems to be a major theme.
The first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty quickly became a Prime Video sensation, centering a love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney). Because their moms are besties, these three adolescents have been spending summers at Cousins Beach since they were pre-hormonal kiddos But now, Belly has grown up, puberty is fading in the rearview mirror, and these three are readying to take a wild ride filled with romance, doubts, jealousy, revenge, and more.
The first season premiered to critical acclaim, as the intergenerational narratives and sweet and spicy rom-com appeal made for a taste of summer escapism — with depth beyond the everyday beach read. With season 2 set to premiere on July 14, 2023, the cast sat down with TODAY to discuss what viewers can expect from the story moving forward.
Spoiler Warning for Season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty
The main characters in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ are maturing and, with that, comes new struggles
Young love is folly. Young love is bubbly. It’s fearless. It feels all-encompassing, but it’s wrapped up in so much wonder and naivete. It’s innocence meets infatuation. But…what happens when young love blossoms? What happens when people age and discover what true commitment and devotion look like?
While the main characters in The Summer I Turned Pretty are still quite young in season 2, they’re maturing. The new season will focus on their characters’ growth and how that interweaves into the love triangle. When Hota Kotb asked how the cast members would “encapsulate” what viewers can expect to see in season 2, Tung shared:
“I would say the characters go through a lot of growth and have experienced new things, as you do when you grow up and are sort of learning how to deal with these new feelings and changes in their relationships…dealing with family, love triangle…”
Briney chimed in with a similar sentiment, noting:
“I think, sort of in relation to the first season, the second season grows up with these characters. Because they’ve experienced a lot of big things in their life up to this point, bigger than they had going into the first season…the tone sort of goes along with them.”
Based on Briney and Tung’s explanation, Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty may boast a more serious tone. Their life circumstances (following their discovery that Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother has cancer) are definitely a bit more somber than they were in season 1. However, based on the teaser trailer for the upcoming second installment, the show will still boast its signature flair for flirtation and fun. But, right after you finish giggling, you might want to grab the box of tissues because a tearjerking scene is bound to follow suit.
