If I’m being so for real, the Belly and Conrad of it all felt pretty forced in The Summer I Turned Pretty series finale. We got 56 episodes about wedding planning and that damn two-tier dark chocolate cake with a raspberry coulis filling and a mirror glaze, and only three about Belly finding herself in Paris, her first relationship with a non-Fisher man, and her long-awaited Conrad reunion. The pacing this season was simply whack. They had 30 seconds to work through all their complex issues and realize they belong together.
Listen, I was Team Conrad from the start. But this man is not the same brooding, snarky, alluring fellow he once was. He’s grown into a kind of lame and somewhat creepy 20-something with only traces of a personality (his little human body speech). I barely even recognize the season 3 version of Connie! While I do believe men should yearn, I’m convinced Conrad’s entered a whole new category of behavior: stalking.
I realize this might be a controversial opinion, so let’s discuss. Is Conrad yearning for Belly or is he just stalking her? Here are my thoughts.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale: Is Conrad A Stalker?
Is Conrad Yearning Or Stalking?
I’d argue that yearning is an intense, yet quiet and inward emotion — one that doesn’t totally disrupt the world around it. But in season 3, Conrad’s behavior becomes increasingly loud and chaotic. At first, he seems to be yearning from a respectful distance, as Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding approaches. But then, he tosses restraint aside and chaotically confesses his love to Belly behind his brother’s back. (At this point, Belly and Jeremiah have been together for four years, and Conrad and Belly only dated briefly when they were teens.)
After Conrad blows up the wedding, he continues to fixate on Belly, even though they barely know the adult versions of each other. When she leaves for Paris, rather than giving her the space she needs, Conrad writes to her obsessively, clinging to some idealized version of their connection.
Maybe it’s just my severe avoidant attachment style talking, but if a man wrote me several letters, I mostly didn’t respond to them, and then he showed up at my apartment door in Paris wanting to hang out all day, I’d be spooked as fuck. Can’t a girl get some privacy an ocean away? Belly left Cousins for a reason! It’d be different if she was writing Conrad letters back with reciprocal amounts of passion and intimacy, but that’s just not the case.
@mckennamagnuson Belly! That’s the love of your life! Lock in! #thesummeriturnedpretty #conradfisher ♬ original sound – mdmagnuson
In fact, Belly ignores most of Conrad’s lengthy letters and gifts until she finally writes a short and sweet response: “Dear Conrad, I never thanked you for sending me Junior Mint,” she says. “So, thank you. And thank you for all your letters. It’s sweet of you to think of me. I’ve finally found a new apartment. This is my address. Hope you’re well!” Notice how there are zero “I love you’s,” no “come visit me’s,” etc. Her note is barely even flirtatious.
To me, that note says, “We’re cool, but please chill.” Clearly, Conrad doesn’t interpret it that way.
He doesn’t seem to acknowledge Belly’s obvious hesitation. After they hook up in Paris, he volunteers to skip his Brussels conference just to spend more time with her, but Belly has real concerns about their relationship. Is he only with her because that’s what Susannah wanted? Is he only with her because they’re holding onto some fantasy from when they were kids? “Conrad, I wish that I could be as sure as you, but I can’t,” she says. “I’m sorry.”
Am I really expected to believe that six seconds later, Belly does a 180 and comes to an entirely different conclusion? It just feels a little… off. It’s weird that Conrad’s so obsessed with her five years after they dated, it’s weird that he showed up at her door in Paris, and it’s weird that he doesn’t seem concerned about her hesitations.
I fear I’m Team Benito after season 3.
