The Conrad Diaries: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 1
When it comes to YA romance series’ of the 2010s, I’m admittedly a bit of a late bloomer. I didn’t like to read until high school, and then went through a classics-only phase, like a newborn fawn still not yet confident enough to stray from AP Literature pics. And yet, with a newfound curiosity for the teen romance books I missed out on in middle school, I borrowed this series just in time, a month before the first book’s Amazon Prime adaptation was released.
Let’s face it. The first season is essentially The Conrad Diaries. Sure, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) has lit a spark in Belly (Lola Tung), but we see him falling for her more than the other way around. For now. Belly has been absolutely mesmerized by Conrad (Christopher Briney) since she realized what boys were. There’s always one person who changes the game. The first real crush. Conrad changed Belly’s whole world and that is felt through every episode of the season, all in a new and exciting environment where she finally feels secure, mature, and desirable.
Episode 1 starts at The Fishers’ beach house at Cousin’s Beach, the magical world of Laurel (Jackie Chung) and Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), filled with pool pranks, movie nights, beach days, and an extended “family” that feels more normal than home. “For me, everything good, everything magical, happens between the months of June and August,” Belly says.
It’s an instant love triangle, same as the book (Cam was never really competition). Jeremiah takes a long moment of pause before switching on friend-Jeremiah mode and scooping Belly into a whirling hug, as does Conrad. And yet, I love the artistic changes that have been made to the series by Jenny Han, original author and creator and co-showrunner of the series, like a romance for Laurel and queercoding Jeremiah. This is not the first time Han has held a significant role in her own book adaptations, being an executive producer on “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” on Netflix, arguably one of the films that started the renaissance of rom-coms.
“I think perhaps if I was writing the novel today, I may have made that choice because I think that he's always been a character, to me, that is really at ease with himself, really comfortable in his own skin, and open-minded, and open to exploration,” Han said, speaking to TV Line about Jeremiah’s sexuality. It’s a simple way to add representation.
Another edit I found modernized the book was the exploration of Taylor (Rain Spencer)’s character on screen. In the books, her existence acts more as proof that “yes, Belly has friends,” seen whining about parties or boys in backstories. But in the TV series, we see more into Taylor’s motivations, why she cares so much about Belly’s friendship, and how she hurts when Conrad and Jeremiah eclipse their friendship. She goes from "pick-me-girl” to “girls-girl” in a matter of small changes, but the effects of this are felt throughout the story conflicts, making for a more complex and interesting season. In general, Belly has more connections with other women. The Conrad vs. Jeremiah love triangle is still prominent, but more layered, complicated, and interesting to watch.
As a later-in-life reader of this teenage-geared series, I found myself connecting a lot more with Laurel’s character and story. Her best friend is dying in front of her while she has to pretend everything is normal for their kids, put her life back together after divorce, and find who she is without Susannah. The last is more difficult, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of that next season, with the groundwork laid to explore Laurel’s character more. When the screen cuts to Laurel and author Cleveland Castillo (Alfredo Narciso) having casual sex in her car in episode 4, I gasped with my whole body. I was so invested in their storylines, and while the choice was a huge surprise, I feel it was incredibly healing for her character. His support and care throughout the season was very felt. He purposefully created a relationship with Conrad, not only to learn knots but to support him once he knew about his mother’s illness. He warned Laurel about Conrad’s knowledge of Susannah’s condition. I Laurel and Cleveland together, though I doubt it will follow into season 2. They are a minor enemies-to-lovers trope, and yet the perfect little addition.
The biggest surprise of the series (for most who skipped the book) is that there is no Debutante Ball in the original story. A huge part of the TV series and added cast is the lead-up to the ball. It added a lot of appreciated characterization and conflict to the series, fitting quite naturally into the trajectory of drama for the book. And yet, it was giving Vampire Diaries-vibes, until it came to light that Conrad and Jeremiah’s brawl was not over their love for Belly but anger over Sasannah’s cancer coming back.
In fact, in the books, the final season 1 kiss between Conrad and Belly never happens. Instead *SPOILER* they date between books before Susannah dies. This change still feels natural to the books. Similar to Jeremiah and Belly’s steamy kiss in the pool (also not in the books), it feels like a creative narrative move to gradually bring in themes from the second book that will become Season 2, filming now.
I was absolutely sobbing at the season finale episode, even though I knew Susannah was sick. I knew about her impending doom throughout the whole show. That sadness is an incredible sign of audience connection. It almost felt cruel to put “Funeral” by Peobe Bridgers over the scene with Belly, her mom, and Steven all crying in bed together. I watched it at least 10 times, like a masochist, sobbing all over again every time, feeling the power of the scene as I watched it. It was crazy. It says a lot about the writing, community, and story that Jenny Han and Sarah Kucserka have crafted.
I can not sing my praises high enough about this series. Even though the readership of these classic YA novels grew older, times have changed since their publication, and the general TV/streaming world has been reshaped entirely, this show still holds to the original vision and stands as a fantastic piece of romantic television.
5 stars
