The Summer I Turned Pretty: Season 2/ Episode 6 “Love Fest” – Recap and Review (with Spoilers)

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General Information

This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.

Plot Recap

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Sometimes Asking Nicely Works, But Not All The Time – Skye, Cam, Belly, Julia, Conrad, Jeremiah, Taylor

With Julia selling the house with no desire to go back on the decision, once again, the children feel defeated. However, Belly decides, rather than sulk, mourn, and let that be the final memories of the house, they should have a party. Everyone supports this, especially Skye, for while Julia has pushed the idea because she felt she didn’t belong, neither would Skye, that isn’t the case. Skye is bonding with their cousins, has a reciprocated crush on Cam that leads to a kiss, and they convince him to join the whaling expedition, despite his attachment to his mom.

Now, as for everyone else? Things begin to bubble between Jeremiah, Conrad, and Belly again as they get liquor or at least try to. Conrad fails with his fake ID, Jeremiah’s charm doesn’t work, but Belly being honest does, and even leads to the cashier, an acquaintance of everyone, bringing out the liquor and getting a party invite. Though what may truly matter is the boys being in competition and jealous of one another. Like when Belly gets Jeremiah a drink, and not Conrad, since Conrad doesn’t like sugary drinks. Yet, he decides not to take a sip of his brother’s drink but from the same straw Belly was using.

Which leaves Taylor. We’ll get to her situation with Steven in a moment, but what matters for this topic is her learning Belly is not invited to rejoin the team and her presenting the idea she is going to drop volleyball. Belly won’t hear of it, but it seems doing something with her best friend was the motivation, and getting up early and training without her? It just isn’t going to be the same.

But Do You Know Her Middle Name? – Milo, Taylor, Steven

Steven is at the point of being reckless when it comes to his feelings for Taylor. Milo? He is a non-factor, and disrespecting him is fun at this point. Taylor, however, doesn’t appreciate being in the middle of all this. While her relationship is far from perfect, she committed to it, and Steven confessing his feelings, doing a dance routine with her, and knowing her middle name? Never mind fighting Milo when he shows up, it is very confusing and puts her in an awkward position.

Heck, what Steven does is put Taylor into a Belly type situation. But, being that Taylor can see an upgrade and doesn’t appear to bounce back and forth between options, once Steven proves himself and confesses his feelings, she decides to drop Milo like a bad habit and be with Steven.

Overwhelmed – Jeremiah, Conrad, Belly

Belly is having a difficult time when it comes to the party she came up with. Spending so much time around Conrad while Jeremiah is saying all the right things is tearing her apart. For just as she is apologizing for how she acted at Susannah’s funeral, Jeremiah gets jealous. As Jeremiah says the type of things that would make any girl hot and bothered, he then is using Belly as ammunition at Conrad.

All the drama is overwhelming for, lest we forget, Belly is 16 and is dealing with her first crush and first love, fighting with her best friend, who she also has feelings for. Add in Susannah dying, losing the house, getting kicked off the volleyball team, having no idea what she is going to do after she graduates high school, and who knows what beyond the small glimpse of her life we see, and she has a breakdown. As the party rages, leading to windows breaking, people vandalizing the house, and Julia’s olive branch likely being set on fire, Belly has a breakdown and calls her mom, revealing where she is and leading to Laurel needing to leave New York and head to Cousins.

Other Noteworthy Information

1. The olive branch Julia made is that the family buying the home allowing Conrad and Jeremiah to rent the house for a week every summer. Jeremiah is overjoyed, but Conrad rejects it since he is very much all or nothing. This attitude is what leads to Jeremiah and Conrad fighting, with Jeremiah using Belly, and how Conrad treated her, as fodder.
2. It seems we got to see Shitmas in this episode, where Susannah’s take on Julia being treated as the red-headed stepchild is dismissive.

Collected Quote(s)

Sometimes you’re getting over your past and moving on in the present all at the same time.
— Belly

Review

Highlights

Taylor and Steven

I’m not saying I’m #TeamSaylor or anything like that, but even with Taylor’s transition from Milo being messy, I feel like, for the ages they are, there is something cute about Steven and Taylor. Yes, the middle name thing got me since it really did prove that Milo was all about what he could get from Taylor than what he could give her – beyond the satisfaction of being a “muse.”

However, it was also Steven making fun of Taylor’s dance routine to “Party In The U.S.A.” yet also making room for Taylor and him to do the routine, including the parts which require a certain amount of freedom to do as a dude. To me, how he acted showed that he was comfortable with himself and comfortable around Taylor to be silly privately and publicly. And while vulnerability is often spoken about in showing emotions, like how hurt you are about something, I’d submit it is also being able and willing to let go and be in the moment with someone and tune out the world.

Cam and Skye

While Cam and Skye are a bit of a C storyline, since Skye really is mainly here to push other people’s stories along, I appreciated getting to see them and Cam have a moment. Mainly because it isn’t built up like Belly’s situations or even Taylor and Steven’s. There is no drama, no grand gestures, just two people who are into each other without it being this massive, Earth-shattering ordeal.

It reminds you that not all teen/young adult relationships have to be the first sign of the apocalypse. Sometimes, things can be simple, a friendship with the curiosity of whether it can work as something more, and add on that Cam being a “They” isn’t made to be any part of the conversation, that adds another beautiful layer.

On The Fence

The Belly Love Triangle

Belly is starting to become like Bella from “Twilight,” and so many who are at the epicenter of love triangles where, after a certain point, you think they should just be single and end the madness. Don’t get me wrong, I get the desire to be loved, lusted over a bit, and also have a friend to boot. But clearly, Belly has a lot going on and probably needs a therapist.

Not Taylor, despite her being a bit more calm, cool, and collected at times. I’m talking about someone not associated with everyone she knows, a third party, with whom she can have real conversations and advice that isn’t rooted in swooning and being a #Team but what is right for Belly.

Was That Shitmas?

I’m not the only one questioning if that was the legendary “Shitmas” that led to Julia disconnecting from Susannah for more than a decade, right? Don’t get me wrong, I understand Julia not feeling supported, potentially gaslit, was likely traumatizing. Never mind, Susannah trying to keep her rosy version of events than the truth. However, considering how far Julia took it, to the point of poisoning her kid against her sister and nephews? That seemed a bit much.

Mind you, who knows what other issues Julia had, beyond being jealous of Susannah’s financial position, but that is what I hope to see – let’s get some real details about that sister bond and get to see it first hand. If we’re going to do flashbacks, let’s get the whole series of moments, not some lackluster one which could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back but certainly isn’t noteworthy enough to make Susannah seem like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Episode Directory

F.A.Q.s

Answers to some questions you may have regarding this episode: