This article contains spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2.While The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1 depicted the perfect summer at Cousins Beach, the Amazon Prime series' second season is making a major turn by providing the aftermath through two dual timelines. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a drama series following Belly Conklin, a young woman torn between two brothers during one amazing summer. The series now has two seasons based on books by the same name, written by Jenny Han.
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 is making a significant diversion from its first season by introducing alternate timelines. Rather than just following Belly in the present day, as season 1 did, the latest installment jumps between Belly's present and her past. This change shows just how vastly the tone has shifted since The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1. Where Belly was stepping into an ideal summer at The Summer I Turned Pretty's Cousins Beach, surrounded by loved ones and finally grown into herself, season 2 sees the breaking down of her happiness and what she thought to be true.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Has Two Moving Timelines: When They Take Place & What Happens In Each
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 jumps between two time frames. The first is the present day in which it is the summer after the events of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1. Belly has just finished her junior year of high school and Steven graduated as valedictorian. The second timeline picks up immediately where The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1 ended, when Belly and Conrad finally reveal their feelings for each other. Over the episodes though, this past timeline is not continuous. Although the present day timeline moves onward consistently, the past timeline often jumps between weeks and even months.
Though the two timelines depict different events, they definitely inform one another. In the present day, Belly is depressed. Her grades are slipping, she lost her volleyball captaincy, and she can't seem to find joy in anything. Early on, she reveals that her mood is connected to two events: Susannah's death and her and Conrad's break-up. That is where the past timeline comes in. As Belly reveals bit by bit how she made it to her present situation, the past timeline appears to give context, showing Belly and Conrad at the end of last summer, their budding romance in the fall, and Conrad's sudden isolation due to Susannah's illness.
Why The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Has Multiple Timelines
The main reason why The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 has dual timelines is to continue Belly's story without dragging the season down with exposition. The show is centered on summer, so it's important to maintain the seasonal tone, however, Belly's story continues between seasons, and it's vital for audiences to see what has happened. Therefore, the show balances between new events, Belly's present, and clearing up old events, Belly's past. Furthermore, the dual timelines accomplish other things such as keeping Susannah in the season, despite her death, and maintaining the integrity of the timelines Jenny Han wrote in the novels.
Though it may seem confusing on paper, The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 provides a healthy balance of past and present. By jumping between timelines, the show succeeds at keeping audiences informed yet rooted in today. In this way, the series covers more ground and becomes more dynamic than the first season. The timelines only serve to elevate and deepen the story of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2.