The Summer I Turned Pretty – Season 2 Episode 2 “Love Scene” Recap & Review

Love Scene

Episode 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 starts with Belly recalling her first date with Conrad after had kissed for the first time since summer. Belly and Conrad got together after their kiss at Halloween. Back then, Conrad took Belly on a date to the beach house and told her he was planning on switching his major to Biology.

He tells Belly that he wants to help people and be a doctor because of his mother. Conrad is happy that Susannah is getting better. The two drive around the city to get to the beach house where Conrad sets up the fireplace and Belly makes hot cocoa for them. Belly and Conrad sit by the fire drinking, befofe rushing to the beach.

The two take photos and play by the beach before making out. Belly and Conrad get back inside the house and the couple make love for the first time by the fireplace.

Present Day

After talking to Jeremiah on the phone, Belly leaves home without informing her mother or Steven. Belly takes the bus to Conrad’s college and feels guilty for not telling Laurel that she was away. She texts her mother, claiming to be at Taylor’s house.

Meanwhile, Jeremy tries to call Conrad’s friends from college to check if they have been in contact with him. Meanwhile, Laurel tells Steven that she’s going to be away on the book promotion tour. The mother-son duo hang out for breakfast and discuss Belly. Laurel tells Steven that Belly was at Taylor’s because she had broken up with Milo.

As Laurel goes to try out new outfits by herself, she recalls the time spent with Susannah. Meanwhile, Belly and Jeremiah meet outside Conrad’s college and he is not surprised she was there to look for his older brother. The two go to Conrad’s dorm room and learn that he was pissed about something regarding the Beach house.

Jeremiah is worried that Conrad will bottle his feelings up and explode with no one around to take care of him. Belly tells Jeremiah that she’s going to join him on his drive to the Beach house, whether he likes it or not.

On their drive, Jeremiah tells Belly that he has gone to the beach house with Susannah before her death in Spring that year. He asks Belly to call Conrad but he won’t answer her calls. Belly tells Jeremiah that they hadn’t spoken since Susannah’s funeral.

Just then, Jeremiah has a flat tire. Belly claims to know how to do it and instructs Jeremiah but he falls into a puddle of mud. Jeremiah lashes out at Belly and tells her that he’s still hurt because she kissed his brother after hooking up with him.

Belly apologises to Jeremiah for not being there for him when he needed her and promises to make up for lost time as he is drawn to tears. At the mall, Steven sees Taylor all by herself and asks where Belly is. Taylor covers up for her friend but Steven finds out that Belly lied to Laurel.

Steven follows Taylor to her house and asks to meet Belly, but Taylor tries to lie some more. She finally tells Steven that Belly was with Jeremiah and that she’s looking for Conrad who had gone missing. She asks Steven to back off and let Belly handle this one on her own.

Belly and Jeremiah get pies on their way to the beach house where they run into a friend who reminds Jeremiah of Susannah. Belly redirects the conversation and is reminded of her date with Conrad again. Jeremiah drives Belly to the beach house but all she can remember is driving there with Conrad the last time.

They finally get to the beach house and Jeremiah starts looking for Conrad. The episode ends with Belly walking into Conrad telling Jeremiah that the beach house has been put up for sale. 

The Episode Review

This episode had me confused because Jeremiah was acting as if Conrad has been missing for months when it had only been a day. The dramatisation of this scene felt exaggerated and there weren’t any high stakes involved for Belly to lie to her mother. I am starting to sympathise more with Laurel though, who is trying to process the loss of her best friend over Belly who is just confused about her feelings for two guys.

Jeremiah should probably end up with someone else because Belly does not feel anything for him and he is her plaything until Conrad finally comes around. I hate to say it, but Steven is right in the fact that Belly is messing with both boys.

Laurel’s forgetfulness makes me worried for her and I hope it’s just neglectful parenting rather than some form of amnesia kicking in. We have already lost one mother, I don’t think Belly could survive if something were to happen to Laurel too.