Move past the debate over Jeremiah Fisher and Conrad Fisher’s manchild-like behaviour, the OG drama magnet in Prime Video’s newly released The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 is damsel in distress Isabel ‘Belly’ Conklin, argue fans, calling her the flagbearer of “pick-me” behaviour.
Based on a novel by best-selling author Jenny Han, the third instalment of the teen romance follows the story of Belly (Lola Tung), who faces her biggest decision yet as her love triangle with Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) reaches its peak — she doesn’t know which brother to choose, and the internet has zero empathy for her.
While fans are passionately rooting for either of their favourite Fisher brothers, the series has sparked fewer discussions about warm and fuzzy romance and more discourse on the portrayal of the protagonist — a helpless, whimsical, ambitionless girl in her early twenties.
Though the final climax is yet to unravel in the last episode, set to drop on September 17, the internet is already calling Belly the kind of girl one must stay away from — and it is not just the men who are complaining.
(Disclaimer: spoilers ahead)
Belly, please pick a lane
In the latest season of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, the protagonist, Belly, yet again failed to stick to her decision and chose to keep both options open (Why can’t I have both is the only question she asks herself).
Conrad, Jeremiah, heartbreak, healing — everything seems like a spinning wheel for Belly. Her indecisiveness has made her less of a romantic lead and more of a professional juggler, who cannot stick to one of the two men even on her wedding day.
“Belly out here saying ‘a part of me will always love you (Conrad)’ but then ‘I wanna marry Jeremiah’… girl pick a lane,” wrote a fan on Instagram.
The emotional dilemma and its snowballing effect
Emotional dilemma is one thing, but walking into a wedding before figuring out who one wants to be with is something fans cannot wrap their heads around in 2025. Despite Laurel’s (Jackie Chung) reluctance, her daughter Belly nearly walked down the aisle before realising her heart did not belong to the man she was walking up to.
The confusion still had some fans empathising with Belly, but what she did next even turned them against her. Conrad and Jeremiah, who were once inseparable, are now indifferent, thanks to Belly.
Sharing a picture of two people surfing, a fan joked, “Ideal ending: The Fisher boys realise Belly isn’t worth the drama... so they both bin her & save their brotherhood.”
No goals — she is either pouting, crying or chasing men
Other than chasing boys in Cousins Beach, the place where the story is set, what exactly defines Belly? Fans are unable to comprehend why the only question deserving of a 21-year-old educated woman’s energy is which man to marry. What about college? Career? Passion? Goals? For Belly, it’s either crying, pouting or chasing summer love.
“She had no real goals beyond ending up at the beach house. She literally followed Jere to Finch just because he was there. No vision for herself, no drive. Even the Paris plans, which could've been a fresh start, got dropped without much thought,” wrote a fan on Reddit.
The mother of avoidant attachment style
Belly’s behaviour is sometimes interpreted by fans as a result of an unhealthy attachment style, where she becomes preoccupied with unattainable individuals as relationships become more serious. In a shocking twist, Belly found out that Jeremiah cheated on her. Though initially heartbroken, she forgave Jeremiah and accepted his proposal of marriage, despite her family’s disapproval.
A fan made a funny reel with a subtle reference to a song clip from the 2008 film God Tussi Great Ho. In the clip, Priyanka Chopra was seen dissing Sohail Khan’s character for cheating on her.
Belly doesn’t know when to speak, she also doesn’t know when not to
When it comes to doing the right thing after all the wrongs, Belly has a knack for picking up the worst possible moment. For instance, when Belly, after realising her love for Conrad, had the chance to confess her true feelings, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. However, she chose to speak her mind when Conrad was grieving and angry while trying to deal with his mother’s death.
The three-episode final volume of The Summer I Turned Pretty will premiere on September 3 with the series finale episode set to drop on September 17.