By Matija Šerić
We live in times of hyperproduction of film and television content. There is an abundance of high-budget TV series and films produced by major studios. In 2024 alone, Netflix released 589 new exclusive titles (series, documentaries, movies, etc.), while HBO launched 16 new series. Although some say we live in the “Golden Age of Television,” this label is quite questionable. Quantity is certainly not lacking, but the problem with current titles is the lack of quality in terms of originality, plot, characters, depth of story, or emotions. Mostly, everything has been seen before. Fortunately, exceptions exist.
A blend of literary and television talent
Amazon’s series The Summer I Turned Pretty stands out from the average and is an example of top-quality production that can serve as a model. The series is an adaptation of the trilogy by author Jenny Han: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer. Han is an American writer of Korean descent who previously gained fame with the trilogy To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, adapted into a Netflix film in 2018. The secret to the mega-popular series’ success lies in the fact that it was created by a brilliant author who also serves as the series’ executive producer.
Season 1 trailer
Summer and a love triangle
This is a teenage romantic series, with the first episode aired on June 17, 2022. The story focuses on the coming-of-age adventures of the main protagonist, a young American girl of Korean descent, Belly Conklin, superbly portrayed by the phenomenal Lola Tung — one of the best young American actresses. The plot initially takes place during summer at the fictional Cousins Beach resort in Massachusetts and later expands to other locations in the US.
Belly visits the upscale summer resort with her mother Laurel Park (Jackie Chung) and brother Steven (Sean Kaufman). They have spent many summers at the estate of Laurel’s best friend Susanne Fisher (Rachel Blanchard), who lives with her sons Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). The story centers on Belly’s growth, her transformation into a beautiful young woman, which awakens her interest in boys and their interest in her. Suddenly, the attractive 16-year-old Belly navigates between two brothers, leading to a complicated love triangle: Belly-Conrad-Jeremiah. Belly’s best friend Taylor (Rain Spencer), who makes romantic decisions much more easily, faithfully accompanies her through these choices.
Captivating a broad audience
The first season has 7 episodes, the second 8, and the third 11 episodes. The third season is currently underway. Although the series was conceived as a teenage summer hit, its exceptional quality managed to captivate a very wide audience. Today, in summer 2025, as one episode airs weekly, each episode is eagerly awaited by an enthusiastic audience who passionately divide into teams: Team Jeremiah, Team Conrad, or (at least) Team Belly.
A sophisticated narrative delights
Thanks to the novels and Han’s involvement in production, the series is sophisticatedly structured. It has coherence and nothing happens randomly or vaguely just to fill episodes. Every scene has a purpose, whether to deepen character development or create emotional tension. This creates a compact narrative, an essential ingredient of good television which many modern (teen) dramas lack. This aspect particularly appeals to a more mature audience, including the author of this article, who is in his 30s. Many older viewers are also drawn by nostalgia for the teenage years of freedom, a quality well integrated into the storyline.
Season 2 trailer
A story based on real life
Besides structure, a crucial factor attracting a broad audience is the phenomenal summer story. The positive summer vibe in the series is masterfully captured. Although summer is the theme of many films, The Summer I Turned Pretty exudes incredible relaxation, liveliness, and cheerfulness unique to summer and youth — above all, faith in life and a better tomorrow.
From episode to episode, we watch how Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, and other characters live their lives as best as they can despite everyday challenges and feelings such as insecurity, disappointment, betrayal, sadness, and anxiety. These are situations we all experience almost daily. These challenges elevate the series above others. Negative moments in life are excellently portrayed because life consists not only of beautiful things but also difficult ones. This allows the audience to connect with a story reflecting real life. The series vividly portrays relationships between parents and teenagers, specifically the transformation of teenagers into adults. It also touches on divorce. These are inexhaustible topics that interest both parents and youth alike.
Characters that get under your skin
Most importantly, despite obstacles, the characters remain composed and always find “light at the end of the tunnel.” After every fall follows a rise and a new climb. All main characters are deeply developed, another factor that allows the average viewer to see themselves in Belly, Taylor, or Conrad. We have all faced difficult love and other decisions like insecure Belly, rash decisions made by temperamental Taylor, or the anxiety hitting scared Conrad.
Lola Tung and the new generation of actors
The characters wouldn’t be so well portrayed without quality actors. This series has discovered talent. It brought fame and, very likely, a rich and successful career to young Lola Tung. The 22-year-old American actress of Chinese, Swedish, and Eastern European descent literally shines from scene to scene. She brilliantly handled the demanding role of the lead character. Belly faces tough challenges, and Lola’s performances convey nearly all the feelings an average teenage girl might experience. Her success is even greater considering this is her first television role. Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno also showed the full range of their talent, as did other actors for whom this series will be a springboard for their future careers.
Season 3 trailer
Top soundtrack
The musical backdrop accompanying the plot is extremely high quality and adds value to the series. During tense scenes, hits by Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Blackpink, Cardi B, SZA, One Direction, and other artists play in the background. There is no doubt the series has one of the best soundtracks in the last decade. It’s not just that the production uses top songs by top artists but that they use them at exactly the right moment in the right scene. Taylor Swift herself noticed this and supported the series by sharing it on her Instagram story. She greeted Tung and Han at a concert during The Eras Tour. Many Swift fans started watching the series and have not been disappointed.
Beautiful locations
The series wouldn’t be so successful if it weren’t filmed at stunning locations showcasing the scenic beauty of the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina (not Massachusetts as shown in the series). The beautiful beaches are real and located at Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington. Some scenes from the third season were filmed in Paris.
A must-watch release
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a refreshing Amazon television hit that all film enthusiasts should watch. It’s a blend of an intriguing summer story with great summer vibes, a romantic drama, phenomenal characters dealing with complex problems but never losing faith in the future. The series is charming but neither predictable nor naive. On the contrary, it’s full of twists and dynamics that demand attention—a mix of comfort and challenge. That’s why everyone is eagerly waiting to see how it ends. Whatever the outcome, it won’t diminish the remarkable quality.
