I’m gonna be the one to say it. Jeremiah cheating and being irresponsible is not out of character. Jenny didn’t ruin him for the sake of Conrad. He’s always been written like that. Most of you have created this version of Jeremiah that doesn’t exist. A lot of you guys love the potential of the partner that he could be and it’s not who he is in the series because he isn’t quiet there yet. There’s things he needs to heal from that he hasn’t yet.
First of all, you cannot ruin a character you wrote over a decade ago. Jeremiah is Jenny’s character! Him and his arc have existed since 2009. The things you love about him are also things she wrote. You can have an opinion but ultimately that’s what she wrote years ago. You just deluded yourself into thinking she was never gonna do it for the show despite her dropping the seeds.
From the get go, the show introduces you to a Jeremiah that flirts with everyone, that sleeps with everyone, is always partying and as opposed to Conrad isn’t interested in school or a hobbie. There’s a literal scene on the show of Jeremiah bragging to Steven about all the people he slept with from Cousins. Show!Jere just as much as Book!Jere would 100% join a fraternity if it means partying. She isn’t selling you an idea of him that hasn’t been already pre established in the show.
If anything the show does a better job than the books at establishing the differences between both brothers. Jeremiah’s the fun, social and laid back brother that doesn’t take things too seriously while Conrad does what he’s supposed to do and always feels like he needs to be responsible since he got put on that baggage. It’s the most older sibling vs younger sibling dynamic there is. The show even doubles down on how S1/S2 Conrad isn’t his usual self. S3 Conrad is his normal self but in therapy. I’ve already spoke about this (X).
The show and the books not only just tell you that Jeremiah has an inferiority complex and feels like comparing himself to Conrad which brings the fact he needs to feel validated but that he seeks his father’s approval. Those very two things are his downfall. The show/series tells you after learning Adam cheated on Susannah Jere still seeks his validation and would put him on a pedestal while Conrad does not. I don’t fault Jere for wanting a relationship with his father at all but his actions and motivations are often conditioned by either Conrad or his father, and his insecurities for both.
Belly was just another thing he needed to feel validated about but you aren’t ready for that yet. Jeremiah 100% pursued her to win over Conrad.
I don’t think Jeremiah is a terrible person but not wanting to acknowledge that he has major flags does a disservice to him. Jeremiah is not and has never been “the golden retriever boy” – it was a facade. I don’t think he is in love with Belly either, I think both of them conditioned their love for each other because of Susannah’s death (and Conrad) and are now stuck in a romantic relationship that isn’t satisfying or fulfilling for either of them cuz they’ve never been compatible romantically. And most of you refuse to see it because you’ve been seeing Jeremiah and Belly’s dynamic solely based on their potential and not what’s there on paper.
I think Jeremiah sleeping with Lacie has a very definitive emotional reason and Jeremiah ending up similar to his father is a very interesting case. It’s almost like you become what you seek. Jere still doesn’t know how to handled his mother’s death. And I hope this is handled better on the show than how it was in the books. That Jeremiah recognizes a lot of the privileges he’s been born into, that he finds a better outlet to grieve which he has not done yet, and goes to therapy as well to see if he can fix the internal issues that stops him from creating a healthy relationship with Conrad and ends the series in a better place. I do wish the best for him in that, I actually really do.
But mind you, Belly’s not and never has been responsible for making Jeremiah feel superior or valuable over Conrad. And she wasn’t the one who strained their sibling relationship – it was Adam!
gummygunk
jimmyeatworldofficial
gracieabrams
ellievsbear
blakekathryn
