#tsitp meta

[wutheringstcrm]

When you think about it, 3x11 is the ideal prosecution of 3x05. In both episodes, we get to follow Belly and Conrad for an entire day, a day where they share experiences, do things, reconnect with each other and understand what they used to have, is still there. The parallel of Conrad looking at Belly in the car, with she with her head out of the window in the sunlight, and him doing the same while he drives her back home in Cousins. And the finale, unlike 3x05, ends up with her definitive choice: be with him. And the love scene, that was a memory in 3x05, becomes reality again in 3x11 (and the "I dream about this. You" by Conrad almost confirms this, since before the previous love scene was basically his flashback).

[shadowquill17]

Actually still feel a bit insane about Belly protesting when Conrad offers her a ride in 3x05, about her saying “the bike won’t fit in the car” and Conrad saying, so softly, “the seats are down”.

I don’t know why it feels so precious to me? But while I was rambling about it to my dear dear friend (who knows everything about the show despite never watching an episode, hi @lolotr I love you) I may have figured out why. I thought it was just about the domesticity of it, the Husbandness™️, right? The ✨chivalry✨. But maybe it’s deeper than that!

Belly’s worrying that all her bags and the bike, aka all her baggage, will take too much space, that it won’t be practical for him to give him a ride in the car, she literally says “It's too much trouble”…

But Conrad says the car is already ready for it. He’s already made room in his life for her and everything she comes with, all the baggage and the bike she rode in on. And he doesn’t bat an eye at it, like it’s normal.

And then she tries to tell him to take the bags, aka the lighter, easy-to-manage stuff, and he just grabs the bike, heavier and clunkier, because of course he does. It’s the most impractical, awkward thing she’s bringing into this, and he handles it like it’s no big deal, like of course he’s there to help her carry the load.

I just—

I’m probably overthinking this. But even if I am and it’s just a throwaway line, it’s still hot. 😌✨

[girl-intrigued]

When Belly marries Conrad she's going to have a lifetime supply of muffins and chicken

[sarah-cam]

the scenes are playing out the exact same. belly’s first chapters are her gaslighting herself to think she’s so in love with jere or complaining about him and his frat mentality. shes’s v frustrating in the books as well cuz you can tell she’s lying to herself. even in the xmas episode is pretty much book to page except for belly’s narration. i think this choice has a propose. they don’t want to use them saying they still love each other verbally until enough tension has been build. and i can see this being more of a choice on narrative anticipation.

and i think it’s better that way too because belly and jeremiah’s relationship is very different than for what it in the books. they added 2 more years into their relationship. belly has been intimate with him in the show which wasn’t in the books. i can see why she would feel more inclined to make it work with him in the show and more cations. the choice of jenny not wanting them to be teenagers anymore is interesting too. i want to see why.

and the xmas scene isn’t even the one that showcases belly’s longing the most. it’s the peach scene that sets everything up for her. it’s the one that awakes the fact she’d never feel anything as intense for anyone. and this is like halfway too. but in the show if i have to guess is around ep4/5.

i also believe the wound healing scene will go further than what it was in the books. the emphasis on “we can’t be left alone together” and “nothing will ever happen between us” makes me think they will physically go there - regards not initiated by conrad but by belly herself.

i get that she’s supposed to be in denial and lying to herself but we don’t SEE it as of now in the way that i was hoping. taking away her narration this much has been a terrible choice because we have no insight into why she’s being so insufferable and making these terrible decisions

and i also get that they want to “even out” the triangle a little more to keep fans watching but it’s cheapening the story and i’m really disappointed in jenny. the entire point of the third book is that she’s still in love with conrad and suppressing it, and it’s driving her actions. without her inner monologue, all of that is gone and i don’t understand how they can get to a bellyconrad endgame in a satisfying way with the way they’re showing 🪼

okay full disclosure, i came back to this ask after rewatching some scenes but wanted to keep all my thought lmao

i will say, i do see it more now. at first i was disappointed with christmas 2.0 but i lowkey love it now. i do still wish they had at least part of her narration when she saw him again and couldn't breathe, but i don't mind the narration changing into the crossword puzzle. i also didn't necessarily love lola's acting choices at first, but now i get what she was going for. i think the way belly is looking at conrad isn't indifference - it's ANGER. even after all this time, she has this dead, disappointed look in her eyes that is the same as the way her face changes during the motel scene. he thought she knew and yes he lacked communication, but no matter what he said or did, she dreamt about him for so long that she had way too high of expectations from him and when he didn't meet it, she gave up on him. i think she truly believes he never loved her, not the way she loved him, and it broke something inside her. she can forgive jeremy for betraying her TWICE but still can't forgive conrad after 4 years??? like bsfr

i still firmly believe she chose jeremy last season because she never believed conrad when he said he still wanted her. this is shown when she says "he gives and then he takes away" because why would she feel like he was taking something from her if she was all in with jeremy? jere was the safe choice because SHE was the one who had the power, she's the one who hurt him versus conrad - at least in her mind - being the one who hurt her (as if she didn't hurt him too...). this is shown again when jeremy is apologizing and she says that he's supposed to be the one who would never hurt her

christmas morning when she falls, it's because she is literally RUNNING to see if conrad is still there. and then he leaves without saying goodbye, just like she thought he would, and she has that lowkey dead, angry look on her face again. she also really from the bottom of her heart compares one day spent with conrad to what jeremy did yet she STILL lies about it like that's unhinged 😂

it's still a bit more subtle than what i wanted, but conrad is haunting her relationship with jeremy even after 4 years with him. like the way she feels the need to defend him so badly whenever conrad is brought up like she needs to prove to him that she doesn't compare them. the fight jeremy picks before cabo gives it away because even after being together for so long, he brings up that he's sorry he's not as good as conrad and then basically says that it's her fault he feels that way - to me this shows that there's been moments throughout their relationship that we never saw where she clearly still thinks about conrad

i wish they still kept her dreaming about conrad after getting engaged but i'm holding out hope she still dreams about him later in the season, and i wish they put more into hinting that she was getting ready to see conrad again, but you can't beat that slow motion entrance. literally everything blurred and time stood still when she saw him, and she completely forgot that jeremy was there. the way she kept sneaking looks at him - it was subtle but chris and lola killed it

all of this is to say that i'm still disappointed in some of the writing choices jenny is making and i'm still pissed off at belly, but my hope is not lost!!

[wutheringstcrm]

The concept of Conrad not wanting Rick and Ilsa to end up together in Casablanca because he identifies with Rick, Ilsa is Belly and Jeremiah is Lazlo...

Conrad finds it hard to watch Rick lose Ilsa to Lazlo because, in his mind, it mirrors the situation between himself, Belly and Jeremiah. Just like Rick, at the end of season two he let go the woman he loved thinking he was doing the right thing.

Belly, on the other hand, in commenting that Rick and Ilsa "are perfect together" is showing that deep down she already knows Conrad is the one for her. And this foreshadows the Bellyconrad endgame and the fact they will reconnect in Paris, exactly where Ilsa and Rick met, but unlike them, their love will prevail and they will get back together.

[shadowquill17]

Have seen a couple posts now about how Conrad sending letters to Belly even though she doesn’t answer at first is “stalking behavior” and “doesn’t wait for her consent”.

You guys literally need to touch grass, wtf. 😂 Or maybe touch less grass, actually, and remember about codes and tropes in fiction!

Have you ever seen a movie? Have you ever read a book? As a matter of fact, have you ever written a letter?? Writing letters has been a thing for a WHILE, you know? And it’s literally one of the gentlest, most no-pressure ways to get in touch with someone, because you’re letting them know you care enough about them to write an entire letter by hand, while also allowing them to literally not even open the thing if they don’t want to.

So yeah, Belly gives “consent” the second she opens that first letter. Conrad doesn’t know she does, he’s just asking the question and letting her answer it for herself, without even needing to hear it. That’s the deal with letters.

I mean come on, guys. You think the guy writing love letters and sending care packages is a stalker?? Be for fucking real and learn about genre. This has always been a romance show and he’s just behaving like a SMITTEN LOVE INTEREST / ROMANTIC LEAD.

As he should. Because he IS.

[shadowquill17]

so why was that card wrong?

Rewatching 3x09 right now and thinking my thoughts about Jeremiah reading the little welcome card in the honeymoon suite at the inn.

“Mr and Mrs Fisher, congratulations and best wishes for a lifetime of happiness together”

And Jere gets sad and emotional, he wants to call Belly, he’s clearly taking it hard! Which seems sweet, it means he really cares, right?

But the thing is… Belly was not gonna take his last name. She got uncomfortable when the topic was brought up at her bridal shower, and she expressed very clearly that she wanted to keep her name. Now I don’t know if she and Jere talked about it, maybe it didn’t come up (I could see them forgetting to mention stuff like that, they were not in sync with any of the wedding stuff, why would they be in sync about this).

But that’s not the point. The point is that Belly wasn’t going to be Mrs Fisher, and the show told us that, and they still included this scene so that even though some of us (maybe?) feel bad for Jeremiah, we also know that that card is wrong.

They could have had Jere say “she was gonna keep her name, actually”, or something. That would have shown he at least knew her, that he was mourning something real.

But no, he gets real sad over the card, and seems to find it perfectly normal that it says Mr and Mrs Fisher, and we’re meant to understand that he’s sad about this future he’ll never have now that the wedding has been called off.

But Mr and Mrs Fisher were NEVER going to walk through that door. The future that has Jeremiah all emotional was never going to exist, the future Mrs Fisher is not a real person, or at least it’s certainly not Belly. It’s an idealized version of Belly, one who molds herself perfectly to be at Jeremiah’s side, giving up her literal identity (against her explicit wishes!) to be his perfect match.

And if we go even deeper… technically, he’s getting sad over something that other people (staff at the inn, maybe Paige?) assumed about his relationship from the outside.

Which… has also been an issue with him during this season: he loves being perceived as the wifed-up guy even when his actions don’t match (telling Redbird he’ll have to ask Belly if he can go to Bali because we’re getting married, chuckle-nuts like of COURSE he’d be a compassionate and empathetic husband… VS what he actually did, which is accepting a job at his dad’s company without even mentioning it to Belly, even though he had plenty of opportunities to do so). He loves that his dad comes around and seems to see him as more adult because of the impending wedding. He loves that he is perceived as more serious and dependable as a person because of his status as a future husband. I mean, some partners and clients of the firm were gonna be at the wedding! They’re all “thrilled” he’s getting the job!

Basically, Jere is also mourning the idea of himself as a husband, not because of his relationship with Belly, not because he’s losing the marriage, but because of the way that marriage would have allowed him to be perceived as a serious, stable, settled man.

Society is so quick to reward men who fit the mold and who do things “the right way”, treating them like they’re saints for doing the bare minimum, and he was DEFINITELY already reaping the advantages from it. He had a taste of it for a little while, and we saw him really enjoy it. Maybe also because subconsciously he was thinking of marriage as a shortcut to becoming an adult without doing any of the work?

Anyway, I don’t know if they wanted to say all that, but it’s definitely a VERY interesting choice from the show.

[wutheringstcrm]

An analysis of the meaning of Taylor's songs used for Bellyconrad in the show

I found a book on my shelf I bought a while back about Taylor's songs, which provided explanations and context, along with some of Taylor's personal notes about her songs. So I thought I'd do this crazy thing: catalog all of her songs used in TSITP so far for Belly and Conrad, showing what an amazing job they've done on the series, as for almost all of the scenes convey almost exactly the same message as the original songs. It'll be a long analysis, but I hope you enjoy it! I've listed the songs in order of their appearance in the series.

Lover: the first song used for Bellyconrad in their first scene together, it simply is a declaration of love, felt and direct. It is curious how the song, in Taylor's intentions, actually describes a solid and mature love, while Belly and Conrad are still teenagers at this point, maybe foreshadowing what their relationship will grow in in the future, when they'll both be adults. "I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want them all" seems literally written for Belly, who is in love with Conrad from years and counts the time in summers.

False God: this song is exceptionally reprised in two scenes, in season one and in season three. "We'd still worship this love", exactly like Conrad and Belly still love each other, even years after (it is also a very sensual song, making it perfect for their almost-first-kiss scene and most of all for the surf accident scene).

The Way I Loved You: The song is about a relationship with a golden boy (in this case, Jeremiah) who seems apparently perfect in this phase, but the girl doesn't feel anything towards him. While being with him, all she can think about is another guy (Conrad) who was complicated, and frustrating. Very fitting for the scene, the debutant ball, where Conrad ends up taking Jeremiah's place as Belly's escort, mirroring what she is feeling in her heart.

This Love: a recall to the desire to love, to a feeling that is inside of her and that she cannot fully express solely through her words, making this so fitting for the first kiss between Conrad and Belly, that seems to also summarise their whole storyline: "These hands has to let it go free, and this love came back to me". Precisely what will happen to the two of them eventually.

Last Kiss: it is about a breakup, the same situation Belly and Conrad are in when it plays in the show, in season two. There is resignation, rage and sadness, just what Belly is feeling right now, looking at her old pics with Conrad when they were happy together.

Sweet Nothing: the song is actually about the domestic life of a couple and is used for the flashback when Conrad wins Junior Mint for Belly. "There is the pleasure of the time spent together without necessarily have to given something in return, protected by the comfort space of the domestic walls and with the affection of the few people that matter in their life".

Invisibile String: the song is a happy one, about the ways that have bought to a current, happy relationship. Conrad and Belly are together at this point. The "invisible string" ties them together despite the time and the physical space between them, hoping it will always been like this. The song shows two people with a realistic connection, who want to look forward together. A relationship marked by passion, surprise, complicity and gratitude, just like their relationship is in this moment in the show.

Snow On The Beach: the metaphor of the snow on the beach is used in the song to describe the feeling felt when one is in love, moments that seem to arrive to the brain from the world of dreams and get real fixing themselves in iconic imagines that stay in the brain. "It's a feeling like, wait, is this real? Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? Exactly like when you see the snow on the beach that touches the sea".

Exile: a duet between Taylor and Bon Iver full of tension, it is about two ex (Conrad and Belly at this point of their story, we're at the end of season 2 when this song plays) who met again casually and express their point of views in a contrasting way. She is now going out with another man (this is the point in the story when Belly and Jeremiah are starting dating) but they both are sad because they cannot go on - just like Conrad and Belly feel in this moment. Now they are "exiled" one from the other and they are still moved by a deep affection they feel for the other. The term "exile" is not casual, in the song as in the show: Conrad will literally exile himself in California...

Cardigan: the song in the album is about a love triangle about fictional characters invented by Taylor herself. In this case, it is like if Belly would express in the scene, with this song playing, how she met Conrad and why she loves him. "He made her see her insecurities as unique and special, not as something she should be ashamed of". There's also the reference about a cheating during summer, that could mirror Jeremiah's cheating with Lacie during spring break. "And I knew you'd come back to me", and with a brilliant shot, Belly sees Conrad at the airport, literally coming back to her: "she knows him, is the only love she has ever known and they will realise it". The song is also one of the few in the shows that play in its entirety, accompaning the whole scene of Belly leaving the house, reaching the airport, seeing Conrad.

Red: probably the Bellyconrad anthem, this song introduces a synestetic element, aka the connession of an emotion or a feeling to a colour. The show feels this line: "Losing him was blue like I never known", and Belly often wears bluish clothes while she's with Jeremiah in the first episodes of season three. "Missing him was dark grey all along", and Belly wears grey sweatshirts, specifically in episode 3x02, when she's recalling her Christmas flashback with Conrad at Cousins. "But loving him was red", red is Conrad's color and Belly constantly wears it even during her relationship with Jeremiah (her red jacket, lipstick, dress, even swimming suit). Taylor explains she "wrote this song because some things are difficult to forget, the emotions involved were so intense and, to me, the intense emotions are red". Seems to perfectly encapsulate Belly and Conrad's relationship and story.

The 1: the opening song of "Folklore", the first lyrics describe well Belly's current stituation in Paris, when the song gets played in the show: "I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit, Been saying 'yes' instead of 'no'", a bit like the answer to someone you don't see for quite a time (Conrad, through his letters). The text is about an ex (again, our Connie) and how her life could have been if he would have been "the one". Belly's mind is going back into the past, and in fact this is the scene where she finally writes Conrad back. "And if my wishes came true it would've been you" and we all know Belly used to wish for Conrad on her every birthday...

Dress: a hot song for a hot scene. It is in fact about a very "hot" meeting with a person who's been very close to her, and with whom there's a very high sexual tension. "Only bought this dress so you could take it off" works perfectly with Conrad being the one taking off Belly's dress, the same one he had admired her in just a few hours earlier. The bridge even seems to recall the reachment of pleasure. It is a very sensual song, like the scene is. This is probably her most explicit sexual piece (at least before "The Life Of A Showgirl" album), so this shows also the ability of the TSITP team to be able to find the perfect and most fitting song for every moment. The lyrics "I don't want you like a best friend", like it has been noted, also ironically mirror how Belly used to define Jeremiah her best friend, and obviously she wants something ENTIRELY different with Conrad.

Out of the Woods: the song is about how certain relationships hold a fragility, in the sense that there is a doubt about where they are going to. So it mirrors Belly's emotions, in the scene she is full of anxiety at the thought of her future before realising being with Conrad is all she has ever wanted, starting to run after him with the anxiety, this time, to not reach him in time.

Unfortunately, the book did not conver TTPD era, it was published after "Midnights", so I couldn't include "lolm" and "Robin" in this analysis, but I hope you liked it. It is very long, I know, but one of the things I love the most about this show is the music and the way it uses it, so I kinda wanted to make a whole post about it.