People on the internet: “Belly shouldn’t be going back and forth between the brothers!”
Like, this is not a hot take. Out of all the things you can be mad at this show for, you’re attacking the premise like someone is making you watch it.
This is what bothers me about these “anti belly” arguments, because what kind of show did you think you were signing up for?! Obviously, these people, and the situations they are in, don’t resemble real people or real life. Shows like The Vampire Diaries begin with this exact same premise (a love triangle with two brothers), but I think people give it a pass because it’s a fantasy show, so our disbelief is already suspended. But what you have to remember is TSITP is also a fantasy. It’s a fantasy world with fantasy characters who don’t get acne, wear super expensive clothes they don’t rewear, and boys stay loyal to the girls they loved as a teenagers. The whole point of the show is the FANTASY of Cousins Beach, the Fisher boys, and wearing white dresses; it’s a fantasy without any actual magic.
Imagine making fun of the love triangle in a show where that’s the entire premise? It would be like if I watched Severance and had my arms crossed the whole time while saying “people shouldn’t undergo the severance procedure, no matter how much they’re grieving!” As if that’s a hot take. Like, sure. They probably shouldn’t. But that’s the entire premise of the show, so how can I realistically turn my nose up at it when I chose to watch it.
Should people in real life date two members of the same family? No, probably not. But people aren’t watching The Summer I Turned Pretty for the gritty realism, and as much as Belly’s character is the target for a lot of the (sometimes valid) criticisms people level at this show, I think Lola Tung’s performance completely redeems her. Despite her flaws she is still a lovely and effervescent young woman whose optimistic outlook is really endearing. That and she’s completely gorgeous. I’d probably fall in love with her too.
So, when people say “I’m team anti belly” I always want to roll my eyes. Sure, way to be a contrarian, yee who understands so much more about ethics in soap operas than the rest of us. The issue that you have isn’t with Belly, it’s with the premise of the show. I feel like I’m kind of stating the obvious here, but the love triangle is the whole reason why there’s a plot in the first place and if she wasn’t engaging with it there would be not plot. If Belly Conklin is a protagonist that is difficult for you to root for on account of her actions then that’s an issue you have to level at the narrative, not the character. Because if she wasn’t going back and forth between the brothers then the show would be worse than bad, it would be BORING. And I for one can handle the over-the-top drama for the sake of entertainment, because that’s why I’m watching this show: to be entertained. Or maybe I’m a masochist, I don’t know. But I don’t think I am.