"I've seen all the articles fretting about why so many grown-ups are tuning in to a show for teenagers-full disclosure, I wrote one of them myself, though in my defense, it was way back in Season 2, before all you Belly-come-latelies-but the why seems obvious enough to me: It's a pretty good coming-of-age romance in a TV landscape that is sorely lacking in them."
"So, yes, I've made peace with being a person with a 401(k) who watches this show. What I never wanted to be, though, was a person with a 401(k) who gets mad about anything that happens on The Summer I Turned Pretty. It's an escape, a frivolity, and a much-needed one, if you judge by the state of the skin around my fingernails. You probably know where this is going."
"After briefly considering staying up until 3 a.m. Wednesday to catch the finale as soon as it went online, I compromised by waking up at the for-me-ungodly hour of 6:45 that morning, and a little over an hour later, I thought that was a wrap on TSITP. The show's gastrically monikered main character, whose nickname is short for Isabel (played by Lola Tung), ended up with the older and more emotionally mature of the two brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney),"
An adult fan accepts enjoyment of The Summer I Turned Pretty as a compelling coming-of-age romance that fills a gap in contemporary TV. The streaming era has disrupted the predictable output of teen love-life shows that networks once produced. The viewer acknowledges past embarrassment about adult fandom yet finds the show's appeal straightforward and resonant. The show functions as a welcome, frivolous escape that provokes strong emotional reactions. The series finale prompted an early viewing and left the viewer mentally affected after Belly ends up with the older, more emotionally mature brother, Conrad.
Read at Slate Magazine
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