For years, The Summer I Turned Pretty has fueled one of the most intense fandom debates online. But for many viewers, there was never really a question.
Conrad was endgame.
From slow-motion entrances to gut-punch emotional growth arcs, fans say the signs were always there — hidden in plain sight.
That Slow-Motion Entrance Set the Tone
Let’s start with the moment that lives rent-free in everyone’s mind.
When Conrad Fisher first walks onto the screen in slow motion, set to a Taylor Swift track, the energy shifts instantly.
It wasn’t just a dramatic entrance — it was cinematic storytelling. The lighting. The pacing. The music. The gaze.
Fans say that was the second they knew.
Because shows don’t introduce temporary love interests like that.
“You’ve Been in Love With Him Since You Were Ten”
When Taylor tells Belly she’s been in love with Conrad since she was ten, it doesn’t feel like a casual observation — it feels like confirmation.
And when Belly and Conrad lock eyes afterward? Cemented.
That line reframed everything. This wasn’t a new crush. It wasn’t convenience. It was history. Years of longing wrapped into one truth the audience had already sensed.
The Muffin Moment Wasn’t Small
Before the grand gestures. Before the heartbreak speeches.
There was a muffin.
When the other boys were playing keep-away and Conrad quietly handed Belly a muffin instead, fans clocked it. It was subtle, protective, intentional.
He wasn’t performing. He was paying attention.
For many viewers, that was the first proof that his love language was action — not noise.
The Volleyball Look That Said Everything
During the volleyball game in Season 1, something shifts.
When Belly wins and Conrad looks at her, the pride and admiration are unmistakable. And when he asks her to play instead of Jeremiah, it’s not just about the game.
It’s about choosing her.
From that point forward, the emotional framing consistently placed Conrad at the center of her growth moments.
Season 3: Growth, Therapy, and Emotional Maturity
If Season 1 planted the seed, Season 3 watered it.
Fans point to several defining moments:
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Conrad taking Cleveland’s advice and actively working on himself.
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Getting Laurel to attend the shower because Belly wasn’t eating.
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The airport reunion — charged, quiet, impossible to ignore.
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The reading of Susannah’s letter to him.
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Bringing Belly sand from Cousins.
These weren’t impulsive romantic gestures. They were thoughtful, evolved choices.
Growth is attractive. Accountability is powerful. And Season 3 Conrad? Different level.
Music Cues Don’t Lie
The show’s music choices feel almost like spoilers.
His Season 1 entrance with Taylor Swift.
His Season 3 entrance set to Red Hot Chili Peppers as he walks into therapy.
One fan joked that the moment they saw Conrad walking into Season 3 with that song, even some Team Jeremiah viewers knew it was over.
Because narratively? That’s main character framing.
And television rarely gives that treatment to someone who isn’t the final choice.
Even Jeremiah Knew
There’s a heartbreaking layer to all of this.
At one point, Jeremiah Fisher himself acknowledges he never stood a real chance — that Belly never looked at him the way she looked at Conrad.
And that’s the core of the debate.
It’s not about who treated her better in isolated moments.
It’s about who she was written to orbit.
Infinity Was Never Random
The symbolism. The glances. The music. The childhood history. The emotional tension that never truly dissolved.
Fans argue the story never tried to hide the outcome — it simply made the journey messy.
Because The Summer I Turned Pretty isn’t about easy love.
It’s about inevitable love.
And for many viewers, Conrad being endgame wasn’t a twist.
It was the plan from the very first slow-motion step onto the screen.
