The Summer I Turned Pretty: Jaw-Dropping Twists Revealed! Episode 7 Recap & Mind-Blowing Ending Explained

Summary

The penultimate episode of

The Summer I Turned Pretty

season 2 sets the stakes for the finale, with Belly and her mother, Laurel, having a heated argument.

The episode delves into the conflict between Conrad and Jeremiah, adding complexity to the central love triangle of the series.

Laurel discloses that she was aware of Aunt Julia's intention to sell the beach house, causing tension between her and the boys. Ultimately, she manages to persuade Julia to cancel the sale.

This article contains spoilers for episode 7 of season 2 of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" titled "Love Affair." "Love Affair" serves as the second-to-last episode of the season, setting up the stakes for the upcoming finale. In the previous episode, episode 6, Belly leaves her mother, Laurel, an emotional and intoxicated voicemail, marking the climax of the Cousins crew's chaotic farewell party for Susannah's beach house. Amidst fights, secrets revealed, and Taylor Swift songs playing too literally, the beach-side kegger fails to uplift anyone's spirits.

While there are some enjoyable moments such as Skye and Cam's kiss and Steven and Taylor officially becoming a couple, the episode also explores the tension between Conrad and Jeremiah, further complicating the central love triangle of the series. This eventually leads to Belly's emotional breakdown over the phone. Despite being mostly absent from season 2, Laurel returns to Cousins, filled with anger towards Belly and carrying her own secrets. Nevertheless, the Cousins gang hopes for Laurel's assistance in saving the beach house from Aunt Julia's imminent sale.

10 Belly & Her Mom Fight Before Laurel Slaps Belly

Upon receiving a emotional voicemail from Belly, Laurel immediately drives to Cousins. The sight of the aftermath of the house party understandably upsets Laurel, adding to her mounting frustrations throughout the season. Expressing her disappointment, she questions whether the events of the previous night were worth it. Belly, always eager to help the boys, insists on staying and fighting for the house, which only fuels Laurel's anger. Finally, after a long buildup, the mother-daughter argument explodes when Belly brings up Susannah's name.

"I cannot bear to hear you using her as an excuse," Laurel yells, delving into recent history. Laurels mentions her lingering embarrassment over the fight that occurred at Susannah's funeral. "You made that day all about you," Laurel accuses, and Belly feels the same way. After exchanging harsh words, Laurel finally slaps Belly, causing her to flee from the beach house.

9 Jeremiah & Belly Talk About Conrad

Both brothers overhear the mother-daughter argument, but it is Jeremiah who follows a weeping Belly to the beach. Jeremiah lends a listening ear and attempts to console Belly, who finds it hard not to divert the conversation. The previous night, both Belly and Jeremiah had confrontations with Conrad, and Jeremiah assures Belly that she is not the sole cause of tension between him and his brother.

Jeremiah scolds Belly for attempting to "defend" Conrad, but she insists that it is not her intention. "There is nothing remaining between Conrad and me," Belly asserts to Jeremiah. Once again, her emotions draw her towards Jeremiah, who struggles to comprehend that Belly and his brother have truly moved on from each other. "There will always be something between you and Conrad," he says, his voice tinged with unmistakable sadness.

8 Laurel Reveals That She Knew About Aunt Julia’s Plan

Upon returning home, a distraught Laurel is still feeling the effects of her argument with Belly. Her encounter with Conrad and Steven only adds to her misery. Overwhelmed, she implores the boys to return all of Susannah's belongings and thoroughly clean the house. To her surprise, Steven informs her that it was actually Aunt Julia who took charge of moving Susannah's things. The focus of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 is who will purchase the beach house, a fact that Laurel is just now catching up on.

Initially taken aback by the news, Laurel admits that Susannah had already informed her about the house's ownership. However, she had mistakenly assumed that Julia would keep the house within the family, as Susannah had desired. Her incorrect assumption means she has been withholding this knowledge from Conrad and Jeremiah, causing upset for the boys. As Laurel vents her frustrations about Belly, Steven interjects. "At least she was here," he remarks. "When they needed her, she stepped up."

7 Laurel Apologizes To Belly (& Everyone Else)

After Steven delivers the ultimatum for Laurel to try harder, she reaches out to Belly. They finally engage in a sincere conversation about their shared sorrow, devoid of any lingering anger towards each other. Laurel unveils her true source of anger, which is Susannah's death. Belly concurs, expressing that the absence of Susannah has altered the atmosphere within the house.

With tears streaming down their faces, the mother and daughter are able to reconcile. Laurel offers her apologies for striking Belly and for her deliberate avoidance of grief, which ultimately caused their estrangement. Belly also seeks forgiveness, particularly for her behavior after the funeral and for withholding information about the trip to Cousins from her mother. "You all supported one another," Laurel remarks to Belly, acknowledging her daughter's admirable actions now that she fully comprehends the house's unfortunate destiny.

6 Aunt Julia Pulls Out Of The Sale (Thanks To Laurel)

Laurel apologizes to Belly and the boys for not intervening when she discovered Aunt Julia's involvement with the beach house. She agrees to speak with Susannah's estranged sister. Aunt Julia unexpectedly arrives at the beach house, angry with its disarray. Laurel tries to explain to Julia that the boys' attachment to their mother is closely tied to the house, but Julia, with her painful memories of Cousins and her father, struggles to understand.

Julia expresses her clear resentment towards Susannah for not contacting her directly before her death, only leaving behind a letter. She is also hurt that Susannah never said goodbye. Returning to Cousins brought back many painful memories for Julia, as she was caught in the middle of her parents' divorce while Susannah enjoyed her time at Cousins. Laurel acknowledges that she overstepped as a sister figure to Susannah, considering that Julia is her actual sister, but Julia reassures her that it is alright. It was not Laurel's or Susannah's responsibility to make Julia feel welcome in Cousins. When Laurel suggests that it is not too late to mend their relationship, Julia decides to withdraw from selling the beach house.

5 Conrad & Belly Talk About Their Breakup

For the first time since the regrettable house party, Conrad and Belly finally have a private discussion. Conrad openly acknowledges that his approach to their breakup was misguided — a fact that viewers witnessed during last week's The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 when the timeline jumped back to prom. Demonstrating understanding, Belly accepts Conrad's admission, taking into account the extensive challenges he endured while they were a couple. Despite this, Conrad is determined to ensure that Belly never harbors any regrets about their time together. Both characters acknowledge the pain they caused each other and make a pact to move forward as friends, sparing one another any further anguish as much as possible.

4 Adam Agrees To Buy The House From Julia

Despite Laurel's persuasion, Julia decides to back out of the sale, posing a final challenge for the Cousins gang in their quest to rescue Susannah's beach house. To avoid depleting Conrad and Jeremiah's trust fund, Laurel comes up with the idea that their father, Adam, should purchase the house from Julia at its market value. Although the plan seems promising, they need to convince Adam to hop on board. When Adam arrives at the house, he mistakenly assumes that Laurel and Julia are supporting him.

Frustrated by Laurel's accusations, Adam is concerned about being portrayed as the antagonist. From his perspective, he believes that he is not responsible for salvaging the house and therefore, the boys are not losing anything. "Overcome your own grief and prioritize the boys' well-being," urges Laurel. Eventually, Adam acknowledges the emotional difficulty of being in the beach house, where Susannah's presence still lingers. However, he reluctantly agrees to honor his late wife by purchasing the house, allowing Conrad and Jeremiah to secure the Cousins beach house for the long term.

3 Conrad & Jeremiah Seemingly Reconcile

Despite exchanging brief words throughout the day, Conrad and Jeremiah have yet to address their intense argument from the previous night. Jeremiah acknowledges his mistake in granting Conrad permission to date Belly and admits his desire to no longer pretend to be happy when he is not. The brothers mutually agree to openly communicate any thoughts or feelings that may arise, understanding that the process might be painful initially. They firmly believe that honest conversations are the key to moving forward.

2 Belly & The Boys Pull An All-Night Study Session With Conrad

When Conrad reveals his acceptance into Stanford, Jeremiah urges him to pursue his California aspirations. Fearful of leaving his brother behind, Conrad hesitates, but Jeremiah insists that if Conrad stays because of him, he will never forgive himself. However, Conrad faces a daunting obstacle in the form of a challenging exam that stands between him and transferring from Brown to Stanford. To aid Conrad in his studies, Jeremiah manages to convince Laurel to allow Belly and Steven to stay for one more night.

After an intense all-night study session, Belly comes close to confessing her newfound feelings to Conrad, but he falls asleep. The next morning, Steven encourages Conrad to express his love for Belly, despite Steven's own happiness with Taylor causing him to have a change of heart. Before everyone departs from the beach house, Laurel proposes the idea of Belly joining the brothers on their road trip to Brown University, suggesting that she should "finish what you started."

1 Belly & Jeremiah Kiss Before Conrad Walks In On Them

In the love triangle at the center of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Laurel's words carry significant weight. Initially, Belly's road trip with the brothers appears to be quite neutral. The main focus is on ensuring Conrad reaches his exam successfully so that he can excel and attend Stanford. Deep down, Belly believes that some distance between her and Conrad will be beneficial in repairing their friendship.

After dropping Conrad off at his class, Jeremiah takes Belly on a tour of nearby Finch College. During a flirtatious afternoon, Belly decides to rejoin the high school volleyball team and acknowledges that she can envision herself at Finch with Jeremiah. As they return to the car, the romantic tension between them is palpable. Jeremiah confesses that he cannot handle Belly changing her mind about him again. However, Belly assures him that things are different now as they have matured.

Belly confesses that despite fantasizing about Conrad for most of her life, she acknowledges that dreams hold no tangible reality. She then gravitates towards Jeremiah and declares her desire for something genuine, expressing her longing for him as she plants a kiss on his lips. The scene takes a typical love-triangle twist when Conrad unexpectedly arrives and witnesses their intimate moment, visibly shattered. The repercussions of Belly's transformative kiss in episode 7 on Conrad and Jeremiah remain uncertain. Nevertheless, viewers can anticipate an electrifying climax filled with overwhelming romantic tension in season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty.