I don’t know about you, but this was one of the worst episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty so far. Episode 5 takes us into Conrad’s head for a change of scenery, showing us how he’s been pining after Belly for the past 4 years. Conrad’s feelings for Belly seem very unrealistic to me, and there are some really cringe-worthy moments in this episode. Look, I know I’ve been saying I’m team Jellyfish, but the truth is, I only ever liked Cam Cameron. Like, maybe let’s not have Belly end up with her childhood bully or his brother? Jokes aside though, why did it have to be peaches? Anyway, with that said, let’s dive into episode 5 before I lose more brain cells.
Spoiler Alert
Why Does Adam Change His Mind?
Episode 5 begins with a rundown of that special hug between Belly and Conrad at the end of episode 4. This time it looks all rose-tinted as the man is simping over his brother’s fiancée. Conrad can’t stop thinking about this hug because he’s a creep (fine, fine, I’m half joking), but Belly is oblivious to his feelings, of course. Conrad is spending his days fixing up roofs and doing other handy housework while Belly gets to take a dip in the pool. Conrad then gets a call from his dad, who wonders if he should send someone to help with the housework. Conrad tells him he’s good, but Adam then asks about his thoughts on the wedding. Fortunately, Conrad tells his father that it’s frankly none of his business, but he thinks they know what they’re doing. Conrad has one strategy alone: running away.
Meanwhile, Taylor is meant to drive Jere to Cousins for the 4th, but Adam’s at work, so he tells her he’ll be a while. Steven also shows up to work, and Taylor and he have a word with each other for a few minutes before she has to rush to meet her mom. Steven knows instantly that she used her New York money, but she’s saved from the conversation thanks to a call from her mom. Now Jere has to go to Cousins by himself, but there’s work left, and he offers to take it on because Steven and Denise have plans in New York.
So this leaves Belly alone with Conrad, giving him the perfect opportunity to dwell on his missteps. Okay, also why does Conrad think he doesn’t have to be nice to Belly because she chose Jere? Like, why is he telling himself to avoid doing basic things for her (because he can, not because he needs to)? Just being a prick is going to help him get over it, is it? Anyway, he needs to go out, and she wants the car, but he tells her he’ll bring it back so she can make a second trip. Belly doesn’t have the time for that, and she’s already down because of everyone ditching her, so she says she’ll bike. The cake Jere wants is 750 dollars because it’s got something called a mirror glaze. Then we get a flashback to their childhood, when Conrad taught Belly how to ride his bike without the training wheels. Honestly, he should just play the big brother, but I suppose this is just for us to see how much he still remembers and cherishes their old memories.
At the same time, Steven and Denise are incidentally on the same train and going to the same event. They get to spend some time together, and Steven shows her the game he designed. She somehow knows he wants out of the corporate life, and he tells her that after his near-death experience, he feels like he’s not doing anything with his life. Also, Jere figured out they were kind of into each other, but like, he tease both Taylor and Steven differently? Dude should not forget Taylor is number one on Team Jellyfish. But I have a feeling this Steven and Denise thing is going to happen, even if it’s a fling.
Meanwhile, at work, Jere shows Adam that he actually knows how to math and notices some discrepancies in one of the accounts. Adam is delighted to see his son do some work and even tells him that he’s noticed how he’s cooking and looking after his side of the loft. He’s happy to support the wedding and Jere and Belly, because he does want to see them happy. Huh, I wonder if Conrad’s dull words helped him make this decision as well. But obviously, now that he’s in support, he’s going to pay for it too, which basically means he’s going to make some major decisions about the wedding.
What Happens With The Peaches?
Conrad sees Belly struggle with everything on her tiny bike on his way and decides to help her, reluctantly. They put the bike in, and she says she’ll drive. They get talking; we’re meant to love how Conrad used to be a geek and also remembers everything about Belly. Aww, they’re so cute; he asks about her knee, while Jere and she just do carpool karaoke or argue when they’re in the car together. At the flower shop, Belly says she’s hosting a tiny event and needs some estimations, but Conrad talks about how Susannah also had peonies at her wedding, which prompts the woman to say that they have a minimum 5000 dollar thing for weddings (yikes, are they doing flower arrangements or planting a forest?!). Anyway, Conrad suggests they use his mum’s hydrangeas instead. He also suggests they get a milk chocolate frosting and leave out the dark chocolate, also making it a single-tier cake, but Jere obviously hates the idea because it’s important how dark the chocolate is with how sweet the raspberries are. But more importantly, he’s also not able to make it to the sale for them to buy stuff together. So now Belly has no choice but to be sad in front of Conrad, which means he has to be there for her and spend more time with her.
The next thing we know, they’re reminiscing about old memories and buying fake flowers. He’s being charming and the kindest, helping Belly when she’s all alone. On the way back, Belly gets hungry, so they stop for some peaches, which makes Conrad very hot for her. He also uses his T-shirt to wipe off the juice on her face, forgetting he’s her brother-in-law. When they’re back home, Conrad asks if Belly is hungry, and she tells him she’s going to at least season the chicken and eat it with fries instead of quinoa. They get drunk on wine, and he wishes he hadn’t messed up and pushed her away because he could’ve been eating with her like this all the time. He’s reminded of the last night they spent together 4 years ago at her house.
At the end of The Summer I Turned Pretty episode 5, Jere finally comes to “join” the party, and Conrad is reminded he needs to run away because he can’t see Jere “put his hands on her like that.” Jere tells them about Adam approving, and then when it’s just Jere and Belly, they discuss what this means for the wedding. While at first Belly isn’t happy about executives being at the wedding and how it’s moved to the club, she then realizes that it’ll be the kind of thing Susannah would’ve enjoyed, so, like for everything else, she yields here too. But she makes him smile because she agrees to do the Pulp Fiction dance as their first dance at their wedding (I thought that was pretty cute). At the same time, Conrad watches them and remembers that he’s kept the promise he made to his mom on her deathbed, that he’ll be a good brother to Jere.
