When fiction meets fandom in the force of a tidal wave, it’s not everyday. But the newest set picture leak for The Summer I Turned Pretty has virtually cast so much power and force that it’s a lot of day. With everyone (including much of the internet) buzzing about Dua dua lipaLipa’s jaw-dropping major wedding auction with Callum Turner, bingo – a brand of romantic frenzy has taken hold of a loyal part of the entertainment industry. Yesterday, the dream has become reality as fans of Jenny Han’s beloved universe have been taken aback by grainy but unmistakable set photos and short video clips that appeared online, granting them their first real look at one of the many moments they never imagined seeing and which they haven’t been granted before now: the wedding of Isabel “Belly” Conklin and Conrad Fisher.
Who can say but there’s something magical about in stumbled upon leaked images of a fictional wedding that’s been in readers’ and viewers’ hearts for years. It’s not a spoiler, but more of a long-waited letter from an old friend, seeing Belly as she’s in white gown, on that recognisable Cousins Beach dock, which you’ve known since awkward teenage summers, the long-awaited letter arrives in the middle of aching emotional crossing when you were a young adult. The viral footage of Belly and Christopher Briney (Conrad) nakedly standing for a close-up of the picturesque beach wedding on social media shows a clear view of their nude appearances. Both actors wore outfits recognised in the series and fans were quick to notice this inventive bit of continuity. Lola Tung’s Belly wears a white strap gown with a delicate, feminine and yet smart finish, while Christopher Briney’s black tuxedo captures a gentle and sensitive sense for the character.
However, what is striking with these leaked images is more than just the main couples, it is its attraction to the user. There’s also an intimate ceremony that seems to have several familiar faces from the series cast, as well. In the leaked images, there’s a certain warm, quiet sense of pride from Belly’s mother Laurel, in a bright yellow outfit. In addition, Conrad’s grandmother bihalt, in magenta, is also there, bringing a splash of color to the beach scene. Other guests, reportedly, will include Cleveland and Conrad’s half-sister Agnes, giving the big group what makes it sound more like than it looks like a Hollywood production than a family reunion.
Then there’s one thing that has really made a profound impact on fans, will haunt them, will pain them perhaps, almost. In the front row of the ceremony are only chairs and the empty chair faces the water. No one sits in it. No prop fills it. That is, at least, according to any true fan of the series, who knows that the vacant seat is more telling than voices could ever be. It’s generally regarded as a nod to their late mother, Susannah Fisher, who has shadowed the lives of Conrad and Jeremiah in many facets of their lives. Crushing detail: An empty chair vacant of Susannah at Cousins Beach, where she was the anchor. It embraces happiness alongside grief, and that’s the nature of life.
As an editor, stressing on that empty chair says a lot about how much they know about why The Summer I Turned Pretty is so relatable to generations. It’s more than just a love story. It’s a tale of how grief will follow you, how when things are going best they will show up at your table and make their way into your midst. The ending recalls the start because the Couple’s Beach dock where Belly learned to love, learn to lose, and learn to grow is where the production was filmed.
Not all of the fans raved about it, of course. Set photos are always accompanied by a complex mix of feelings when they leak. Contrast this with seeing Belly and Conrad get the day they were always destined for, months after months of will-they-won’t-they stresses, and it is very fulfilling. Others, however, are concerned this leakage will mar the original cinematic experience of seeing the movie. Even though this kind of happy ever after ending has become in the show and books Belly and Conrad’s relationship foreseen, there is doubt among the fandom whether it has had deserving. Others say that the heartache that you have endured at their previous marriages—misunderstandings, jealousy, loss of loved ones, etc.—triggers the hurriedness of a marriage. Still others respond that those are the wounds that are the essence of the wedding.
