In Defense of Belly’s Engagement Ring

The third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is off to a wild start, but what did we expect from the show that has given adult women the most heated love-triangle debate since Twilight? At the end of season two, Belly (Lola Tung) chose to be with Jeremiah over his brother Conrad — after a failed attempt at dating him. It seemed like this would be the last time these three would spend time in the same place ever again.

This season, there’s been a time jump that sees Belly and Jeremiah go from the end of high school to the end of college. Their relationship has survived, but not without its hiccups. In the final week of Jeremiah’s senior year, he finds out that he’ll need an extra semester to graduate, and Belly learns that he cheated on her during spring break. The world implodes (God, I don’t miss being 20), and after a near-death experience for Belly’s brother, the couple reunites and decides to get married. Somehow, this is not even the craziest thing that has happened on this show.

The most-discussed moment to come out of this season so far involves a teeny-tiny little ring that Jeremiah pulls out of a drawer to officially propose to Belly, prompting many viewers to say something along the lines of, “Wait a minute, what ring? I don’t see a ring!” When Belly’s best friend Taylor sees it for the first time, she asks, “Is it a diamond or like a sliver of tinfoil?” I personally wouldn’t be flashing this thing around and smiling to myself like Belly, but did we expect anything else from two college kids? She’s a romantic at heart and doesn’t exactly have a track record of making good decisions. As one Cut staffer told me, “She’s 20 years old and he’s a 22-year-old super-senior who now owes his dad $20,000 because he didn’t fully read an email. I can’t say I approve of the union overall, but can you blame him for getting her a little (cute) $300 ring?”

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Now, I’ll admit that if Conrad had gotten her this ring, the fan reactions would be a lot different. People online were foaming at the mouth over a silly little infinity necklace he gave Belly for her birthday, but I would argue that this Catbird Fizz Ring is actually beautiful in its subtlety. Plus, considering an earlier announcement of a collaboration between Catbird and The Summer I Turned Pretty, it’s not a surprise the production team would have Jeremiah propose to Belly with a piece from the brand, which is known for its minimalist jewelry designs. It’s really not that deep! And who knows, maybe the wedding band — if they even make it that far — will be flashier. Can we all just admit we’re team Conrad and move on?