Lola Tung On Ending The TSITP Team Conrad Vs. Team Jeremiah War
"It's a weird thing to let go of."
The final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is bringing an end to the ever-evolving love triangle at its center — and also the impossible-to-ignore discourse that’s surrounded it for three years. Since the teen drama premiered, battle lines have been drawn with the fandom split between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah. With a winning side about to be officially revealed, Lola Tung is still trying to come to terms with bringing the discourse to an end.
“It's weird, it's very bittersweet,” the 22-year-old actor tells Elite Daily. For the past three years, Tung has been able to avoid voicing a preference between her character’s two suitors, dutifully positioning herself as Team Belly. So it’s the end of an era to know the shipping battle is about to be over when the show premieres July 16 on Prime Video.
“It's a weird thing to let go of,” Tung says. “It’s something that has been a part of me for so long. We've gotten to know these characters so well and become so comfortable in understanding their relationships with each other. So it's very weird to be like, ‘Oh, OK.’”
While the long-awaited finale will reveal Belly’s ultimate choice (which may be different from the climax of the books), Tung doesn’t think the Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah war is over for fans.
“You know what? I feel like it probably won't stop after this, which is OK,” Tung says. “I’m glad that people care so much about it. I don't get tired of it.”
But her co-star Christopher Briney has another perspective, bringing up the famous Twilight ship wars that still continue to this day. “I wonder if the dialogue will change after the conclusion, though,” Briney says. “Like how people are like, ‘I was Team Jacob,’ but no one’s saying, ‘I am Team Jacob.’ Or maybe people do?”
“People still say, ‘I am Team Jacob,’” Tung replies.
The big thing on Tung’s mind is whether this question will continue to follow the cast around as much once the season ends. “Do you guys think we’ll get asked less?” she says. Gavin Casalegno weighs in with a “probably.”
