You can fight me on this.
In Jenny Han’s 2009 novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty, kissing and desire are background details, alluded to but never given center stage. Amazon Studios’ adaptation of the 13-year-old book changes this, with lots of help from Han, who modernized the story to paint a more current and realistic picture of Belly (Lola Tung), a 16-year-old girl caught up in a messy love triangle. Thankfully for fans, this makes for a lot of steamy scenes. Here’s a definitive ranking of Belly’s best kiss scenes in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1.
Throughout Belly’s tumultuous summer at Cousins Beach — where everyone remarks she’s really “grown up” when really they mean she went through puberty — she’s pursued by three boys: her childhood besties, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), and a middle school acquaintance, Cam (David Iacono). It’s confusing and exciting for Belly as she tries to decide who’s the best for her — which obvi requires lots of kissing.
All this kissing came with the help of an intimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, who Tung said made all the difference during these scenes. “It was really wonderful because I felt very safe in every situation,” Tung told Elite Daily at the series’ June 14 premiere in New York. “We had also established these wonderful friendships where we felt comfortable to be in those more intimate settings together.”
The cast’s ease with each other is evident in The Summer I Turned Pretty’s kissing scenes. But which one is the best? Here’s the ranking.
Cam’s Quick Kiss At Dinner (Episode 3)
Twenty minutes in to the third episode, Cam comes over for Belly’s 16th birthday dinner and kisses her in front of the entire dinner table. Some may cringe, but it’s a sweet moment of Cam boldly asserting his affection toward Belly despite the protestations of Jeremiah, Conrad, and Belly’s brother, Steven (Sean Kaufman).
The First Kiss Of The Summer (Episode 1)
In the first episode of the series, Belly takes initiative and gets her first kiss of the summer with Cam, her old friend from a Latin convention. At minute mark 35:10, she leans in and gives Cam a kiss goodbye, right in front of Jeremiah and Conrad. It definitely ups the stakes in their burgeoning love triangle, but it’s also just empowering to watch her get what she wants.
The Car Makeout With Cam (Episode 2)
In the next episode, at minute mark 32:40, Cam and Belly take their physical relationship to the next level with a steamy post-drive-in makeout sesh. Cam and Belly both enthusiastically consent and Belly again takes charge of what she wants, taking off her seatbelt and moving closer to Cam.
Jeremiah & Belly’s Car Hookup (Episode 6)
Jeremiah and Belly have some of the most intense, playful chemistry that erupts when Jeremiah picks Belly up after her skinny dipping debacle and they make out in his car about 41 minutes into the season’s penultimate episode. In a very Bridgerton-esque move, Belly places Jeremiah’s hand on her chest, and as the deb girls would say, they get to second base. The consent checks are great and it’s super fun watching their relationship get to the next level on Belly’s terms.
Jeremiah & Belly’s Night Swim Kiss (Episode 5)
Although some may argue Jeremiah and Belly’s previously mentioned second kiss is better, a pool makeout sesh is hard to beat. At minute mark 48:40 in Episode 5, Jeremiah and Belly meet in the pool for a night swim and kiss for the first time. It’s passionate and playful, just like Jeremiah.
The Dream Sequence Kiss With Jeremiah (Episode 6)
The morning after Jeremiah and Belly share their pool kiss, at the beginning of Episode 6, Belly has a dream that she’s in bed making out with Jeremiah. She quickly realizes it’s a dream when he morphs into Conrad and then back into Jeremiah, showing her inability to choose between the Fisher brothers. It feels as real to the audience and it does to Belly, making this one of the most heart-pumping kiss scenes.
Finally, A Kiss With Conrad (Episode 7)
Nothing can top a sunrise beach kiss with your first love set to “This Love (Taylor’s Version),” especially when your childhood crush finally admits he not only needs you, he wants you. This bliss happens with just minutes to spare in the final episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1.
