Why Steven & Taylor Are “Off & On” In TSITP S3

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans always have a pretty good idea of where the central love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah is headed, but Steven and Taylor’s romance is another story. The chemistry between Belly’s older brother and her best friend is a small footnote in Jenny Han’s novels, but the TV adaptation has explored the relationship much more. Because there really isn’t much source material for this ’ship, fans might be surprised to discover all the hurdles Steven (played by Sean Kaufman) and Taylor (played by Rain Spencer) will face in the show’s final season.

Though the second season ended on a promising note for Steven and Taylor, Kaufman teases that they haven’t remained in a steady relationship during the four-year time jump before Season 3. “Their relationship is not where it left off at the end of Season 2,” Kaufman tells Elite Daily. “It’s been off and on. On, and off again, and on again, and off again. It’s this really chaotic, rocky road.”

Rain Spencer points to Taylor’s resistance to letting down her walls as part of the reason for this rollercoaster. “She’s really hesitant about being 100% vulnerable with someone else,” Spencer says. “Healing is not linear. Maybe you let someone in once, and then you take a couple steps back and you try and figure out how to do it all over again. How do I be vulnerable? How do I say what I really feel?”

On Steven’s end, it’s a major life change that causes him to rethink his relationship with Taylor. “He goes through some life-altering events this season and starts to question what he’s passionate about in life,” Kaufman says. “‘Where am I stagnant and where can I grow?’ And not only his romantic relationships, but in his work relationship too.”

Steven’s professional advancement is the other huge shift in his story in Season 3. He’s trading in beach days for suited-up office hours after joining Mr. Fisher’s venture capital firm. “I used to be scared of Tom Everett Scott in Season 1, but now we’re homies,” Kaufman says. “Getting to explore that relationship meant a lot to me. Adam is kind of a d*ckhead, so for Steven to work with him was very, very funny.”

Taylor is also dealing with a new adult in her life throughout Season 3, as she confronts the nontraditional relationship she has with her mother. “Taylor feels more like the parent, which is challenging,” Spencer says. “But she’s also trying to find some sort of forgiveness for her mom. After the time jump, she’s a junior in college, and there’s that awakening of ‘Oh, my parents aren’t perfect. They don’t have everything figured out.’”