Casalegno

[This story contains major spoilers from Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series finale.]

During the final episode of Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, viewers saw Conrad Fisher visit Isabel “Belly” Conklin in Paris ahead of her birthday, with the pair finally confessing their love and getting back together. However despite the great secrecy surrounding the series and how it would truly end, eagle-eyed fans began posting videos of the cast filming in Paris online with one in particular making everyone second guess the show’s ending.

Despite the show leaving viewers’ to guess whether Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah would prevail, even though (spoiler!) in the books Belly ends up with Conrad, Gavin Casalegno was spotted filming with Lola Tung in Paris, making viewers wonder if Belly would perhaps end up with his character Jeremiah instead. But the filming ended up being a decoy to trick fans.

“They just told me to get on a plane and show up and they handed me sides that were blank and then I just went out there and ran,” Casalegno tells The Hollywood Reporter of filming in Paris. “It was super fun. It was a free trip to Paris, can’t complain. I had some great coffee. I got to meet a lot of the French crews as well and the French are so amazing.”

He then quipped, “I don’t know. I just work here!”

Despite a Conrad endgame in the finale, throughout the show’s three seasons, viewers had followed the ups and downs of Belly’s relationship with Jeremiah from watching their surprising love confessions to a four-year-long relationship, engagement, almost wedding and breakup. When asked about telling a separate love story within a focus on an inevitable Conrad and Belly reunion, the actor said he didn’t feel “overwhelmed” by it and focused on trying to portray someone who would be himself. “I just wanted people to love him for him. Even after the series ended there are still people that are team Jeremiah,” he said.

Even if fans of the original book trilogy were committed to Team Conrad, Casalengo says he still thinks Jeremiah and Belly could’ve worked. “I think it still could have worked without Christmas. Christmas was when she [Belly] started loving him [Conrad] again… But I think without that and with a lot of healthy boundaries, I feel like we probably would have seen a wedding go through.”

Following the premiere of the finale, Casalegno spoke to THR about the upcoming TSITP film, Jeremiah’s growth (and criticism) and Jeremiah’s blossoming bond with Denise in the finale.

***

For starters, we have learned that this season was not the actual ending and there will be a movie. What can you tease?

Honestly, we have no clue! We’ve heard whispers about it but we’re really just in the dark as much as you are. I guess keep reading fan theories.

Ahead of the final season there were viral clips online of you filming in Paris with Lola Tung. What’s the backstory there? Was that just to throw everyone off with the ending?

I think so! Honestly, I don’t know. They just told me to get on a plane and show up and they handed me sides that were blank and then I just went out there and ran. It was super fun. It was a free trip to Paris can’t complain. I had some great coffee. I got to meet a lot of the French crews as well and the French are so amazing. But I don’t know. I just work here!

It’s safe to say that Jeremiah has gotten probably the most criticism this season and a common argument is that he only pursued Belly as a way to win her over Conrad due to a possible jealousy or competitiveness with Conrad. Can you address the criticism of Jeremiah’s intentions with pursuing things with Belly?

This is Jenny’s world, Jenny’s creation. I just kind of wanted to collaborate with her on her vision, but I was like, “Jenny they’re closer in age, and I think it would be really cool to play this Jeremiah as someone who’s loved her for a long time.” It was best friends, and there’s always this chemistry between them. You obviously you don’t date when you’re six years old and so now that they’re teenagers, they’re like, “Oh, wow, this could be something.” And so I was under the impression that Jeremiah actually had a thing with her growing up, and that’s what I did. And it was funny, all the criticism and stuff.

I had a conversation with someone yesterday at a jazz bar at like 2 a.m. and they were like, “So are you actually a Team Jeremiah?” And I was like, “Yeah, of course.” And they were like, even after all this other stuff?” And I was like, “I’m sorry. Are you perfect? Have you ever made a mistake?” And she’s like, “Yeah, I’ve made mistakes.” And I was like, “Are you still team you?” And she’s like, “Yes.” There you go! We all make mistakes. Some big, some small, but at the end of the day, we’re all growing and learning and I think that’s the most important thing that you learn from your mistakes. And Jeremiah really did. I think he’s grown a lot in the series.

Regardless of what team people were on, the reality was that Jeremiah and Belly were in a four-year long relationship and we spend a lot of season two and season three following their relationship. What was it like trying to build this love story with Jeremiah and Belly while navigating the Conrad endgame that existed in the books? Did you feel like it was overshadowed or difficult to try to convince people that they too had a genuine love story? Did Jeremiah get a fair chance?

I have a lot of thoughts for this one. The bottom line is, I want to see people love Jeremiah for who he is and love him as a person and be able to see themselves with someone who would sacrifice and do anything for their loved one. I think the nice guy is always overshadowed. People will say it’s predictable and they want that danger, but I think ultimately you end up marrying your best friend. You don’t end up marrying someone who you never know their feelings or anything like that. As far as feeling overwhelmed with the teams, not really. I just wanted people to love him for him. Even after the series ended, there are still people that are team Jeremiah.

We also see Jeremiah having this fear of losing Belly again and seemingly knowing that Conrad was always going to be in the picture. Do you feel that even if the Christmas reunion hadn’t happened between Belly and Conrad and Belly and Jeremiah hadn’t gotten engaged, do you think Jeremiah’s fears was always going to break their relationship or do you feel like they could’ve been the endgame and still worked?

I think it still could have worked without Christmas. Christmas was when she started loving him again. That was a moment where boundaries weren’t set for either of them and they were able to emotionally connect in a way they hadn’t for four years because Belly was always with Jeremiah. I think that separation between them, where she essentially had a getaway with Conrad, was pivotal to her feelings and things being stirred up again, where she’s like, “I love him” and reawakened those feelings. But without that and with a lot of healthy boundaries, I feel like we probably would have seen a wedding go through.

Despite the heartbreak, we do see Jeremiah finding his way and him and Denise developing something. Do you think they’re going to pursue things and how will that work, especially given she’s headed to California with Stephen and Taylor?

Yeah, I don’t know. I genuinely just want him to be happy. When is too soon after leaving the altar basically? I don’t know when is too soon to be getting with someone. Probably not within a year, I would imagine, but I just want him to be happy. Denise has gotten to see different sides of Jeremiah and who he is and I hope for the best for them.

***

The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video.