The Summer I Turned Pretty's Conrad Fisher compared to Jane Austen hero ahead of series finale

The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video has become a global sensation with audiences enamoured by the love triangle between Belly Conklin (played by Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) as fans get ready for the next episode and the all-important finale which will reveal who she chooses.

The older Fisher sibling has left viewers weak at the knees, however, there’s a very good reason why many have fallen for the fictional character.

In an exclusive interview with Reach Screen Time, relationship expert Annabelle Knight explained it’s no coincidence that Conrad has a legion of admirers.

She said: “Conrad’s the classic broody type - he looks like he’s got it all together, but underneath he’s a total mess of emotions. Audiences love that contrast – the idea of someone holding back but still caring so deeply.

“Conrad shows his love without having to say it in the form of tiny things like helping Belly with her shopping, not letting her carry boxes, how he remembers the tiniest details about her, or those long stares when he thinks no one’s watching.

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“It makes his affection feel more intense and, for many of us, that’s the ultimate romantic fantasy: someone who might not say much but whose actions speak volumes.”

She went on to compare The Summer I Turned Pretty character to a Jane Austen figure often considered the epitome of romantic heroes: “In my opinion Conrad and Mr Darcy are cut from the same cloth – guarded, proud, and not quick to open up. But when they do, it’s powerful because you know those emotions have been simmering all along.

“In some ways Conrad confessing his true feeling to Belly on the beach was very similar to Darcy’s infamous confession. Both characters show us that sometimes the greatest romance comes not from grand gestures, but from the quiet intensity of someone who finally lets their guard down.”

Indeed, the show has sparked many think pieces about why millennials have become fervent Conrad supporters, with actor Briney’s likeness to 90s heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio being one factor, but crucially the character taps into the archetypal teen heroes of 90s and 2000s movies and TV shows. It’s also worth noting the 1990s was a decade filled with period drama adaptations, particularly of Austen’s works.

The romance expert for Lovehoney also addressed how the concept of yearning has enjoyed a resurgence in 2025 thanks in part to The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Knight said the “instant” nature of our world, particularly from dating apps, had left people beginning to “crave” the opposite - somthing which the YA series had done perfectly by “slowing things down” to let “desire build” and the feeling of being “truly wanted” by another person.

She added how the Jenny Han drama tapped into the “teenage nostalgia” of “wanting someone” with the uncertainty of whether they felt the same.

The expert concluded: "Those moments of stolen glances, the hesitation, the ‘will they, won’t they’ all leads into the massive build-up of emotions and attraction between Belly and Conrad. It’s addictive to watch because it reminds us how powerful tension can be compared to instant attraction.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty airs on Amazon Prime Video on Wednesdays