The Summer I Turned Pretty Ages: How Old Are They In 2026?

Okay, so picture this: It’s a sweltering July afternoon in 2024, and I’m halfway through a bag of salt & vinegar chips, doom-scrolling through old photos. I stumble onto a still from The Summer I Turned Pretty—the one where Belly is looking at Conrad with that mix of hope and heartbreak we all know too well—and it hits me like a rogue wave: these kids are going to be adults in 2026. I mean, literally, adults. And I’m not just talking about the actors, but the characters themselves. Suddenly, my chip bag feels heavier, and I have a desperate need to do math.

So, let’s dive into the multi-season mess of time jumps, because nobody in this show ages at a normal speed. Remember when Season 1 dropped and everyone was obsessed with “Bonrad” versus “Jelly”? Back then, Belly was 16, Conrad was 17, and Jeremiah was 16. Just a bunch of kids at Cousins Beach, dealing with summer crushes and a dying mother. But then Season 2’s timeline got weird—it was basically the next summer, so we added a year. That made Belly 17, Conrad 18, and Jeremiah 17. Already, the age gap between Conrad and Belly felt a little bigger, didn’t it? (Tomato, tomahto, I know.)

Now, brace yourself for Season 3, which is probably set in summer 2025 for the flashbacks and maybe fall/holiday 2025 for the present. If we follow the book timeline loosely, Belly is about to turn 18 around the time of the prom and graduation drama. Conrad? He’d be a sophomore in college, likely 19 turning 20. Jeremiah would be a freshman, around 18 or 19. But hold on— the show has a habit of ignoring strict ages for maximum angst. So by the time 2026 rolls around? This is where it gets juicy.

Let’s fast forward to 2026—the year of our hypothetical reunion. Belly Conklin, if she’s on a standard four-year college track, would be a junior in college. That’s 20, almost 21 years old. Conrad Fisher? He’d be a senior, or maybe even a recent graduate, putting him at 21 or 22. And Jeremiah? Also a junior, 20 or 21. Suddenly, the “summer I turned pretty” feels like a weirdly specific childhood memory, like a summer camp romance you look back on with cringe and nostalgia. These people are old enough to vote, drink legally in most places, and, God forbid, worry about 401(k)s.

But here’s the ironic part: We, the audience, will still be obsessed with their love triangle. You can bet that in 2026, someone will be making a TikTok edit of “Conrad at age 22 vs. Jeremiah at age 21,” and the comments will be filled with people half their age saying, “He’s too old for her.” And you know what? They’re right. A 22-year-old Conrad dating a 20-year-old Belly feels… different. It’s less “forbidden first love” and more “we’re both dealing with student loans and unresolved trauma.” The sizzle transforms into a simmer, and I’m here for the awkward transition.

The Ultimate Guide to Season 2 of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' on

Think about it: in 2026, Belly could be doing a summer internship in New York while Conrad is applying for med school or trying to be a marine biologist. Jeremiah might be working at a surf shop or, honestly, hosting a podcast about toxic masculinity. They’re not kids sneaking out after curfew anymore. They’re adults who have to decide if they can pay rent together without fighting over who left the milk out. That’s the real drama, people. The “summer I turned pretty” becomes the “autumn I realized my boyfriend doesn’t know how to do laundry.”

And what about Steven? Belly’s brother would be 22 in 2026, if he’s a year older than Conrad. We’re talking a full-on adult with a degree and a possible job. And Taylor? She’d be 20, still loud, but now with a credit card and a fake ID she doesn’t need anymore. The beach house won’t feel like a time capsule; it’ll feel like a vacation home for young professionals. The magic of the series is partly about how young and eternal everything feels. But 2026 slaps a reality check on that eternal summer.

Sean Kaufman - Actor

Let’s not forget the elephant in the room: Susannah. Her death is the emotional core, and by 2026, her boys—Conrad and Jeremiah—will have spent years without her. That changes their dynamic. Conrad might be less broody, or even more stuck in grief. Jeremiah might be the one who’s emotionally exhausted. Their age progression isn’t just numbers; it’s how much time has passed since their world cracked open. A 16-year-old grieving is different from a 22-year-old who has built a life around the loss.

So, what’s the vibe of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” in 2026? I’m betting it’s a nostalgia-fueled binge for Gen Z, but also a weirdly sobering reflection on how fast people grow up when you’re not looking. Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah will be legal adults fumbling through their early twenties, and we’ll be sitting here asking, “But who did she choose?” as if that answer will fix their credit scores or their therapy bills. Spoiler: it won’t. But we’ll still watch. We’ll always watch the summer they turned pretty, even when they’re old enough to know that pretty doesn’t last—but love, or at least a really good binge-watch, kind of does.