A feud between two brothers, a disaster wedding, and the beach house of everyone’s dreams made the first two seasons of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” unforgettable. But this warm-weather treat has spewed more than just seafoam: As the show releases the last episodes of its third and final season, social media—and Latin’s hallways—have lit up with controversy.

This show explores love as it follows its three main protagonists, brothers Conrad and Jeremiah, and Belly, who must choose between the two of them. Following the three from teenage years to adulthood, the show explores love, loss, grief, and the trials and tribulations of growing up. As the series draws to an end with only two episodes remaining in the final season, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is transitioning from a mere teenage drama to a highly debated phenomenon.

But how did “The Summer I Turned Pretty” become so iconic? For many students, the show appeared on their Instagram or TikTok feed. “[The first season] came out summer of 2022, and it was all over social media and all over my For You Page,” junior Tova Ben-Yoseph said. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” TV series is also based on the book series by Jenny Han. “It was so good, and I wanted to know how the rest of the story continued, so I bought the books.”

Senior Elena Tognarelli was candid about her introduction to the hit series. “I first watched ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ because I saw the trailer, and I thought the guys were really, really hot,” she said. Like Tova, Elena became so interested in the show that she purchased the book series. “I really wanted to see how everything would play out [in the show] since I already knew what happened [in the books],” Elena said.

While the books and the first two seasons are mostly beloved, the show’s third season has elicited mixed reactions among students. Tova, for one, has enjoyed the story’s finale. “The soundtrack has been amazing, the storyline has been amazing, and the way Jenny Han has portrayed [her books] has been overall top tier,” Tova said. “I definitely feel emotionally engaged because [the show is] covering some more serious topics this season.” The third season covers the main characters’ transition into adulthood, meaning they face comparatively more mature conflicts, such as friction within their families and the struggle to find themselves.

While some were impressed by the emotional depth of the third season, others were underwhelmed. Senior Tucker Thayer said, “There are so many storylines going on that I feel like there are too many things happening at the same time.” He explained that the much-anticipated happy ending between two of the show’s main characters, Conrad and Belly, is far too drawn out: “It feels like they’re just trying to get [out] 11 episodes rather than just getting to the point,” he said.

Just as disputed as the potentially slow plot of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is its equally slow method of release. Following a strategy that has become more popular in recent years—best seen with HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” and Disney+’s “Alien: Earth”—Amazon Prime Video has released each episode a week apart, diverging from the more common batch release method.

With additional time to analyze the storyline, viewers have begun to pick apart the production of the show. Junior Emma Dougherty said, “Because season three is taking so much time to come out, people sort of get lost, and people are getting annoyed with the acting.”

Tucker, however, said he believes that the show’s weekly release enhanced the viewing experience rather than detracting from the show’s potential. “I’m taking time to process and think about each episode individually,” he said.

While the show itself may—literally and figuratively—be slow, its online presence is far from it, with discussions extending well beyond the episodes themselves. Each time a new season is released, social media has exploded with opinions. With the premiere of the third season, there were 25 million viewers globally, 40% more than the premiere of season 2, according to Variety. However, with this season, some critics have become more scathing than in previous years.

“There were definitely more mixed feelings as to team Conrad or team Jeremiah in the first two seasons,” Emma said. “Now, if you are team Jeremiah, you will get trashed online.” Due to the character’s involvement with another girl, when he told Belly, his girlfriend, that they were “on a break,” many fans now hate Jeremiah.

Criticism surrounding Jeremiah's actions even became extreme enough that the creators of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” were forced to set boundaries. Due to backlash received online, mainly aimed at the actor who portrayed Jeremiah, Gavin Casalegno, the show’s Instagram page posted multiple warnings urging fans to follow community guidelines, such as not targeting the show’s cast or crew or harassing members of the community.

“So many people are getting so verbal and aggressive about characters,” Tova explained. Rather than separating character from actor, some fans are attacking actors directly. “A lot of fans are taking this way out of proportion,” Tova added.

As “The Summer I Turned Pretty” reaches its conclusion, it leaves behind its own cultural impact. Both beloved and criticized, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” has left a mark on pop culture for now three years.

Tova said, “[The show] makes me angry, but I think that shows how well a job Jenny Han is doing if I feel certain real emotions for fictional characters.”