If you’ve been keeping up with pop culture this summer, you’ve likely come across The Summer I Turned Pretty, a TV show based off of the book series by Jenny Han. The show is centered around Belly and her struggle to pick between two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. As it grows popular, controversy emerges about  which brother Belly should choose. Keeping everything in mind, it is obvious that Conrad is the better brother, and the one that Belly should eventually pick. Belly, you’re welcome in advance.

Because the TV show is based on a book series, there is a legitimate ending that occurs in the books, meaning that there are multiple plot points that haven’t been revealed in the show yet. If you wish to avoid spoilers about the show, skip this part. Throughout the books, Conrad does everything necessary to prove himself as the better brother, while Jeremiah repeatedly fails to treat Belly right. In the third book of the series, “We’ll Always Have Summer,” Jeremiah cheats on Belly during spring break. The best part? Jeremiah isn’t even the one to break the news. Belly overhears the girl, Lacie, saying that she slept with Jeremiah during spring break. When Belly confronts him about it, Jeremiah proposes, saying that Belly is the only one for him and that he would never cheat on her again. In this scene Jeremiah uses his proposal to distract Belly from his cheating and as a love-bomb to get her back into the relationship. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work in the long run. However Conrad is always there for Belly whenever she needs him the most. The third book of the series fully presents him as his most mature self, finally finished working through his grief and anger. 

But even if we’re just focusing on the TV show, Conrad, undeniably, is best for Belly at the end of the day. He will always stand by her, regardless of whether she’s with Jeremiah or not. In the recent season 2 of the series, there’s a scene where Conrad and Jeremiah are at the gas station getting candy for the drive ahead of them. Jeremiah grabs Swedish Fish for her, and Conrad suggests he get Sour Patch instead. When they get into the car, Belly first picks the Swedish Fish with a dull reaction, which is then followed up by the Sour Patch, with a significantly better reaction, and then giving Jeremiah a pity response signifying that she loves Swedish Fish. Additionally, Han, also the author of the series and co-showrunner, uses incredible color imagery to signify Belly and Conrad’s “long-game relationship.” In episode seven of Season 1 of the show, Belly’s mom says, “For Belly, Conrad is the sun. And when the sun comes out, the stars disappear.” Following this, in a scene from the recent season, there’s an instance where Belly is laying on the bed. Conrad is to her left on the ground, while Jeremiah is on her  right. In this scene, the warm light only glows on Conrad and Belly, heavily referring to the quote mentioned earlier, with darkness clouding Jeremiah’s Side. Moving on, an important point is the songs brought up in the show when each brother is mentioned. Taylor Swift’s “Invisible String” is played during a scene where Belly and Conrad play in the snow with each other, a song that is about always being destined to be soulmates. However, on Jeremiah’s side, a majority of the songs focus on the idea of temporary love, an example being “Die For You” by Joji. The song primarily focuses on the idea of a girl being happier without Joji, which translates into Belly being happier without Jeremiah in this scene.

While some may argue that Jeremiah in the show is better than Conrad, I urge you to believe that the books will always take priority for adaptations. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” series has already been written in advance of the show; the readers of the original series already know who she ends up with, and we’ve only reached Season 2 in the show. For those who are Team Jeremiah, please read the books; there is reason and evidence behind why Conrad is the better choice.

If you want to root for the guy who plays the long game for the girl that he’s loved forever, Team Conrad is where you belong.