Jeremiah Vs Conrad And The First Summer Back At Cousins Beach

Cousins Beach is back, and so are all the feelings you forgot you had. We’re kicking off our rewatch podcast with “Summer House” (The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1 Episode 1), and we’re looking at the pilot the way it’s meant to be watched: with nostalgia in your chest and a running tally of every green flag and red flag on screen.

We talk about why this series lands so powerfully, especially if you grew up with a “summer place” of your own. From unpacking groceries to fireworks, hot dogs, and s’mores, the show nails the ritual side of summer and uses it to make Belly’s shift feel seismic. We also get into Jenny Han’s adaptation choices, what the show keeps from the books, and how a straight-to-series pilot sets the tone so fast you end up binging before you realize it.

Then it’s time for the real debate: Jeremiah vs Conrad vs Cam Cameron. We break down that first arrival, Conrad’s vibe, Jeremiah’s easy warmth, and the bonfire chaos that introduces Cam as a surprisingly healthy alternative. We also dig into Belly’s lens as a narrator and how her idea of Conrad can be more fantasy than fact. If you’ve ever argued about the love triangle, this is where the scoreboard starts.

Subscribe, follow, and share this with the friend who will fight you about Team Jeremiah. After you listen, drop your take: who “wins” the pilot, and what moment sealed it for you?

Transcript

Welcome Back To Cousins Beach

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hi there, this is Lauren Doyle, and welcome back to Cousins Beach for the very first episode, official episode of the Team Jeropod. It's July 4th. The sun's out, the barbecue's ablazing, and we are here to take you back to Cousins this summer to enjoy the most fun. I'm here with uh my co-host Alex Hinski, who I can't do anything about, but but just we just love to get together and chat about culture and life. And I'm so glad we're doing this and so so glad to be starting with you on America's birthday.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Yeah, I'm so excited. And you know, the first episode appropriately titled Summer House. Here we go.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Oh, aren't you good? You're such a production guy. You're like, oh, I went and looked up the you know production details and the Oh, you know, I have to.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

I have to. Also, I wanted to say if there's if we have time at the end of the episode, I um as a BuzzFeed producer, I looked into the archives and found that there is a test to find out which character you are from the summer I turned pretty. So we might have to take that.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

100% we'll add it to Substack as long as it's okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

It is, yes, we can. Yep, it's public.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Yeah, we'll and we'll add it to the show notes as well. Um yeah, no, I yeah. Who who do you think you are?

SPEAKER_02 1:20

True. I think I'm a Jeremiah.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

So are your are your choices Jeremiah or Conrad?

SPEAKER_02 1:26

No, no, no. You could be you could end up being anyone in it in the show. You know what? There's a chance I could be Cam Cameron.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

If you're a Jeremiah, I think you're a little bit of both, but I think you're a Jeremiah as far as like, you know, there's a line in the book where I was I went back and listened to the book and watched the episode. Oh yeah. Um there's a line in the book where she says something like, you know, Jeremiah is always sweet, he's a great friend, and he held his my he he would like hold his mom's hand and always give big hugs, and he was never embarrassed. He's too busy having fun to be embarrassed. And I thought that was a really interesting on Jeremiah. Um, and then she says about Conrad, she's like, and Conrad was dark, dark,

Who Are You In The Cast

SPEAKER_00 2:05

dark, which you can see as an actor like reading these. Um I'm assuming that you would read the entire book series before you start, you know, once you're cast. Sure. Yeah. You know, when you're interviewing. But you know, I can see reading very specific character development notes in like the first pages of the book like that, and just um, you know, just like wanting to live that out as as powerfully as you know, as sort of like looking after it, right? They're yeah, most of this is their first big thing. So, you know, I for me in episode one, the acting is very much acting. Um, and then they they as you it's kind of interesting to go back and watch because I did, I think I got into all the way to season three, just sort of because I let I let it go as I was. Let it go, yeah. And um, and you can see them get more comfortable. But this is you know, another thing about the first episode is the um the whole project was straight to series. So I always love, you know, in all my favorite shows, I always love to go back and watch that pilot and like you know, some characters might get moved on from yes, yeah. Um or like, you know, they they make a lot of edits or changes or adjustments, and and you know, the the audience is always quite forgiving of those like pilot to series changes, but the fact that this was straight to series, they could sort of show up and and start going for it right away. I mean, who knows if if even that first scene was the actual first scene they shot?

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Oh, totally. Yeah. I'm so curious too, really quick. Do you so since you have been listening to the books, d how far like where is the book in uh like where does it fall within each episode? Like how much of the of book one is is book one the full whole first season?

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Pretty much. I mean there's there's things they'll as as you get into seasons two and three, there's things they'll kind of like come back moments or like either it's a flashback or something that they'll pull out of the first book and you know kind of show it in second season. But there's a pretty healthy, you know, sort of metronome of the three books, you know, the three acts. Yeah. Um so it's it's somewhat clean, ends obviously a little bit differently. Um and yeah, so it's um it and then you know, there's there's different things that happen along the way, but there's also a lot, there is a lot that is like verbatim. Um but there's also really also some things that are like a little bit funny and dated. So that first scene in the car and um Belly is singing, God, I don't even know, you're cooler than me, so I don't even know the song.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Like um Oh yeah, what song was that she was singing?

SPEAKER_00 4:51

Oh, it's gonna get better. You know, she's singing the Tom Erlong. In the book, it's it's it's free fallen.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Oh yeah, so in the in the show it's um Kim Petrus. Can't do better. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

My resonant music extra.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yeah, I got you.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Yeah, so so in the um in the book it's uh it's it's like I love it because I'm like, okay, Jenny. Um but it's free fallen. And they're talking about turning the radio dials and how she loves all the radio stations. And you know, I know the radio stations at the beach as well as I know them at home. And you know, the minute I get into cousins area, I turn, you know, so there's there's definitely that. I mean, I you know, I have my a lot of thoughts on Jenny Han, um, which I'm sure that I will not be able to hold off, but I'm gonna try to keep it to myself at least for episode one. And I mean, let me first say, she's a brilliant, she's a brilliant character developer. Um, you know, I do have mad respect in her ability to like read a story together, imagine places and people and sort of construct a scene and a moment, um, and then to be able to take that so successfully to film. It's not an easy, simple talent. And she's, you know, she's definitely a very, very talented writer and you know, and now director. Yeah. But you know, she also created cousins. Um, and and like cousins reminds me, I actually wore my shirt. I don't know if you can see it. It says Frip Frip Island is my cousins. It's a place where my family's gone for 46 summers. Oh my god, where is it? We just go for a week. It's in South Carolina, like just south of Charleston. Do you have a place like that?

SPEAKER_02 6:27

I do, yeah. So I grew up, um, my grandparents lived on a lake in Michigan, which was like right over the Indiana border from where

Pilot Choices And Book Fidelity

SPEAKER_02 6:35

I grew up. So we would spend, I mean, kind of similar to this. This is, I think, why I connected so quickly to the show, because I had this same experience. It's like right after school got out, we would go and pretty much stay up there from the week before the 4th of July until the first week of August. We would just be on Lake Coldwater Lake and just be barefoot running and driving boats and being out on the water. It was it was a great uh way to grow up.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Well, there's something about that like tap that taps into like an innocence when you think about these places. There's an innocence around summer in general. It's free, it's a little bit uninhibited. Even as adults, like I was talking about how I don't like to not wear shoes, but I do like that the those like sunny days when it's really warm and you just sort of like in your flip-flops, um, you know, running around town, you know, just enjoying life. So I think that uh, you know, I think I think the best thing about summer is that it takes you somewhere else. Like I love to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the summer or a hot dog.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

So I don't normally eat, but it's there's like little things that there's like summer, do you have summer foods? Like I have summer foods that are just like take it.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Hot dogs. Hot dogs 100% s'mores is big. I mean, I love 4th of July is not complete without s'mores. And I will be at the lake again this I'm at the lake today here, 4th of July. Um definitely enjoying, definitely enjoying s'mores.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Yeah. And I and I'm at Fripp also. So nice for fireworks. So yeah, fireworks, big one. I'm totally with you. Um and just really, really excited to be going back to cousins with you and getting getting this show on the road. And um, I'd love to know just overall, what's your take on the first episode? Going back and watching it. Yeah. And then do you remember what your take was when you first watched it?

SPEAKER_02 8:23

So, what's interesting about start doing the rewatch is right, I I have context and I know kind of what I'm getting into, but now I'm watching it through a different lens. Yeah. And so the feelings I felt were the same. Like it really pulls me in, and I think, like I mentioned, it's the nostalgia, it's the feeling that is so similar to what I experienced growing up, which is what made me lock in on this series to begin with. I was like, oh, I know this feeling. I know exactly what she's describing, which the way that it felt to go to Cousins Beach is how I would feel driving up the peninsula in um on into Coldwater Lake. Uh so the feeling was familiar, which I loved. Locking back into the series, I was like, this I remember why I liked this so much. It was this feeling that it gives me. Um also knowing, of course, what's about to unfold and watching through the eyes of knowing what's coming, you catch more things, right? Um and I don't want to get ahead of ahead of the too far ahead, but there were some interesting things that popped up that I knowing the context of what's to come, that I was like, oh, that's interesting that I didn't really pick up on this the first time. Right off the bat, so when Belly first like sees the brothers, you I did it what I didn't catch initially is like you really they really put a lot of h a heavy focus on Conrad's reaction to seeing her, but kind of breeze past the fact that Jeremiah really just like can treated her like he always has.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

There was like right.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

I was like, you know what? They they really he was kind of just like Belly, I'm so excited to see her and didn't have such a he didn't have a visceral reaction like Conrad did to like her looking like a woman and no more glasses or no more braces glasses, yeah, yeah, and looking like a like a woman, but Conrad, I was like, that's so interesting. So, like again, this is a green flag for Jeremiah. I have to say right off the bat that he was like, I have always seen you, and even though you're this gorgeous woman, you're still belly to like I've I like you now as much as I've liked you before, and Conrad's a bit like whoa. You changed it. That was interesting.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

How does that, you know, they say like when you change, it's the people around you don't necessarily want you to change because it changes, you know, what their life has.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Totally.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Totally. You know, like I remember when I moved to New York, it was

Why Summer Nostalgia Works

SPEAKER_00 10:40

like, what is it, you know, I I went through that. Um and kind of like it wasn't I had to learn that it wasn't about me leaving, it was about what what that said about what people thought it said about them to either stay or to you know not have this like person that said something about themselves, including my family. And um, you know, and having and so you have to kind of like as change, which is change is obviously uh, you know, un unavoidable. Totally. Um but but it's like Jeremiah and his energy just sort of embraces that. And I think that that when I went back back and watched the second time, I saw that pattern repeat with Conrad all the time. It was like there is identity, like like you have these c characters that are so well created, but there's like this identity that's created around Belly at 15, where she sort of like gets stuck at uh 100%.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

And the other thing that's super interesting, and they they kind of make a bigger deal about this in the first couple pages of the book, is that like these people these characters don't see each other through the rest of the year, which I kind of find is silly and kind of hard to believe. Um but it's um they don't they don't know each other's like school life or their school friends or their we know, like they don't even know each other what each other looks like in a sweater. Um totally just like they come together, live this whole life over these two, three months, and then they depart. And I'm sure that you know, with technology, as they got older, they were texting and calling each other on the phone, emailing, that kind of thing. Yeah. Growing up, that was like it in it. And I have I have I think the other reason I can kind of relate to this is I'm one of six guy cousins. I have one other girl cousin, and I just kind of learned like in order to be a part of the fun and also not have to be stuck in the kitchen like cooking or cleaning, that you just got into it with the cousins. You if it if they were playing tackle football, you played tackle football. If they're going to shoot guns, you shot guns. Yeah. If you I grew up in the south, uh you know, we didn't shoot them at anything. Yeah, shooting a skeeter mostly. It was like a gas can. But um, but yeah, I mean you kind of like in order to not be left out, you just became part of the group. And if they were playing video games or you know, they always had the control of the TV, so we watched a lot of sports, and I think that's I can really relate to Belly's experience like that. But let's dig into that the that first scene, like the meeting scene and then going into the kitchen and kind of the establishing of like who everybody is and everybody's roles. Of course, we have the little like video montage at the beginning of them growing up, which is adorable and I think sort of super helpful. But then they get out of the car and Jeremiah comes, you know, bounding down the stairs, and he's like, Oh, the good lover up, and he's happy for her and he's up to eat. And then Conrad comes on and we're gonna go.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, lover, music plays and Q the immediate connection to oh, this is the person, this is him, this is this is the guy. We kind of get a little bit of setup too, if you'll remember, before they get there with her friend Taylor. And, you know, that we really find out then, like, oh okay, this is she's she's hard for Conrad in a way that like all of her real life friends are aware of.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Well, and it's also very obvious that like Taylor is maybe a little bit more advanced than Belly. And I remember so I can imagine that there's a lot of of like social capital that comes with like, oh, I spend summer with these two boys, and um, you know, so she you know, she wants to come back with something juicy, although she's a bit of a wallflower, and Taylor is very obviously not. Um, and so and you know, I I think that's like a little bit of the the piece too. I remember I felt that way coming back from church camp or whatever. I mean, did you ever have that experience?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Oh gosh, totally, yeah. 100%. It is funny too, because yeah, it's the the Taylor Belly relationship does really paint like just how innocent and reserved Belly is in comparison. Um, what is the she makes a comment later in the episode Taylor does something of oh, when Belly's like trying to figure out what to wear to go to the camp the beach and she's like put wear a thong, and she's like I can never know.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

She's like thongs are mainstream.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

I'm like Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

So so just getting into episode one, yeah. We have Jeremiah, we love him. You know, we love how he just says like takes Ellie. I I love let me just I don't want to speak for you, but we like how he just sort of takes Belly as she is. Conrad comes around. Um, you know, there's also the scene where that's actually just in the like preamble where like all the boys are fighting over a muffin and they take the muffin from Belly, and then Conrad sort of like casually is like gives it back to her. And I think I think there's like little things that happen that feel like this like overt, not out of character, but just kind of like he's too cool or sort of too you know, too above things, where the other two are like a little bit immature, and that show you know, like Jeremiah and Steven are are they're they're what 17? Yeah, so they're just acting like dudes, and that's yeah, totally they should. You know, that's I think that's kind of my whole thing. It's like they're acting exactly how they should act.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

And I like that they they I think she really does paint the um as an older brother to a little sis having a little sister, they do paint that relationship really well with the whole kind of like uh what it's my little sister kind of vibe, you know?

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

It's very accurate in that.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Yeah, anything else on the first first like that first entry scene?

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Well, I want I do also think, again, because we're I'm watching it under the eyes of having already seen it, but you do really see there is some underlying thing that we don't know about yet that it does

First Impressions Jeremiah Vs Conrad

SPEAKER_02 16:35

like when you see the way Conrad is reacting, you're like, there's something else going on with this guy. Of course, we find out soon, we'll which I'm not gonna, we're not getting ahead of it. But I do think having knowing what is coming and and kind of seeing that, it's like you also are I'm also looking at it being like, oh yeah, he's tortured for a mil a myriad of reasons. He's acting this way.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

But um I think the only other thing I would say is, you know, when they're unpacking the groceries and everything in the kitchen, which is another very familiar scene, you know, like the the pat unpacking, it's like such a moment in our in our vacation and the packing. It's like it really is like this like tantamount thing that you think about more than you think about the beach. Yes. Um, like, where are we gonna put everything? And you know. So, but you know, that we learn that uh Belly's parents have just gotten divorced. We've learned that the dad is sort of off, um, you know, Jeremiah and and uh Conrad's dad is kind of like just off focusing on business. So they do a lot of establishing right there in that moment, and then we learn that Conrad has had a breakup from a girlfriend that he that that's that's why they think he's sort of dour. And um and we learn that that's maybe, maybe not the case, but uh it kind of sets him aside as like a relationship guy, which is sort of interesting. Yeah. Belly's pining over this guy that you know supposedly has had this relationship. And um, it's which would have made him even more elusive and more kind of like distant. And I mean, I think about like my cousin, granted, I was obviously not attracted to my cousins, but like my cousins would have have girlfriends a couple years older, and I wanted to like buddy with them, you know. I wanted to hang out with them and like be friendly, and and so, but but in her world, there's like a little bit of jealousy and it creates a distance for her. And then also, this is one of my call-outs on Conrad and like Jenny Hahn's world, and this is where I feel like Belly is this is one area where I feel like Belly isn't an unreliable narrator because she's kind of like the I think she sees herself as like the nerdy kid that's like a bookworm, that you know, is still a little bit immature in some ways, is um, you know, her mother's a writer, and so she's kind of like trying to follow, she's sort of like up until this point really followed all the rules. And you know, the the whole comment that that you know conversation that he had that she had with Taylor. And I think that when we find out that Conrad has given up his like football career, yeah, yeah, yeah. Presumably he was gonna go play football at Brown and was like, never mind. And that gets him so many points with Belly and so many points with a certain viewer.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Yeah, you're right, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:09

Because the jock guy is considered to be there, there is a world where like the jock is considered to be a bad thing. Like the captain of the football team or the football star is not lauded. Where I grew up in high school, where we love our college football, like that high school all-star football player is like, you know, the king of the school. Um, but in her world, he, you know, she wants him to be, she really wants him to be this more like creative, literary, you know, in the book. She says, Oh, I, you know, I imagine him more like as president of the literary magazine the literary magazine than um, you know, on the football team. Because she doesn't, she doesn't that's why she's just not reliable because she doesn't know him right other life she has, part of the why she's unreliable, and then she sees everything through a really specific lens. And I think that shows up part of how that lens was created shows up at the dinner.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

100%, yes. Yeah, she's definitely looking at the whole thing in rose colored glasses, and she's she's built her own narrative for what it is. You're right. You're right.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

I think well just how how she would like she's like, if I can craft I I'm telling this story, and if I could craft it, I this is how I would I would like for it to be. Yeah. Um and and and you know, it's very there's some things that are very one-sided. Um so they get to the dinner and um they introduce the the idea of of Belly being a debutante.

SPEAKER_02 20:30

Debutante, yes. Uh first of all, I love I love. I think that that's I think it's I I don't know. I know that it's based in very old tradition, but like so another reason this show gives me comfort, if I may say briefly, is I am a big Gilmore Girls fan and have re-watched that show dozens of times. And

Family Backstory And Belly’s Lens

SPEAKER_02 20:50

it gives me a lot of similar energy as that show. And one of my favorite uh uh few episodes is when Rory goes to debut, like becomes a debutante and does that whole thing. And um so I I kinda I like this idea of her doing this because also I think maybe not initially, but having rewatched it and knowing again what's to come, it's like doing this is more than it's not really it's bigger than like just her, you know, coming out to society. It's kind of like it's doing it for the mom. The Fisher.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Well, it is yes. I mean, I think there's an initial thing, and and this like there's one girl, there's these three boys, you know, you got to it's like all these boys, and this one girls boy energy, yeah. How do we craft how do we as women and moms like get our get to like the part of like crafting this person's uh like experience? But like I'm I am from the south and there's it's debutante is just a way of life. I didn't do it, I did do do something similar when I was younger called the cotillion. Oh like you're 15 and you learn how to you learn how to um not square dance, you learn how to waltz, and you do like a waltz with your dad and you wear these dresses. And we learn how to shake hands and go to teas and how to get it. We did all these etiquette lessons. And it was, I mean, I don't regret it for a hot second. And I I never, I don't know why. I think I was just in school that summer and didn't even, you know, introduce the idea of wanting to do debutante. My mom kind of after the fact was like, Well, did you want to do that? Because, you know, once all my friends started like planting their balls, she's that she's like, Did you want to? And I was like, I just didn't even think about it. Um but it was, you know, I think I think there is like a world of that gets really kind of like looked down upon because they do certain things that people don't understand. And um, and that it is like some people, it is expensive typically. It's typically very, you know, very expensive, just the clothes and the buying of tables and all that. And so they, you know, it looks like it seems like Beck had all the resources just to like cover the cost of that and and not make that part of the issue. Um and you know, like the clothing, the little clothing dress up scene was really cute. But I I think um this is another area where I'm like, did you know, I love that that Belly's character was just like generic and open about it, and then we talked about the the bonfire scene yet, but also this Cam guy is I just wish I wish that we could all be a little bit more not be so forced into our preconceived notions of things and like approach everything. Like even Belly approached it as something fairly neutral.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

Yeah, she did. You're right.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

So the boys that you know, as the boys were like comrades, like I did it last year, which you know, we see who he did it last year with at the bonfire. But he's like, I did it last year, I'm out. Like he's not immediately supportive. Jeremiah's like, oh, that you know, that's uh that's not something I do. I'm not, you know, I'm not that's I'm not that kind of guy, I'm not gonna get involved in that. Um, and so and then Steven's just like, oh, my little sister, I'm just a little bit struggling with the fact that his sister is actually growing up. And what's the what's the age difference between you and your siblings?

SPEAKER_02 24:07

My so my little sister's three years younger than me. Okay. My older sister's three years older than me. But yeah, so they're a little closer in age than me and my little sister.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

So but I think when you're in that like, you know, one year, two years, maybe even three years apart, but definitely the one year or two years, there's these phases where your younger sibling is not playing with you at all, and then there's this one jump, and it happens kind of like several different times between one and eighteen. There's like you know, from one to three, there they have to be close to mom, and then they can kind of like by the time you're four and five, they can kind of play a little bit independently with you and your friends, and then you jump up to where you're more active and more independent, and they catch up. And so you can tell that's kind of what's happening with Steven and Belly. Like, yeah, there's this phase where she's starting to catch

Debutante Traditions And Growing Up

SPEAKER_00 24:55

up with him and she's gonna be driving soon. And so his, you know, he's he's she's getting she's cutting in on his territory, and she certainly does it. She certainly does at the bonfire, too. So we should probably get into it because everything at the dead ball just ties directly into this catastrophe.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

So here What did you think about it from the point that Taylor says, go wear that sexy dress and Belly sneaks out?

SPEAKER_02 25:19

Uh well, you can it's very obvious that this is like a big deal for her to be sneaking out. This is like something she does not do. I also love, I want to say it's you, I love the little moment when she's sneaking out, but they show the mom's kind of like best friends cuddling on the couch watching their traditional movie. It's like a very good moment. I'm just like really. They don't do that.

unknown 25:40

No.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

But it's such a nice moment.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

I'm like, this is girlfriends do not like sit and cuddle on the couch.

SPEAKER_02 25:47

I know, but do you think they're cuddling because it's just it's deeper than that? Because they they know that time is precious right now.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

I don't know. For a minute, when I re-watched it this week, I was like, is are they trying to do like a slight, like they're they're the true loves of each other's life? Like a slight like lesbian nod.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

They could be like soul, they could be like soulmates, plot platonic, friendly soulmates. But anyway, so you see her sneaking out, and it is evident that this is not something she does. Um I do think too, like you can tell she starts like in the episode, everything they kind of do feels like what they it's like they're acting on routine from the from the summers before. It's night swim, night swim, you know what I mean? So she's like, this is what we do. We go, we do a night swim, but now she's basically doing it alone. People don't like so. Oh, I guess maybe they're all going to the bonfire. I guess this is new, but I guess I should go do that too, kind of a thing. So things are changing all around.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

You know, so it's like it's a summer something happening. I mean, we don't really know what's gonna happen. We know she liked Conrad.

unknown 26:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 26:50

I don't even know that I thought at the point at that point that Jeremiah was really in the mix.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

For sure not, not originally. No, no, no. I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

I mean, I thought, oh, he's cute, but you they they're sending you the all the things, you know. She has the weird conversation about the that we do have to talk about this one line, and then we will get to the bonfire. But the line about the whole marijuana, you know, he's like, Oh, you're smoking pot, and I thought you said that that kills brain cells. And he's like, Do you do you remember everything I said?

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Or, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

I mean, but yes, it's like everything's the same but different. Everything's the same but different. Everything's the same, but like a little bit different. And then now and then she takes this big swing that kind of stands up, stands up into like this new identity.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

And yes. So she and she gets the bonfire, she's kind of assessing the place, then brother interferes right away, call accusing that guy of being a pedo. It's like she's 16 years old, you ped out. It's like, whoa, man, coming in hot.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Which again, it's it's like she's she's like creeping in on his territory.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Totally. He's like, What are you doing here?

SPEAKER_00 27:56

And then what do you think? I mean, uh, what do you think about Conrad just like dead in the middle of the thing, just full on making out with that girl?

SPEAKER_02 28:03

Just right there, yeah, just right in her face like that. Like very bold.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

I'm like, I guess he's not that upset about you know, about the ex-girlfriend. Or he's he's trying to make himself feel better about the ex-girlfriend.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

Yeah, distracting himself. It's all distraction.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

And now I was like, you're just right. I mean, I was like, you're they're right in the middle of everything. Yeah. Just going for it.

SPEAKER_03 28:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:26

Um, and then the girl is I I think the girl kind of plays it pretty cool, to be honest with you. I mean, I would have been really annoyed about um about this young girl coming in because she's probably Conrad's age, so she's a good two years older than Belly.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

And that that's the example of like, you know, if my older cousins had a girlfriend, I'd be like, oh, I want to be friends with the girl, right? And yeah, yeah. And kind of like, and and and again, like obviously there wasn't a romantic thing there, but I would always want to like be friendly with the girl and like get invited to stuff and get to go have fun. Yeah. And instead she was like, I thought you didn't like the Red Sox. It just was such a it was just like it was just like this the beginning of this very not helpful roller coaster. She falls on the ground in the tiny teeny little dress.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

And then Jeremiah runs over.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Yeah, that's right. That's when that happened. Yeah, that's right. Here he comes, white knight.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

And he's like, I mean, for my part, she's like, Steven's mad, which is I can totally hear that conversation. And she's like, he's like, Well, for my part, I'm glad you're here. Yeah. The weird guy came over, Steven yells. She has the weird interaction with Conrad, who's also totally mean to her. And then here comes Jeremiah, just like, I'm glad you're here. And I was like, and and then he runs off to go be with the girls. And I was, I mean, I felt it for Belly. I just felt so sad for her. Yes. Because I was like, you know, I know I would have never gone to a party by myself at 15. But, you know, I know that feeling. If you can go back to your young self when you go to your first high school party or college party, even if you're with your friend, if you don't really know a lot of people, and it honestly, I'm not gonna lie, I went to a crawfish boil last night and it was like, okay, who here do I know? How can I feel safe?

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Yeah. It's a familiar feeling across your whole life, you know?

SPEAKER_00 30:27

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

And so it was hard, you know, she had like these kind of two kind of embarrassing situations happen. And you think Jeremiah is gonna come in and kind of save the day. And he, of course, was really nice, but then he still runs off to go being a good one.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

And um, and then that's how we meet Cam.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

Cam Cameron.

SPEAKER_00 30:47

Great name. What do you think about Cam?

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Right off the bat, I'm like, he I'm like, he's a sweet guy. He's I actually made a note about him. Let me see what I said.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

He's I said he's sweet, he's nerdy, he genuinely likes her. Yep. Um, and I think he is presented to us as like a healthy alternative to her other options. Like that is kind of what Cam Cameron, that's what he serves in this. And the interaction's nice. It's good.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Well, and and from a class perspective, he's probably closer to like when they don't do a

Bonfire Fallout And Meeting Cam

SPEAKER_00 31:20

ton of I mean, obviously the debuton ball is meant to uh throw a lot of like class conversations at us.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

But he's not a big um, you know, he's not he he he represents probably at best her same class.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

I would agree. Totally.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Maybe even a little bit low, you know, maybe a little bit lower since she's his mom's in the service industry and they're you know his mom's divorced, but he's you know, he kind of meets her where she is. He's not driving a brand new Jeep or a roll Range Rover, or you know, he's yeah. Um and so he's not but he's also not a threat. I mean he's not I mean he seems her smart challenge.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

So it's like a very smart on the intellectual level as well.

SPEAKER_01 31:59

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

Um and I think in some ways he challenges her because he is like trying the well-watching thing. I mean, he's like and he doesn't drink, and he's he's not, and he gives her his jacket, like he is kind of challenging her to act as somebody who deserves to be treated well.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

And she does act excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Especially the drink, he's like, I don't drink, and she's like, I don't drink either. Like she's stoked to find someone that's like on her level.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

Yeah, so he they're there to kind of like you know, I I would say as far as standards go, as her standards were at age 15, you know, they they were a really good match. His intonation, the that the actor's intonation is so interesting to me. And there, but there is a little bit of um the Kim in the book is that intonation is also kind of there. It's kind of like kind of the way, like the way that he phrases things, it I can see why this character, I would like to see him at other things, but I can see why they either A chose that actor sort of or he plays it with that intonation because it's very specific. Um, but I like Cam and of course he gives her his jacket and he offers to take her home. And this is where I feel like Jeremiah redeems himself.

SPEAKER_02 33:15

Yes, yeah, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

He hasn't been drinking because he was driving.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

And he's like, get in the car, belly, you know, and he's like, No, you're not going home with a stranger. Oh, but we know him, his mom or something. No, you can you know, and it's funny because Jeremiah's it's actually Jeremiah's boss is this.

SPEAKER_02 33:31

Oh, yeah, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

Which we learn the next in the next episode. Yes. But he's like, I don't care, I'm taking control. They I mean, except for they almost leave Steven. Um I just think that between the punch and the I mean, everything, I had to go back and watch it like two or three times because there's so much that happens in that whole like situation in such a little amount of time. Because they're can't they're sitting there talking, she and Cam are talking, and then Conrad starts acting crazy and not she goes up and tries to break up the fight. Yeah, not until she got punched.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

Yeah. So the and and Conrad is just drunk and doesn't seem sorry. And right.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

Yeah, because she questions him the next day, right? She's like, what do you remember?

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

And he says he remembers everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he says he remembers everything, and that's another time when you're like, okay, what's this guy doing? Feels like it feels a little like uh game. He's afraid to express his emotions here.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

Yes. Yeah. And and I mean, do we do we need someone who can express our emotions?

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Yes, ideally that would is the better option.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:46

I mean, I think that's the standard, the the Conrad model, it's like withhold, withhold, withhold, like an unload.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Uh you know, until it explodes. Let me hold this back until like I can't hold it anymore. Right. Where, you know, I think maybe with Jeremiah, at least at this point, you realize that he's he doesn't he doesn't have a whole ton of depth, but he's not he's not but he doesn't he's not afraid to show you what depth he has. Correct. And he's not, you know, right. He's just gonna like kind of live here, maybe do this kind of like up down, barely, you know, barely moving. Like he's not trying to solve all of his challenges because he's too busy having fun to be embarrassed, like it says in the book. Like he's just like, I'm just I'm here to make the most out of life and love life, and I think that's great. Um, all right, so your final thoughts on the episode.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Final thoughts are I think they set up all the characters really nicely. I think they did a great job in this pilot, like giving you a good taste of the relationships as well as the people as individuals in a way that really makes gets you hooked in the first episode. Because you know a lot of sh a lot of times shows are like give it a the people say like give it till episode three, give it till episode four, whatever. This one nailed it. And I think like right away you get the full I you get you to you would know exactly what you're about to get for this whole series. Um and it leaves you wanting to come back for episode two, and uh a lot of like question marks over a lot of people's heads, and uh I'm excited to see how all of the relationships unfold and what's what's to come. How about you? What is your take on episode one?

SPEAKER_00 36:21

Well, it's perfectly set up for streaming. I mean, it there wasn't necessarily a cliffhanger except for this like will they or won't they? But it's just perfectly set up for streaming. I I think I was like cleaning my room the first time I watched it, and I watched like six episodes just because I was like, you know, cleaning and organizing drawers or something, and then next thing you know, it was over. So it it does, it's I mean, the the inviting you back to cousins, making it feel really emotional and familiar, and you'd have to probably see it two or three times to get some of the Easter eggs and some of the depth, but you're you know, you do kind of leaf off like, okay, she's got this now. You're like, she's got this Conrad thing, but she's got this other guy that likes her. So is this the summer I turn pretty? And and like everybody, you know, like I did kind of think like, is she gonna date a bunch of people and then finally Conrad's gonna come along? Um, so it does leave you wondering, like, is it gonna be Cam? Is it Conrad? Is it I I don't even know that I was fully thinking Jeremiah at this point.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

I will I that thank you for saying that because I will say when I watched this the first time, having no idea about any of this, right? Just like it I started watching it truly because it was heavily advertised about Taylor Swift's musical involvement. So as a Swifty, I was like, I'm giving it a try. Must watch. But I remember after watching the pilot, I was like, oh, it's Cam. She's gonna end up with this guy.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

I was reminded of that. I was like, oh yeah, I totally root.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

There's a lot to be said for like the sweet safe choice. I mean, at this point, Conrad has like told her she looks better with glasses. He like smokes meat, he's quit the football team. He's pining. We think he's pining over his ex-girlfriend. He's hooking up with this other girl. Yep. Um, and and so there's like there's I mean, I'm not no spoilers, but I definitely was not, I was like, maybe she's gonna pine over him and then she's gonna end up. I thought maybe date like Cam and then a bunch of like she's so pretty that everybody in the town is gonna like her and oh okay, yeah. You know, or something like that, where it was like she's dating, you know, dating for the first time. It was gonna be like a coming of age. So and and and Jeremiah obviously thought he was adorable because Gavin Castellano is perfect for this role. Yeah, yeah. Um but uh but definitely, I mean, I was kind of like she should date him, but I think he they did play him in this first episode as very immature.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

They did, yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

Very, very like teenager-y brother-y.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Um with a lot of golden retriever energy.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

A lot of, as he says, a lot of golden retriever energy for sure. Um and any thoughts on um, you know, to to leave people with for before the next episode.

Scoreboard Debates And How To Join

SPEAKER_02 38:56

Um well, I'm curious what, yeah, if you jump into the conversation, let us know in our Substack, like what were your first thoughts after watching this episode? Were you also uh thinking Cam Cameron could be a top choice for this? Were you someone that read the books so you knew it was coming, but how did how did it feel different and watching the show? And I'm so curious what people's uh takes are. And absolutely, if you're going, you know, watching along with us, episode two is what we're talking about next week's getting right into the it's debutant. I think that episode's called The Dress. So we're getting into yeah. Um excited to jump into that one as well.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Well, and I mean I think if we're we I haven't really thought about doing this, but I think if we wanted to create a scoreboard and let people share their scores, I would say, or maybe points for everybody, and we could do negative points and positive points. Um, but I think that there's definitely like two to three points for Jeremiah. There's one to two points for Cam Cameron, and I think you know, I think that the entry, despite the fact that they try their best, and and um, you know, Chris Briney is such a great looking guy and he's perfect for this role. Um, a negative point for the glasses comment, yeah, and a negative point for the do you remember everything I said? Yeah, you know, do you remember everything I say comment? Because um uh older brother, younger sister, you know, just being rude.

SPEAKER_02 40:25

I think I think he's just if you're looking at if you're thinking of the chart.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

I think we're on we're all on the great sound.

SPEAKER_02 40:37

Great, this is this is great for Team Jair. Great for Team Jair.

SPEAKER_00 40:42

I love it. We'll create the scoreboard and I'll get it up on Substack so everybody can can make comments. Don't forget to follow us on and I'll and I'll redirect from Instagram as well. But don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Team Jair Pod. We are Team Jair Pod, obviously. Subscribe, follow um on all of your Apple, all your podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, everyone everywhere you can find your podcasts. And then don't forget our Substack, also Team Jeropod, uh, which you can subscribe to. You'll get our email updates, updates when new episodes come out, and also um that's where we you can participate in our live chat, and we'll open that up every week um on Fridays when we release a new episode. So thanks so much and have a great week, everybody. Have fun and hope your summer and your fourth of July is all American.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

Yes. Happy Fourth of July, and we will get into episode two next week.