Spare a thought for Jeremiah Fisher. Yes, he might be the most hated character in the The Summer I Turned Pretty universe. And, okay, maybe he is a useless boyfriend who dresses like an overgrown frat bro let loose at a corporate offsite. But he’s also just a boy standing in front of a girl, asking her to stop fancying his brother. Is that too much to ask?
In case you’re one of the increasingly few people not harboring an unhealthy obsession with this show, allow me to get you up to speed. For three seasons, we’ve watched Isabel “Belly” Conklin (played by Lola Tung) tussle over which of the Fisher brothers she’s supposed to be with: the goofy, golden retriever-coded Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) or his brooding, emotionally troubled older brother, Conrad (Christopher Briney). This very straightforward, well-worn plot might seem like nothing more than hackneyed teenage sop—the series is based on Jenny Han’s trilogy of YA books of the same name—and yet it has us all in a wistful, pastel-hued chokehold.
But while almost every facet of TSITP is being fawned over in Reddit threads, Instagram posts, and viral TikTok videos (the soundtrack! The sincerity! Conrad’s sudden emotional availability!), Jeremiah remains a helpless vessel for the internet’s hatred. “I hate that guy,” states one TikTok user before outlining all the things the character did to annoy her in a single episode. It has more than 53,000 likes. “Let the downfall of Jeremiah Fisher begin!” adds another, in a video soundtracked by Sabrina Carpenter’s viral hit “Manchild.” Elsewhere, a strange new trend has started, seeing users stitch together clips of Jeremiah from various episodes into horror film-like videos, driving home the message that this is not just another cute, curly-haired college student but a malevolent Disney villain. One we must all unite against to take down.
The hatred is so visceral, and on such a global scale (Prime reported that 25 million worldwide viewers tuned into the third season’s premiere the week of its release), that even Casalegno himself acknowledged it, telling the New York Times, “I think it’s important to also understand and realize that this is a fictional story—and it’s also not me.” Amazon has also issued statements calling for fans of the show to stop bullying the cast, telling them to “act normal” on the internet.
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Of the two brothers, Jeremiah is the antagonist of the season, mainly because fans have been rooting for Conrad and Belly since day one, while Jeremiah stands in their way. Look, it doesn’t help that he drinks too much, is more interested in impressing his dad than Belly, and is generally just a bit irritatingly jolly. And yes, he did sleep with someone else when they were on a break (has he never seen Friends?).
But when you break it all down, the poor guy is just like any other goofy 20-something. Let’s start with the cheating thing. Obviously this wasn’t the best call, regardless of the somewhat ambiguous state of Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship at the time. But the reason they went on a break in the first place? Belly spent Christmas with Conrad and lied to Jeremiah about it. Nothing happened, depending on how much sexual tension and yearning you quantify as “nothing,” but still, who can blame the boy for being a bit miffed?
Besides, he knows his brother and Belly have something between them. They dated briefly in high school but, as we see through a series of flashbacks, have always had a strong bond, even as children. This brings me to the cataclysmic event of the series: Conrad ruining Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding when, the night before, he confesses his love for Belly—she who has been doubting the engagement anyway. There are a lot of tears, angry confrontations, and some rather sad admissions, resulting in a teary-eyed Jeremiah telling Belly: “You can’t marry me to erase him”—and, yes, the “him” is Conrad.
Given the circumstances, how could anyone not feel at least a bit sorry for the guy who just lost out on marrying the love of his life because she never got over his brother? He handles it pretty well, too, giving Conrad his blessing to pursue her after an emotional moment at their mother’s grave. “I never could compete with what you two had,” Jeremiah says. “That connection was like a force field. Do what you have to do. Don’t expect me to be okay with it. But don’t fucking waste it, either.” Kind, generous, and honest, he’s proven himself to be a standup guy in a terrible, and weirdly incestuous, situation. Maybe we should all try to be Jeremiahs.
On top of all this, Conrad is hardly the hero the internet has hailed him to be. Surely we can all agree it’s a little intense to tell someone you love them the night before they’re about to get married (did I mention it was to his brother?). Then there are the letters Conrad keeps sending to Paris, where Belly has been living since the breakdown of her relationship with Jeremiah. At one point, he sends her a bag of Sour Patch Kids, her favorite sweets, and the infinity necklace he bought her years ago to represent their love for one another. Some would call this romantic. Others would call it emotionally manipulative, particularly considering Belly hasn’t yet replied to any of his letters.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah is miserable, has nowhere to live, and is trying to find meaning through meaningless flings. And he’s probably about to get a phone call telling him that his ex-fiancée has had a monumentally romantic reunion with his brother in Paris. Another wedding will surely be in the works soon.
So, yes, if you have some time today, say a little prayer for poor Jeremiah, one of the most unfairly maligned TV characters of our time. May he find peace—ideally with someone who hasn’t slept with his brother.