Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3, Episode 11.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” concluded with a happy ending for Lola Tung’s Belly and Christopher Briney’s Conrad, and even gave Gavin Casalegno’s Jeremiah a new romantic start with Denise (Isabella Briggs).
The foundation for Jeremiah’s romance with Denise was laid down in Episode 10, when they shared a sentimental moment around the holidays as Jeremiah crashed in her spare bedroom. By the series finale, Denise’s compliments to Jeremiah start to turn his head, leading them to share a kiss in the kitchen ahead of Jeremiah’s dinner party.
“She’s gotten to see a different side of him,” Casalegno told TheWrap on Thursday morning, noting their relationship started at Breaker when Denise would incessantly pick on him. “They developed a very unique and different relationship than anything that Jeremiah has been a part of in the past, and she’s gotten to see just a different colors of Jeremiah that most people haven’t, especially living together.”
Casalegno added that the pair has gotten a “good perspective” on each other is through their friendship, as well as living together as roommates, but admitted he’s not quite sure when Jeremiah started to have eyes for Denise.
“He’s just been so wrapped up in all the things that he’s a part of and doing in his own careers, his own goals, and picking himself back up, that he hasn’t necessarily paid too much attention,” Casalegno said. “We don’t really see him noticing that there’s a spark until outside after Adam brings the champagne.”
Their connection might be happening a bit earlier for Casalegno’s liking, with the actor saying “under a year for any wedding mishap is probably too early, but if right now is what he needs, I just want him to be happy.”
And for all the fans shipping Jeremiah with Redbird, Casalegno said Jeremiah’s failed wedding has given him a level of maturity not found in a frat house, nixing the possibility of that connection. “Jeremiah is too mature to go back to that frat lifestyle and and get involved with all that again,” he said. “I think he’s gone through too much — most people in a fraternity aren’t even in a relationship, let alone almost married, so I think Jeremiah has gone through too much to go back to that.”
Jeremiah seems to find his own happiness by throwing himself into a culinary career by the finale, which Casalegno believes is a good fit for his character after struggling to find his place in Breaker. “We’ve gotten to see his passion for food grow and him exploring his passions more,” Casalegno said. “I feel like it’s artistic and is so unlike anything that his brother has done, anything that Belly is a part of.”
With Denise set to move to San Francisco with Steven (and Taylor) for their startup, Casalegno said he could see Jeremiah heading west in the upcoming “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie, but isn’t sure if that’s what writers Jenny Han and Sarah Kucserka have in mind.
“There’s definitely more of a culinary scene in San Francisco than there is in Cousins beach, so I would imagine something along those lines happening, but I really have no clue,” Casalegno said. “We haven’t gotten the script. I keep asking and fishing, but I’m not getting any answers so I don’t know. I’d love to see it, but it’s up to what Jenny and Sarah imagine.”
In addition to where Jeremiah ends up, Casalegno revealed he’d like to see how Jeremiah handles Conrad and Belly’s new relationship. “I’d like to see how that goes and to see how much he’s grown,” he said. “Is he going to be mature and responsible?”
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Prime Video.
