The Belly backlash from The Summer I Turned Pretty says more about us than her.

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As a certified The Summer I Turned Pretty super fan, I have a bone to pick with the internet this season. We need to talk about the Belly hate, because — as entertaining as it is — it's revealing something deeply uncomfortable about how we view women in love triangles. 

If you've spent any time on social media lately, you've probably seen the discourse.

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are divided, and one of the most persistent criticisms of Belly Conklin is that she should leave the Fisher boys alone. That she's somehow responsible for destroying their relationship. That she should have just picked one and stuck with it. That she's selfish for not considering how her feelings might affect Conrad and Jeremiah. 

Watch the trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3. Article continues after video.

And look, I get it. Belly is annoying. Her constant flip-flopping between the brothers can be maddening to watch. Her inability to take accountability. Sometimes her decisions feel selfish or short-sighted.

But let's get one thing straight — Belly is living the dream.

Two gorgeous brothers are in love with her, and she's navigating her feelings for both of them. She's not some manipulative mastermind orchestrating their downfall. She's a teenage girl figuring out love — albeit, I'll admit, very messily — and frankly, good for her. It makes for a very intriguing teen drama for us to enjoy. 

The real question is: why are we holding Belly solely accountable for Conrad and Jeremiah's choices?

Because, honestly, being annoying isn't a crime. And it also doesn't make you the only responsible party in an already messy situation. And that's where this criticism falls apart.

Conrad and Jeremiah are grown men (well, young men, but still). They have agency. They make their own decisions. They could choose themselves. They could also choose to go to therapy (as every character in this show should). They're not being held captive in this godforsaken love triangle like the rest of us. 

Conrad chose to push Belly away repeatedly, then get jealous when she moved on. Jeremiah chose to pursue his brother's ex-girlfriend, knowing full well their history. These aren't things that happened to them — these are choices they made.

Image: Prime Video.

But sure, let's pretend Belly's the villain, and not just one person in a complicated situation, making imperfect choices like everyone else.

Does this discourse all sound very familiar? It should, because this is a tale as old as time.

Women in love triangles always get the blame. Always. We saw it with Bella Swan in Twilight (Team Edward vs Team Jacob drama, anyone?). We saw it with Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries. Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Annabel 'Nan' St. George from The Buccaneers. And now we're seeing it with Belly.

The pattern is always the same: blame the woman as if the men involved can't choose a different destiny.

The Fisher brothers have a complicated relationship that existed long before Belly entered the picture. Their issues with each other — the competition, the resentment, the inability to communicate — those aren't Belly's fault.

Conrad's tendency to shut people out when he's struggling? That's his pattern, not something Belly created. Jeremiah's resentment and insecurity when it comes to Conrad, leading to his decision to pursue someone his brother clearly still has feelings for? Also, not Belly's fault.  

These brothers have their own stuff to work through, and using Belly as a scapegoat for their relationship problems is convenient but unfair.

Belly's behaviour sometimes makes things worse. But she didn't create the underlying dysfunction — she just happened to be the catalyst that exposed it. 

Image: Prime Video.

This whole debate reveals something uncomfortable about how we view women's autonomy in relationships. We expect women to be selfless, to put everyone else's feelings before their own, to somehow just know and make the right choice when it comes to every man in their orbit… a choice that the men themselves refuse to make.

But that's not how relationships work. That's not how life works.

The Fisher brothers have been free to walk away at any point. But they've chosen otherwise. Why? Well, that's a question for them, not Belly. 

Belly doesn't owe Conrad or Jeremiah anything beyond honesty and basic respect. She doesn't owe them a quick decision. She doesn't owe them protection from their own feelings. And she certainly doesn't owe them the sacrifice of her own emotional journey for the sake of their brotherhood.

The Fisher brothers are adults who can handle their own relationship with each other. If they can't, that's their problem to solve — not Belly's burden to carry.

Listen: The Spill hosts dive into the on screen love stories that dared to keep it in the family.

Feature Image: Prime Video.