The Squeeze: A Girl-Chat Special — The Summer I Turned Pretty

Podcast: The Squeeze
Host: Taylor Lautner
Episode Air Date: August 27, 2025
Special Guests: Keaton, Natasha, Sheila
Topic: Deep dive into The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) Season 3 — fandom debates, character arcs, show parallels, relationships, predictions, and personal insights.

Episode Overview

This episode features an unfiltered "girl-chat" between host Taylor Lautner and three friends—Keaton, Natasha, and Sheila—who are outspoken fans of TSITP. The conversation jumps between passionate analysis of the show's love triangle, reactions to key moments, predictions, and how TSITP parallels real-life relationships. Alongside the fandom chat, they answer listener questions on relationships, bringing TSITP’s storylines into real-world context.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Checking In: The Emotional Stakes of TSITP

• The group starts with emotional check-ins, comparing their chat to an “AA meeting” because of how tense and invested they are after watching the show ([00:04]).
• They immediately mention stand-out, emotionally charged scenes like Jeremiah’s neck grab, which become group-defining memories.

Notable Quote:

"Even though I was never Team Jeremiah, I still can't forget that neck grab scene." — [A] (00:15)
"It was a defining moment in me and Natasha's friendship." — [B] (00:24)

2. Which Team Are You On? (Conrad vs Jeremiah)

• The hosts identify their allegiances—most are Team Conrad, citing his moody, misunderstood demeanor ([04:13]).
• Natasha admits switching to Team Jeremiah in Season 2 due to Conrad’s behavior, then switching back: “He really gave me no choice, and I had to switch to team Jeremiah because at the time, I felt like he was the best option for Belly, and now I think neither of them are because she's psychotic.” ([04:44])
• Keaton reflects: "If I become obsessed with someone in the beginning, like, I can't move past that." ([06:00])

Notable Quote:

"I'm just solely team Conrad. I'm not team Conrad and Belly. I'm just Team Conrad." — [D] (05:20)

3. How the Show Writes Its Characters

• The group critiques the writing of Jeremiah in Season 3, noting he has become nearly impossible to root for, which they see as a letdown.
• The consensus is that the lack of balance between the love interests is hurting the show’s dramatic potential.

Notable Quote:

"I think it's bad writing that they didn't [balance the triangle], because in the show, you should be able to write it where you do still have the back and forth… now it's like, nobody likes this character." — [D] (11:43)

4. Favorite & Cringiest Moments

Favorites

• The hosts swoon over meaningful Conrad–Belly flashbacks and moments of emotional vulnerability.
• Standout scenes: Conrad’s confession (“Look at all that therapy paying off!” — [A] 20:00), childhood flashbacks, and iconic musical overlays (Haley's Comet, Taylor Swift's "That's The Way I Loved You" at the deb ball).

Notable Quotes:

"When he says 'it's always, it's been always' and points to his heart—I literally almost fainted." — [C] (21:08)
"The flashback with the bike... those to me, are, like, so, so sweet." — [C] (20:21)

Cringe

• Dance rehearsal scenes and impulsive engagement announcements were called out as “sending shivers down my spine” ([37:20]); “this is the weirdest shit I’ve actually ever seen in my life” ([31:45]).
• The group heaps scorn on the chocolate cake wedding dispute as forced drama.

5. Soundtrack & Meaning

• The music is universally praised, with the group noting that it is intentionally lyric-driven and enhances emotional depth:

“It’s not just matching the mood... it’s like the lyrics also match. Everything is so intentional and genius.” — [D] (23:41)

• Favorites: "Haley's Comet," "You're Losing Me," "False God," "That's The Way I Loved You."

6. Literary & Pop Culture Parallels

• They draw parallels between TSITP and The Notebook, referencing Noah Calhoun and Conrad as “yearning” archetypes ([25:15]).
• Greek mythology parallels: Belly as “the beach/sun”, Jeremiah as “trickster” Hermes ([27:15]).
• “Belly is the beach... her and Conrad are always on the beach” — [C] (26:08)
• The recurring motif of “red flowers” is tracked as a visual easter egg symbolizing relationship change ([51:26]).

7. Predictions & Theories (Mid-Late S3)

• Paris: The group is convinced there's a Paris sequence ahead, possibly with Conrad and Belly ([48:06]).
• No wedding: Strong consensus that despite the setup, no one gets married ("no one's getting married" — [C] 48:52).
• Letters from Susannah: Expectation that Susannah’s letters (from the books) will play a pivotal role in resolving the triangle ([62:24]).
• Taylor's pregnancy rumor and the symbolism of Bye Bye Birdie are debated as possible foreshadowings ([61:00]).
• Jeremiah & Redbird: The theory that Jeremiah might end up with “Redbird” (his roommate/groomsman) circulates ([49:25]).

8. On Relationships: Listener Advice Segment ([64:17])

• Boring Partner: Advice centers on distinguishing personal ‘color-fading’ from healthy stability, emphasizing communication ([66:34]).
• Healthy Fighting: Learning and respecting differing conflict styles in relationships; using “safe words” to introduce tough conversations ([70:06]).
• Overthinking Love: Addressing self-worth, therapy, and learning about love languages to align expectations ([71:21]).
• Different Love Languages: Actively practicing your partner’s love language, not just knowing it ([74:17]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Even though I was never Team Jeremiah, I still can’t forget that neck grab scene.” — [A], (00:15)
• “He really gave me no choice, and I had to switch to team Jeremiah… now I think neither of them are because she’s psychotic.” — [D], (04:44)
• “I think it’s bad writing that they didn’t [balance the triangle]… nobody likes this character.” — [D], (11:43)
• “When he says it’s always, it’s been always and points to his heart—I literally almost fainted.” — [C], (21:08)
• “This is the weirdest shit I’ve actually ever seen in my life.” — [C], (31:45)
• “The music’s intentional, it’s not just matching the mood—it’s the lyrics too. Everything is so genius.” — [D], (23:41)
• “Belly is the beach—that’s where her and Conrad’s scenes take place. And Jer, not really understanding her…” — [C], (26:08)
• “They have made everyone so unlikable. Like, when [Belly’s] crying on the beach, I actually don’t feel bad. I’m like, you deserve this.” — [D], (54:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:00: Emotional Check-in, opening girl-chat
• 04:00–07:00: “Team” Allegiances, love triangle discussion
• 11:00–14:00: Critique of Jeremiah’s character-writing, shifting fandoms
• 18:00–24:00: Favorite/cringiest scenes, soundtracks, flashbacks
• 25:00–30:00: Parallels to other works; Greek myth, Notebook
• 32:00–38:00: Wedding predictions and missing Susannah’s letters
• 48:00–52:00: Redbird theory, deep predictions, Paris speculation
• 64:00–76:00: Relationship advice segment; boring partners, conflict, overthinking, love languages

Conclusion & Tone

The episode channels raw fandom energy—emotional, loud, and deeply invested in both storytelling elements and the messy morality of the TSITP love triangle. It’s full of humor, exasperated rants, pop culture references, and personal asides. The hosts don’t shy away from criticizing the show’s writing but remain devoted to their favorite characters and ship-dynamics. The relationship Q&A segment closes things on a personal, heartfelt, and supportive note, in line with the show’s core focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Final lines:

“Thanks to our experts for chiming in and we’ll see you guys at the finale.” — [B] (76:05)

For fans of TSITP, this episode is a vibrant, document-the-memory, big-group-chat experience that blends relatable relationship talk with passionate fandom theorizing.