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Few teen dramas have inspired as much passionate debate as The Summer I Turned Pretty, largely because it refuses to present its characters as cleanly lovable or easily dismissible. Everyone hurts someone, often repeatedly, and the show asks viewers to sit with that discomfort instead of smoothing it over with easy redemption arcs. Likability here isn’t about who behaves best; it’s about who feels the most honest in their messiness.
What complicates things further is that the series is told through shifting emotional perspectives, where love, grief, and nostalgia blur accountability. A character can be tender in one moment and selfish in the next, and the show rarely pauses to tell us how we should feel about it. Instead, it trusts the audience to weigh intentions against consequences, especially when it comes to romantic choices that ripple through friendships and families.
Ranking these eight main characters from least to most likeable, then, isn’t a moral judgment so much as a reflection of emotional impact. This list considers how each character treats the people around them, whether they grow from their mistakes, and how their presence shapes the story’s emotional core. Disagreeing is part of the fun, because in The Summer I Turned Pretty, liking someone often says as much about the viewer as it does about the character.
How We’re Ranking the Characters: Emotional Growth, Accountability, and Impact
Before we get into who lands where, it’s worth being clear about the lens we’re using. Likability in The Summer I Turned Pretty isn’t about who’s the nicest, the funniest, or even the most romantic. It’s about who evolves, who owns their mess, and who leaves a lasting emotional imprint on the story and the people inside it.
#1 Best Overall
Emotional Growth Over Time
First and foremost, we’re looking at emotional growth, not just emotional intensity. Big feelings are everywhere in this show, but not every character actually learns from them. Characters who reflect, change their behavior, or at least recognize their own patterns tend to rank higher than those who repeat the same mistakes season after season.
Growth doesn’t have to be linear or perfect to count. In fact, some of the most compelling arcs are messy and incomplete. What matters is whether the character shows any awareness that their choices have consequences.
Accountability, Not Just Apologies
Teen dramas love a good apology scene, but words only go so far. Here, accountability means how characters respond after they hurt someone, not just whether they feel bad about it. Do they take responsibility, or do they hide behind grief, confusion, or “I didn’t mean to” excuses?
We’re also weighing who absorbs the emotional labor of fixing situations they didn’t break. Characters who repeatedly cause damage while others clean up after them tend to slide down the list, no matter how sympathetic their backstory may be.
Impact on Relationships and the Story
Finally, we’re ranking based on impact. Some characters fundamentally shape the emotional architecture of the show, while others orbit around bigger arcs without fully defining them. This isn’t about screen time alone; it’s about presence.
Who changes the dynamic of a room when they enter it? Who alters the trajectory of friendships, romances, and family bonds? Characters who drive the story forward, for better or worse, tend to leave a stronger impression than those who feel emotionally passive.
Context Matters, Especially Grief and Age
It’s impossible to talk about likability here without acknowledging grief, adolescence, and timing. The show is deeply invested in how loss distorts judgment and how being young amplifies every emotional choice. We’re factoring that context in, but we’re not letting it excuse everything.
Grief explains behavior; it doesn’t erase its impact. Characters who acknowledge that difference often resonate more deeply than those who remain trapped in their own pain.
With those criteria in place, the ranking ahead reflects not just who we enjoy watching, but who earns our emotional investment. Some placements will feel validating, others infuriating, and that tension is exactly what keeps The Summer I Turned Pretty so endlessly debatable.
Rank #8: The Character Who Causes the Most Chaos Without Enough Growth
At the bottom of the list sits Conrad Fisher, a character written with immense emotional weight but frustratingly little follow-through when it comes to growth. He’s compelling, magnetic, and central to the show’s mythology, yet likability is about more than narrative importance. Conrad’s pattern of withdrawing, lashing out, and then retreating again leaves too much wreckage for too little emotional payoff.
This placement isn’t about villainizing him or ignoring his grief. It’s about how often his pain becomes everyone else’s problem, without meaningful change to show for it.
Emotional Withholding as a Weapon
Conrad’s biggest issue isn’t that he’s sad or closed-off; it’s that he uses emotional distance as a form of control. He pulls Belly in with moments of vulnerability, only to shut her out when things get hard, creating a constant state of emotional whiplash. That push-and-pull doesn’t just hurt her, it destabilizes the entire friend group.
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Grief Explains Him, But Doesn’t Transform Him
The show gives Conrad one of the most sympathetic backstories, and rightfully so. Losing Susannah is devastating, and his grief is raw, believable, and often painful to watch. The problem is that Conrad frequently uses that grief as a wall rather than a bridge.
While other characters struggle and adapt, Conrad tends to circle the same emotional patterns. He acknowledges his pain, but rarely translates that awareness into sustained behavioral change, leaving the people who love him stuck in the fallout.
The Cost of Being the Emotional Center of Gravity
Conrad undeniably shapes the emotional architecture of The Summer I Turned Pretty. His moods dictate the tone of entire episodes, and his choices ripple through nearly every relationship. That kind of influence should come with responsibility, but Conrad often opts out when accountability is required.
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Rank #2
Why He Still Works, Even Here
Ranking Conrad last doesn’t mean he’s poorly written or unwatchable. In fact, his complexity is what keeps fans debating him so fiercely. He’s fascinating, layered, and painfully real, but likability hinges on reciprocity, on the sense that emotional investment is returned.
Right now, Conrad takes more than he gives. Until his growth starts matching the intensity of his feelings, he remains the character who causes the most chaos with the least amount of forward motion, and that’s why he lands at number eight.
Rank #7: Good Intentions, Bad Decisions, and Fan Frustration
If Conrad is the storm, Jeremiah is the sunshine that sometimes burns a little too hot. He enters every situation with his heart open and his emotions on full display, which should make him easy to root for. Instead, his pattern of impulsive choices and emotional reactions often leaves fans conflicted about whether his sincerity outweighs the damage he causes.
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The Appeal of Emotional Availability
There’s no denying Jeremiah’s strongest asset: he communicates. He says what he feels, shows up when it matters, and offers Belly the kind of emotional presence Conrad routinely withholds. For viewers tired of mixed signals and emotional withdrawal, Jeremiah can feel like a breath of fresh air.
That openness makes him deeply sympathetic, especially when he’s clearly trying to do the right thing. He wants honesty, stability, and mutual effort, which are all things the show positions as healthy and desirable.
When Hurt Turns Into Recklessness
The problem is that Jeremiah doesn’t always know what to do with his hurt. When he feels sidelined or betrayed, his response often veers into impulsive territory, whether that’s lashing out, making reactive decisions, or forcing emotional confrontations before he’s processed his feelings.
His rivalry with Conrad amplifies this flaw. Instead of establishing boundaries, Jeremiah sometimes competes for emotional validation, which turns genuine pain into messy power struggles. It’s understandable, but it’s also exhausting to watch unfold again and again.
Why Fans Get Stuck on Him
Jeremiah sits at an uncomfortable crossroads between emotional maturity and emotional reactivity. He’s self-aware enough to articulate his feelings, but not always grounded enough to act wisely on them. That gap is where fan frustration lives.
Unlike Conrad, Jeremiah wants growth, but unlike Belly, he sometimes mistakes intensity for progress. That tension keeps him from ranking higher, even though his heart is usually in the right place. He’s likable, just not consistently trustworthy with the emotional weight the story places on him.
Rank #6: Likeable in Theory, Exhausting in Practice
If Jeremiah’s emotional whiplash leaves viewers tired, Taylor Conklin tests patience in a different way. She’s fiercely loyal, outspoken, and often the only person willing to say what everyone else is thinking. On paper, that makes her the perfect best friend.
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In execution, though, Taylor’s energy can feel overwhelming, especially when the stakes get higher and her advice starts to blur into pressure. She means well, but her brand of support doesn’t always leave room for Belly to figure things out on her own.
The Best-Friend Blueprint
Taylor is refreshingly unapologetic about who she is. She’s confident, socially savvy, and protective to a fault, which initially makes her easy to root for. In a show full of emotional hesitation, her decisiveness feels grounding.
She also serves an important narrative role as Belly’s tether to a world outside Cousins. Taylor reminds her of who she was before the love triangle took over her life, which gives their friendship real weight and history.
When Support Turns Into Control
The issue is that Taylor doesn’t always distinguish between advocating and directing. She has a habit of pushing Belly toward what she thinks is best, even when Belly’s emotions are clearly more complicated. What starts as encouragement can quickly feel like judgment.
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Her impatience with Belly’s indecision, particularly when it comes to Conrad, makes her harder to side with. Taylor wants clean choices and fast resolutions, but The Summer I Turned Pretty thrives in emotional gray areas, and she rarely has patience for them.
Why She Lands Here
Taylor is likable in concept because she represents confidence, loyalty, and self-assured femininity. But in practice, her intensity can crowd the emotional space of the story, making her scenes feel more draining than dynamic.
She’s not wrong often, but she is loud about it, and that volume limits her growth. Taylor earns her place at #6 because she’s essential, memorable, and occasionally spot-on, just not always easy to be around when feelings get messy.
Rank #5: The Character Who Divides the Fandom Right Down the Middle
If there’s one character whose likability depends entirely on who you’re talking to, it’s Jeremiah Fisher. For some fans, he’s the emotional safe haven of the series. For others, he’s the embodiment of good intentions gone wrong.
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The Case for Jeremiah
At his best, Jeremiah is open-hearted, emotionally fluent, and refreshingly communicative in a world where everyone else seems allergic to saying what they feel. He shows up, checks in, and makes Belly feel chosen in moments when that matters most.
There’s also something deeply appealing about his warmth. Jeremiah’s joy, humor, and willingness to be vulnerable make him feel emotionally safer than most characters, especially compared to the Fisher family’s default mode of repression.
Where the Frustration Sets In
The problem is that Jeremiah’s emotional awareness doesn’t always translate into emotional maturity. He can be reactive, passive-aggressive, and quietly resentful when things don’t go his way, especially when it comes to Conrad and Belly.
His tendency to frame himself as the emotionally healthier option can feel manipulative, even when it’s unintentional. Jeremiah often positions his feelings as more valid because they’re expressed, which doesn’t always leave room for the complexity of everyone else’s grief.
Why He Lands Here
Jeremiah sits squarely in the middle because he’s both comforting and complicated. He’s easier to like moment-to-moment than some characters, but harder to fully trust when the emotional stakes rise.
He’s not a villain, and he’s not a saint. Jeremiah is likable in theory, frustrating in execution, and endlessly debatable, which makes #5 the only place that feels honest for a character who exists in emotional contradiction.
Rank #4: Messy, Human, and Easy to Root For
Steven Conklin is the kind of character who benefits enormously from time. He doesn’t arrive as particularly likable, but as the seasons go on, his flaws start to feel less grating and more revealing.
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The Annoying Older Brother Era
Early Steven can be tough to love. He’s arrogant, overly concerned with status, and occasionally dismissive in ways that feel especially sharp toward Belly.
There’s a performative edge to him at the start, as if he’s constantly trying to prove he belongs in rooms he doesn’t feel comfortable in yet. That insecurity often manifests as superiority, which understandably turns some viewers off.
Where Steven Wins You Back
What sets Steven apart is that the show lets him learn. His relationships, particularly with Shayla and later Taylor, force him to confront his own entitlement and emotional blind spots.
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Steven starts listening more, posturing less, and reckoning with the fact that ambition without self-awareness can hurt people. His arc isn’t dramatic, but it’s believable, which makes it resonate.
A Grounded Presence in a Heightened World
Steven also serves a crucial narrative function. While everyone else is consumed by romantic angst and long-standing emotional wounds, he often reacts in ways that feel refreshingly normal.
He worries about money, career paths, and living up to expectations, grounding the show’s heightened emotions in real-world stakes. That relatability does a lot of heavy lifting for his likability.
Why He Lands at #4
Steven isn’t the most emotionally poetic character on the show, but he feels real. His growth is earned, his flaws are recognizable, and his heart is ultimately in the right place.
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Rank #3: Quiet Strength, Loyalty, and Emotional Consistency
By the time we reach the upper tier of this ranking, likability becomes less about charisma and more about trust. At #3 sits a character who may not dominate the love triangle discourse but consistently anchors the emotional reality of the series: Laurel Park.
In a show fueled by teenage longing and impulsive decisions, Laurel’s steadiness feels almost radical. She isn’t flashy, she isn’t perfect, but she is reliable in a way that quietly earns respect over time.
The Adult Who Actually Acts Like One
Laurel stands out simply because she behaves like a fully formed adult in a world where many characters are still figuring out who they are. She sets boundaries, makes hard choices, and carries grief without letting it define every interaction.
That emotional restraint isn’t coldness; it’s self-preservation. Laurel understands that strength doesn’t always look like vulnerability on display, and the show wisely lets her model a different kind of emotional intelligence.
A Complicated but Honest Mother-Daughter Dynamic
Her relationship with Belly is imperfect, sometimes frustrating, and often misunderstood by viewers who want more softness from her. But Laurel’s distance usually comes from fear of projecting her own pain, not from a lack of love.
As the series progresses, her willingness to reflect, apologize, and adjust proves she’s not rigid—just careful. That growth, subtle as it is, deepens her likability considerably.
Loyalty Without Martyrdom
Laurel’s loyalty, especially to Susannah, is one of the show’s most quietly devastating elements. She shows up, she stays present, and she carries emotional weight without making it about herself.
What makes this loyalty admirable is that it doesn’t erase her own needs. Laurel struggles, pulls away, and recalibrates, which makes her devotion feel human rather than idealized.
Why She Earns the #3 Spot
Laurel may not inspire shipping wars or viral edits, but she provides something rarer: emotional consistency. Her actions align with her values, even when it costs her comfort or approval.
She lands at #3 because likability isn’t always about who makes you feel the most—it’s about who you trust the longest. And in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Laurel is someone you can always count on to mean what she says and stand by the people she loves.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Rank #2: The Fan Favorite Who Nearly Takes the Top Spot
If likability were purely about warmth, emotional availability, and how often a character shows up when it counts, Jeremiah Fisher would already be sitting comfortably at #1. He’s the character who feels the easiest to love, the one viewers instinctively want to protect, and the emotional anchor many fans gravitate toward when the love triangle starts to feel exhausting.
Jeremiah doesn’t just win hearts because he’s charming. He wins them because he consistently chooses kindness, even when it costs him something.
The Emotional Open Book
Unlike his brother, Jeremiah doesn’t hide behind silence or moodiness. He talks about what he’s feeling, admits when he’s hurt, and allows himself to be vulnerable in a way that feels refreshingly honest.
That openness makes him feel safe—not just for Belly, but for the audience. In a series built on miscommunication and emotional repression, Jeremiah’s willingness to say the thing out loud is a relief.
Kindness as a Core Trait, Not a Performance
Jeremiah’s likability isn’t situational. He’s gentle with Belly, patient with Conrad, and deeply devoted to Susannah, often acting as the emotional glue holding his family together.
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Even when he’s angry or heartbroken, his instinct isn’t cruelty—it’s self-protection. That distinction matters, and it’s why viewers are more likely to forgive his missteps than those of other characters.
The Love Triangle’s Moral Center
In the chaos of shifting loyalties and unresolved feelings, Jeremiah often feels like the most emotionally responsible person in the room. He communicates expectations, seeks clarity, and doesn’t romanticize emotional unavailability.
That doesn’t make him perfect. His pain sometimes sharpens into resentment, and his desire to be chosen can cloud his judgment. But those flaws are rooted in insecurity, not entitlement, which keeps audience empathy firmly on his side.
Why He Falls Just Short of #1
Jeremiah nearly takes the top spot because he represents the version of love that feels healthiest and most sustainable. He’s the guy who listens, learns, and loves with intention rather than intensity.
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What keeps him at #2 is narrative gravity. The story often prioritizes longing over stability, angst over clarity. Jeremiah may be the most likable, but in a show driven by emotional messiness, being the healthiest option doesn’t always mean being the central one.
Rank #1: The Most Likeable Character—and the Emotional Heart of the Series
If likability is measured by warmth, generosity, and the emotional gravity a character brings to every scene, there was only ever one real choice for the top spot. Susannah Fisher isn’t just beloved within the world of The Summer I Turned Pretty—she’s the reason that world feels worth returning to at all.
While the love triangle fuels the drama, Susannah provides the soul. Her presence turns Cousins Beach from a setting into a sanctuary, and her absence is what ultimately reshapes every relationship in the series.
The Heartbeat of Cousins Beach
Susannah represents summer in its purest form: joy laced with nostalgia, laughter tinged with the awareness that nothing lasts forever. She creates traditions, opens her home, and makes everyone around her feel seen and cherished.
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That emotional generosity is effortless. Susannah doesn’t love conditionally or cautiously—she loves loudly, completely, and without apology, which is why her influence lingers long after she leaves the screen.
A Parent Who Chose Love Over Control
What sets Susannah apart from other adults in the series is her refusal to parent through fear or authority. She trusts her children, supports their individuality, and encourages emotional expression rather than repression.
Her bond with Belly is especially telling. Susannah never treats her like a placeholder daughter or a romantic pawn—she treats her like family, full stop. That unconditional acceptance becomes a model for the kind of love the younger characters spend the entire series chasing.
Joy as an Act of Bravery
Susannah’s optimism isn’t naïve; it’s defiant. Even as her health declines, she chooses celebration over despair, beauty over bitterness, and connection over withdrawal.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThat choice gives her character extraordinary emotional weight. She understands loss is inevitable, which makes her insistence on joy feel radical rather than unrealistic. In a show steeped in longing, Susannah teaches that loving fully is worth the eventual heartbreak.
Why She Ultimately Ranks #1
Susannah is the moral and emotional compass of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Every character arc—Belly’s coming-of-age, Conrad and Jeremiah’s grief, Laurel’s reckoning with love and loss—traces back to her influence.
She doesn’t need conflict to be compelling or angst to be memorable. Her likability comes from the simple, powerful truth that she makes everyone better just by being there.
In a series obsessed with first loves and last chances, Susannah reminds us what all of it is really about: connection, presence, and choosing to love as boldly as possible while you still can.
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