The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3: Does Steven find out that Jeremiah cheated on Belly? Details explored

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 delves even further into the complex world of first love, second chances, and painful betrayals.

The biggest question on everyone's mind has been: Does Steven ever discover that Jeremiah cheated on Belly? The mystery surrounding Jeremiah's fall from grace during spring break has everyone wondering who knows, who doesn't, and why they're kept in the dark. Strangely, the show keeps Steven in the dark.

So, then, why would the show, and the books it’s based on, choose to keep him in the dark? And what does that mean for the overall story in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3?

Steven's job and what he knows in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3

Steven is generally the voice of reason and wit in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, weighing his older brother's overprotectiveness toward Belly against his close friendship with Conrad and Jeremiah. You might expect him to be the one to call out bad behavior or intervene when someone starts drawing a line, but the cheating storyline completely bypasses that with him.

In the book, Steven almost uncovers the truth when a friend makes a careless comment at Jeremiah’s bachelor party. However, he gets distracted and misses the clue, leaving him unaware. The show follows the same path, with Steven remaining supportive of Jeremiah and never doubting his loyalty, even as the engagement falls apart.

This deliberate choice shields Steven from conflict and keeps his relationship with Jeremiah intact.

Why Steven never gets the message

It's no coincidence that Steven misses the message about Jeremiah's actions. The love triangle between Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 is the emotional core, not Steven's reaction. If he had found out, the story would have changed, introducing a new source of tension that could have overshadowed the original plot.

By not telling Steven, the creators made him a source of comfort instead of just another plot device. It also prevents Jeremiah from feeling completely alone without friends when the wedding is called off. Steven could offer him comfort without judgment, something that probably wouldn't have happened if he knew about the infidelity.

Laurel's lack of knowledge

Just like Steven, Laurel is also unaware of Jeremiah's spring break adventure. Laurel remains an observer and emotional anchor for Belly, not someone who will directly involve herself in her daughter's life in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3. If Laurel knew, she probably would have rebuked Jeremiah or warned Belly.

The lack of this knowledge allows Belly to make her own decisions. She doesn't accept Jeremiah's offer, making her choice even more personal and independent. This narrative decision effectively enhances the themes of responsibility and self-discovery that run through The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3.

Conrad's heavy burden in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3

The only one of them who knows is Conrad. He knows about Jeremiah's cheating. He is torn between whether or not to tell this to Belly and let her deal with it herself. Conrad's choice to remain silent for the most part is his gesture of respect for Belly's autonomy, yet he is also deeply in love with her.

This secrecy is the underlying tension in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3. Conrad is technically the guardian of truth as a character. The tension between what Conrad knows and does not know adds additional depth to the story.

The narrative impact of secrecy

Secret-keeping is central to The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3. Having Laurel and Steven in the dark maintains the high intensity of focus on Belly's conundrum: would she settle for Jeremiah because of his fault, or Conrad because of their complicated past? Revealing the secret to Steven would have introduced an outside voice that could weaken the originality of Belly's choice.

Additionally, Steven's lack of knowledge triggers irony. He goes on and on defending Jeremiah without bias, unaware that Jeremiah had violated Belly's trust. This creates an emotional contrast between the viewer, who knows what happens, and the characters, who do not. It heightens drama without leaving the love triangle in focus.

Book vs. show differences

Expand Tweet

In the original Jenny Han novel, Steven is handled similarly, close with Belly but not in on the darkest and deepest secrets. His near-miss experience at Jeremiah's bachelor party is an excellent metaphor for the way that life gets away from you without you even realizing it.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, has it right, portraying Steven as loving and wonderful without ever actually revealing the uglier information. The most significant difference is in the way the series handles these scenes.

Viewers do get a sense of Steven's intimacy with Jeremiah after the ruined wedding, and it only makes it more believable that he has no idea whatsoever what he did. In the books, there are more suggestions, but the result is still the same: Steven never discovers what Jeremiah did.

Why this matters?

The only truth that Steven never uncovers is irrelevant, but it does have a dramatic effect. It keeps the plot from getting stagnant with issues and allows the central plot, the love triangle, to remain in the limelight. Steven, not knowing, also keeps his relationship, especially with Jeremiah, from being ruined, and it doesn't suffer even though everything else that can go wrong does.

It is also a reminder that not all is known in books like these. Sometimes the characters have to muddle through life without knowing everything, and the watchers can only guess what would transpire if at all things were known. That choice makes The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 emotionally authentic and unpredictable.

Do you love the show? What are your thoughts on the creative choices made in Season 3? Sound off in the comments section below.