Released: 14 July, On Amazon Prime
Cast: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gaving Casalegno, Rachel Blanchard
Created By: Jenny Han
Belly's last summer was about being comfortable in her skin while traversing through the path of love, hidden crushes, and friendship. While the last season was all about beaches and sunshine, this season is pretty dark and gloomy.
Plot Summary
The second season grimly tells us Sussanah is no more. She finally succumbed to cancer, a battle that her loved ones are still fighting. Belly, Sussanah's two boys, Steven, and above all, Laurel. While the boys lost their mother, Belly a second mother figure, Laurel lost her best friend, her sister, her soulmate. The present summer is going horribly for everyone involved. Belly has spoken to neither Jeremiah nor Conrad. She is struggling to cope with Sussanah's death, as she tells her guidance counselor at school. She resents everything and everyone, her grades are falling, and she lashes out at anyone trying to come close. Steven bears most of the brunt of her wrath. While Belly is busy being angry at the world, it seems Conrad has disappeared from his college. After a year, Jeremiah calls Belly, not for a reconciliation, but to ask her if she knows Conrad's whereabouts. Without thinking twice, Belly leaves everything, lies to her mom, and heads on over to Conrad's college along with Jeremiah. In their search for Conrad, the two end up at Sussanah's house at Cousins Beach. The same place, that changed everything for Belly.
Cast Performances
The entire cast brings their A-game to the series. The last season allowed us glimpses of their fun personality, whereas this season, everyone is struggling to cope with death, moving on, with changes. This season Jenny Han is determined to establish that beauty isn't the only thing that changed for Belly, her whole life is a rollercoaster ride.
Overall Remarks
Jenny Han's world is full of promises, romance, growing up, facing the truth, and coping up with past traumas. Throw in a heady mix of cultural amalgamation, it is a heart-warming, gut-wrenching season. Belly and her love triangle seem to have dissolved into two personal equations in the first few episodes, but that doesn't mean her life's problems are anywhere near over. With emotional outbursts, and tearful confrontations galore, the first two episodes are all about working out toward a tension-filled ending. Told in two timelines all storylines seem to be building up to a funeral that changed many things for everyone. Laurel and Sussanah's loss of friendship weighs heavy in this season. The precious moments their mature friendship provided were a firm anchor to the kids and their relationships. But since that anchor is lost, everyone's ship seems to be sinking under dark waters.
By SB
