The latest season of The Summer I Turned Pretty has sparked a familiar debate reminiscent of the iconic Friends storyline. Join us as we explore the nuances of the ‘we were on a break’ argument.
Move Over ‘Friends,’ ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Introduces a New “We Were on a Break” Debate
Prime Video recently released the first two episodes of the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and one particular storyline feels strikingly familiar.
Confrontation at the Frat Party
At the end of the first episode, titled “Last Season,” Belly (Lola Tung) discovers that Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) had sex with another girl, Lacie Barone (Lily Donoghue), during a spring break trip to Cabo. They had a fight before the trip, leading Jeremiah to believe they had broken up.
“It happened when we were on a break… when we were broken up,” Jeremiah explains to an upset Belly after she learns the truth at a frat party. Belly retorts, “You knew that we weren’t really broken up; that wasn’t real.”
The Ongoing Debate
“How was I supposed to know that? It was real for me,” Jeremiah claims. Belly responds, “Well, if I knew it, then you should have known it.”
In the second episode of season three, titled “Last Christmas,” Jeremiah insists he “didn’t cheat. We were on a break,” when confronted by Belly’s best friend, Taylor (Rain Spencer). Taylor counters, “You’re not getting off on this technicality. You were broken up for all of two seconds, Jeremiah.”
The Origins of the Phrase
While the “we were on a break” debate may be new to some younger viewers, it’s essential to recognize that it didn’t originate with Belly and Jeremiah. The phrase was popularized by the iconic show Friends.
In season three of Friends, the phrase is coined in episode 15, titled “The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break.” Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross (David Schwimmer) argue after Ross suspects Rachel is having an affair with her co-worker Mark. Rachel always viewed her relationship with Mark as platonic.
The Aftermath of the Break
The argument leads Rachel to suggest, “Maybe we should just take a break… A break from us.” They go their separate ways, both acknowledging that their relationship was effectively over after that conversation.
See More ...
After the breakup, Ross goes to a bar to process everything and decides to call Rachel to reconcile. However, Rachel has already called Mark, who offers to comfort her. This leads Ross to mistakenly believe Mark and Rachel are hooking up when he hears Mark’s voice in the background. An emotional and drunk Ross ends up having an affair with a woman named Chloe. He later learns he misread the situation with Mark and Rachel, who actually wanted to continue their relationship.
The Consequences of Cheating
The one-night stand with Chloe doesn’t remain a secret and leads to another argument between Ross and Rachel in episode 16, titled “The One With The Morning After.” Rachel accuses Ross of cheating, asserting, “we were on a break,” while Ross argues that no cheating occurred since they had broken up, distinguishing between a “break” and a “breakup.”
The phrase became iconic throughout the rest of Friends, which ran for 10 seasons, and remains a popular line today. Now, the phrase has found new life thanks to The Summer I Turned Pretty. However, like with Ross and Rachel, fans will likely continue to debate whether Jeremiah and Belly were merely on a break or officially broken up.
After the new episodes premiered, online discourse emerged surrounding the cheating storyline, with some claiming Jeremiah was sexually assaulted by Lacie since he was intoxicated and emotionally unstable during their encounter. Some users on X criticized author/creator Jenny Han for how the scene was portrayed, suggesting it should be treated as a serious and sensitive topic.
In advance of the premiere, the official social media account for the Prime Video series cautioned viewers against bullying and hate speech, urging them not to target or harass the cast or crew.
