This semester, Ellie’s Country Club on the Corner welcomed crowds for watch parties of the third season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” every Wednesday evening, giving avid fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to experience the show’s weekly release in a lively, communal setting.
The summer hit centers around Belly Conklin, a young adult girl caught in a love triangle between two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher. Since its initial release in 2022, the show has found success not only through its content, but also through the overwhelming amounts of dialogue it inspires. The release of each episode has unleashed a torrent of social media chatter filled with opinions, theories, polls, character edits and more. Fans don’t just want to watch the show, they want to talk about it.
Ellie’s wisely tapped into the shared appeal of the show by opening up their bar space on Wednesdays for viewers to watch the show side by side, beginning Aug. 27.
The wooden interior and cozy decor gives the bar a warm charm, while its multiple floors and outdoor space provide plenty of room for audiences to spread out. Both levels of the bar played the show on its own television, and though faint traces of background music drifted through the walls and ceilings, what really carried through the space were the boisterous reactions from fellow viewers. Additionally, Ellie’s served themed refreshments like Jeremiah’s raspberry “The Cake Was My One Thing” hardbody, and Conrad’s “Peach Stand” drink.
Talley Sublett, Ellie’s bartender and fourth-year Architecture student, was the brains behind the event. Alongside Ashley Major, the owner of Ellie’s, and other coworkers, she brainstormed drinks and created graphics and videos to market the watch parties on the bar’s social media. Sublett explained that since many people have already been hosting watch parties with friends, she saw the chance to make it into something even bigger, especially given the buildup to the finale.
“I definitely knew that it was gonna end with a fun big finale that a lot of people want to go to,” Sublett said. “[The show] is huge on TikTok and it’s fun to watch them after. It appeals to our age and even others. I see a lot of post-grads too.”
Fourth-year Engineering student Edith Kao attended multiple watch parties and appreciated the relaxed atmosphere of Ellie’s, as well as the opportunity to watch alongside equally invested viewers.
“It's been fun because you get to know people that you wouldn't have met on a regular day, but then you have something in common,” Kao said. “So I'd say it's been a great way to unite people. Even though we would have different opinions on stuff, we can still bond over how we like the show.”
Those different opinions usually centered around the show’s defining question — which brother would Belly ultimately end up with. Most fans leaned firmly towards Team Conrad, and with this past season’s plot revolving around Jeremiah and Belly’s impending marriage, the dialogue evolved into a discussion of how and when the wedding would be called off, if Belly would end up with Conrad after all, or if she would choose independence over both brothers.
The penultimate episode marked third-year College student Michael Carlson’s first Ellie’s watch party, and though not a die-hard “The Summer I Turned Pretty” fan, Carlson expressed enthusiasm similar to Kao’s for the event itself.
“It's not only just a thing about watching the show, but it's also about meeting other people and getting to chat with people you normally aren’t friends with,” Carlson said.
That sense of community was undeniably clear during the viewing of the penultimate episode, as attendees mingled, exchanged opinions and reacted vehemently to the events onscreen. The energy at Ellie’s was infectious, and despite the episode being broadcast on two separate levels of the bar, gasps, cheers and hoots could be heard permeating through the walls and ceilings.
Sublett added that one of the best parts of the watch parties are audience reactions, both joining in and witnessing them. She recalled a moment during the first Ellie's watch party, when the Fisher brothers got in a physical fight, as particularly memorable.
“The first [watch party] was definitely huge,” Sublett said. “It was packed on both floors and it's really fun to see everyone react, like yelling or screaming whenever you're at the show.”
For the finale Wednesday night, Ellie’s went out with a bang by arranging an outdoor seating setup and serving their signature buckets in themed flavors. According to Sublett, the energy was great all night, with many people coming an hour early to secure their seats and plenty of audience reactions throughout the episode.
“It’s been great to coordinate these,” Sublett said. “I put a lot of time and effort into the social media and planning surrounding these watch parties, and it’s really rewarding to see it being enjoyed by U.Va. students of all ages.”
As for the finale, Sublett’s thoughts were mixed.
“To be honest, it was the outcome I wanted, but I’m not quite sure it’s how I wanted us to get there,” Sublett said.
Although “The Summer I Turned Pretty” has now come to a close, Ellie’s plans to continue their watch parties, with “Dancing With The Stars” as a next possible feature.
“We’re gonna be here anyway, right?” Sublett said. “Might as well have people enjoy it.”
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