There’s a moment, deep into the finale of “ The Summer I Turned Pretty ,” when Belly is asked to dance by Conrad. Somewhere in Paris on the banks of the Seine, under the light of the full moon, she grasps his hand and the two come together.

Look closely and you’ll see Belly is leading the way. This, accident or not, is potent symbolism, as she has been leading Conrad on a merry dance for quite some time. But I don’t really have the context, because this is the first and only episode I’ve watched.

I confess, I know nothing about “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” But on the day of the finale’s release, I was strongarmed into watching by colleagues, who told me I was uniquely positioned to unpack this pop culture phenomenon. The same colleagues were yet to watch the finale, and for fear of be

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