Belly is not the villain.
I feel it needs to be said that Conrad’s character in the books was not nearly as warm and inviting as Chris Briney made him on the show. Yet, even with the warmth and realness that Briney brought to his character, which definitely made summer of 2025 the Summer of Conrad, the show and the story itself is still very much about Belly.
The more I read/watch about tsitp, the more I realize that Belly hate is all wrong. It’s not what Conrad would ever condone, as well. Isabel “Belly” Conklin was perhaps at times deeply in denial about what made her happy, and the story was always meant to be about her own journey through relationships, heartbreak, and ultimately discovering herself, realizing that she was her own person capable of making her own decisions and making her way through life. While we all fell in love with Conrad’s character, really his story is about the inverse of her story and then how they weave back together. He learned how to be strong on his own, which then showed Belly that it was possible for her to do, too. She then went out and did exactly that, partially because he had shown her it was possible. They still had deep connection and love for each other, so they ended up coming back together.
My point is, this isn’t the Conrad show. Belly is the central character. Conrad the character understands this, but why don’t so many of us fans? Many fans say “we just want Conrad to be happy.” Uh, he is, with Belly. At the end, albeit a long journey, but ultimately, it all works out. So Whaddya mean you just want Conrad to be happy?! He is. Conrad’s happiness is Belly’s happiness. So if you want Conrad to be happy, then you want Belly to be happy because that is the key to Conrad. Belly’s happiness. Belly is the center. Belly is the sun. Laurel was wrong, Conrad orbits around her, not the other way around.
Whatever it is about us as fans, whether it be a fault of the writing or something deep seated within us, wants to dish it out on Belly and make her the villain. What was so important about the last episode, besides of course their reunion which we all loved, was that they began sorting out the whole thing about villainizing themselves in their own story. Conrad wasn’t just saying it to be nice, he was right. Belly is not the villain in this story.