u/Right_Swimmer5750

​

The YA landscape keeps changing. New shows come along, new couples become the latest obsession, and new casts get their moment. But, there’s something pretty special about the fact that Chris Briney and Lola Tung are still pulling over 1 million likes on their Instagram posts.

That kind of engagement says a lot. It’s not just nostalgia. It’s proof that people still care, still miss them, and still want to see them. Their impact didn’t disappear just because of the latest YA craze.

Trends come and go, but some connections have staying power. Seeing both Chris and Lola continue to receive that kind of love is a pretty beautiful reminder that their relevance was never just about being the “new” thing.

1M+ likes for both. Still missed. Still talked about. Still loved. 🤍

The YA world may keep moving forward, but some people leave a mark that doesn’t just fade away with the appearance of the next craze and Chris/ Lola are proof of that.

According to sources they are back in Berlin filming again after taking a short break while Connor was filming scenes for Season 2 of HR!

Filming wraps Sept 25 but another break is expected when production moves from Berlin to the UK

There’s something about Lola Tung that feels almost like it belongs in a storybook. Not simply because she has the delicate, timeless quality we associate with princesses, but because she carries a kind of warmth and sincerity that makes you want to believe in the magic of the story.

Lola has that rare ability to make softness feel powerful. Through her expressions, her voice, her presence, and the emotional depth she brings to her characters, she can make even the quietest moments feel meaningful. She has the wonder, the heart, the courage, and the quiet strength that makes a princess feel like so much more than a crown or a beautiful gown.

Maybe that’s Lola’s storybook magic. She already carries the kind of warmth and wonder that makes you believe in fairytales 👑✨

So here is to hoping a Princess story (in particular a Disney one) is in her near future and we get to hear her beautiful singing voice as well ❤️❤️

She looked so gorgeous for her Forbidden Fruits premiere at SXSW. I cannot wait to see what Britt has planned for The Young People!!

Fun fact this remains one of their highest tt posts with over 800k likes! Everyone loves Lola 🥰🥰

There’s something so powerful about putting these two moments side by side because they feel like two different chapters of the same love story

“I thought you knew".”

Those words carry so much of the uncertainty that defined their earlier relationship. There’s love there, but also the assumption that love can be understood without being spoken. The hope that the other person can read between the lines and recognize the looks, silences, and the little gestures, and yet somehow know what’s being left unsaid.

But that kind of love can also leave so much room for misunderstanding as was the case in that scene. Conrad assumed Belly knew how much he loved her without ever truly saying the actual words

“**I need you to know.”**

That one word — **need** — changes everything.

This isn’t about hoping someone understands anymore. It’s about choosing to be vulnerable enough to tell them. It’s about taking something that has lived inside you and finally putting it into words.

I think that’s what makes this parallel so beautiful.

The first moment is about being understood without speaking. The second is about speaking because being understood matters.

There’s also something really beautiful about the physical parallel in these shots. In both, there’s this closeness and quiet intimacy, but the emotional meaning is different in each.

Both Chris and Lola’s performance makes that evolution hit even harder. The bottom scene unlike the first doesn’t need a huge reaction. The emotion is in the stillness — in the way Belly closes her eyes, in the small expression on both their faces.

It’s such a subtle reminder that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean feeling less deeply. Sometimes it means finally learning how to communicate what you feel.

From “I thought you knew” to “I need you to know.”

From assuming love could speak for itself to realizing that sometimes love needs to find its voice. 🤍

Some Memories Never Stop Feeling Like Home 🖤

There’s something incredibly sentimental about Corbeau playing throughout this entire moment. As Conrad walks through Belly’s Paris apartment, he’s surrounded by pieces of a life he hasn’t been part of ; her photographs, her memories, the little details that tell him just how much she has grown.

Then he finds Junior Mint.

For a moment, the years seem to fade and we’re taken back to the boy who won that stuffed animal for Belly, before either of them could have imagined where life would take them.

Now Conrad is standing in her Paris apartment, holding a piece of their childhood in his hands.

In that moment Belly walks out in the black dress and the look on Conrad’s face is everything. He isn’t just seeing the girl from his memories anymore. He’s seeing the woman she has become—and yet, somehow, you can still feel the history between them in that one look.

That’s what makes Corbeau so beautiful here. The song connects past Belly, present Belly, and everything Conrad has carried between those two versions of her.

He walks through her apartment surrounded by memories of who she was. Then she walks into the room, and he gets to see who she is no****w.

For one quiet, beautiful moment, the past and present exist in the same room.

Maybe that’s what makes Conrad’s look so emotionally powerful—he isn't just seeing Belly. He’s seeing all the versions of her he has ever loved, standing in front of him at once. 🖤

​

There’s something so powerful about putting these two moments side by side because they feel like two different chapters of the same love story

“I thought you knew.”

Those words carry so much of the uncertainty that defined their earlier relationship. There’s love there, but also the assumption that love can be understood without being spoken. The hope that the other person can read between the lines and recognize the looks, silences, and the little gestures, and yet somehow know what’s being left unsaid.

But that kind of love can also leave so much room for misunderstanding as was the case in that scene. Conrad assumed Belly knew how much he loved her without ever truly saying the actual words

“I need you to know.”

That one word — need — changes everything.

This isn’t about hoping someone understands anymore. It’s about choosing to be vulnerable enough to tell them. It’s about taking something that has lived inside you and finally putting it into words.

I think that’s what makes this parallel so beautiful.

The first moment is about being understood without speaking. The second is about speaking because being understood matters.

There’s also something really beautiful about the physical parallel in these shots. In both, there’s this closeness and quiet intimacy, but the emotional meaning is different in each.

Both Chris and Lola’s performance makes that evolution hit even harder. The bottom scene unlike the first doesn’t need a huge reaction. The emotion is in the stillness — in the way Belly closes her eyes, in the small expression on both their faces.

It’s such a subtle reminder that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean feeling less deeply. Sometimes it means finally learning how to communicate what you feel.

From “I thought you knew” to “I need you to know.”

From assuming love could speak for itself to realizing that sometimes love needs to find its voice. 🤍

One of the best things about FF was seeing this friendship form. Lili is such a force and a great example of handling fame with such grace. I love their friendship and hope we see more collabs with them in the future 🎃🍎

Shirts brought by Lola as a wrap gift 🥰🥰

When Lola Tung stepped into the role of Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty, she wasn’t an established star. She was a newcomer taking on the enormous responsibility of bringing Jenny Hans beloved protagonist to life.

Despite the enormous pressure placed on her at such a young age , she made the role feel completely her own.

Over the course of the series, we’ve watched Lola grow alongside Belly—from the uncertainty and innocence of Season 1 to a much more emotionally complex and self-assured young woman in Season 3.

What makes her journey so special is that while Belly has changed, Lola has remained at the emotional center of the story.

She didn’t just become the actress who played Belly. She became one of the faces most synonymous with the entire franchise.

The newcomer that walked into Cousins Beach… and stole everyones heart. 🌊🤍

Sometimes we get so caught up in the story that we forget to appreciate the actor bringing it all to life. So here’s some Chris Briney appreciation, specifically through some of Conrad’s most memorable moments. 🫶

From the way he watches Belly at the debutante ball, to the quiet tension, the fireplace scene, the surfboard accident, that heartbreaking goodbye in the Season 2 finale and of course the long awaited Paris reunion, Chris has consistently found ways to make Conrad’s emotions feel bigger than his words.

What I especially love about his performance is how much he does without saying anything. The pauses, the looks, the little changes in his expression, you can often tell exactly what Conrad is feeling before he ever says it.

And that’s what makes his scenes so rewatchable.

What is YOUR all-time favorite Conrad scene or Chris Briney acting moment on TSITP?

​

From a girl in a potential love triangle in Royel Otis "Whose Your Boyfriend" to a bestie in Laufey's "Madwoman" to entering her Prom Queen Era in Summer Flings "Gave Me A Sign" Lola really said why have one music-video era when you can have THREE? ✨

Somehow, she looks completely at home in every single one. From soft and cinematic to colorful and playful to full-on fairytale princess 😍 Lola Tung can truly sell any vibe. 🥹🎬

Our girl was born to be on camera. 🤍

​

I was watching some beautiful Rose and Jack edits that got me in my feels and reminded me of Belly and Conrad. Obviously not the same love story but I found some beautiful parallels 🩷

Both stories center around a love that awakens something in the other person—making them feel more seen, understood, and capable of wanting more from life.

Rose is expected to follow a path chosen for her, while Belly is constantly trying to navigate expectations, fear, and what her heart truly wants.

Jack sees the real Rose beneath the life she’s been assigned, just as Conrad sees parts of Belly that others don't always understand.

In addition, in both stories, so much is communicated without words—the looks, the pauses, the moments where you can feel everything they’re not saying.

Even the ocean and the beach become symbolic spaces for them: places where they feel free, vulnerable, and most like themselves.

Different stories, abd very different circumstances—but the same emotional thread: a love that changes you, challenges you, and becomes part of the person you grow into. ❤️🌊

Do any of you notice similar parrallels?