Cover Jenny Han and Amazon’s ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ is millennial core at heart.
Jenny Han and Amazon’s ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ is millennial core at heart.
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Missing Cousins Beach between episodes? These millennial core TV shows will keep you hooked until ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ returns
As Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty works its way through its third and final season, entire generations are left yearning for closure while not quite being ready for the series to end. Will it be Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? The author of the books and executive producer of the TV show, Jenny Han, has mastered the art of tapping into millennial nostalgia without the obvious tropes, sending many 30- and 40-somethings into a spiral over what is essentially a story about a teenage love triangle.
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In Han’s world-building, her main characters are never isolated; instead, they are surrounded by families with backstories, traditions and communities. She reminds us of what teenagers were like before Instagram face and TikTok, lanky, awkward and ever charmingly innocent. But the classic “summer fling” storyline is how she reels audiences in, taking millennials back to the good old days.
With six episodes left and each one dropping at weekly intervals, fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty are left with nothing but anxious thoughts in between. For that, the following specific episodes from nostalgic millennial core TV shows might help. See which familiar theme catches your fancy most.
1. The Vampire Diaries - ‘1912’
Equal parts supernatural drama and swoony romance, this series keeps you hooked with love triangles, small-town secrets and intense friendships. Like The Summer I Turned Pretty, it’s about more than just choosing between two love interests; it’s about growing up under the weight of impossible decisions. Watch Season 3, Episode 16: “1912”, where current murders in Mystic Falls echo a century-old crime spree, leading to flashbacks that expand the mythology and test loyalties—perfect for diving deep into emotional drama while waiting for the next episode.
2. Gilmore Girls - ‘Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy’
For a lighter watch steeped in warmth, this mother-daughter dramedy is pure comfort TV. You’ll find the same mix of heartfelt confessions, cosy small-town settings and witty banter that makes The Summer I Turned Pretty so rewatchable. Cue up Season 2, Episode 5: “Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy”, where Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) arrives in Stars Hollow and immediately shakes up Rory’s (Alexis Bledel) world. It is the perfect “new arrival changes everything” moment, echoing the way fresh summer romances or rivalries can turn a season on its head.
3. Grey’s Anatomy - ‘Losing My Religion’
While it trades charming Cousins Beach for gritty Seattle, Grey’s Anatomy delivers equally messy high-stakes romance and friendship drama. The show’s emotional beats, love, loss and those “life will never be the same” moments, echo the raw heart of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Watch Season 2, Episode 27: “Losing My Religion”, a hospital prom episode that mixes longing glances, unspoken confessions and one of the most iconic romantic moments in the series with the bittersweet pang of change.
4. Dawson’s Creek - ‘...Must Come to an End’
A defining teen drama of its era, it navigates friendship shifting into romance, heartbreak and the bittersweet pull of growing up. If you love the love-triangle tension in The Summer I Turned Pretty, this show wrote the early blueprint. Go for Season 6, Episode 24: “…Must Come to an End”, the deeply emotional series finale where Jen (Michelle Williams) asks Joey (Katie Holmes) to finally decide, delivers an enduring message in a video to her baby daughter and forces the core friends to face loss and the future—it is a tear-jerker that echoes TSITP’s aching coming-of-age core.
5. The OC - ‘The Ties That Bind’
This sun-soaked teen drama blends coastal escapism with family drama and complicated relationships. Think of it as a West Coast cousin to Cousins Beach, where love stories are always tangled and the soundtrack is chef’s kiss. Season 1, Episode 27: “The Ties That Bind” is an emotional summer-ending gut-punch, scored by the perfect indie track, as characters go their separate ways, a tonal match for TSITP’s season finales.
6. Supernatural - ‘In My Time of Dying’
If you crave a moodier palate cleanser between episodes, Supernatural offers brotherly bonds, road trips and the kind of “we against the world” loyalty that mirrors the deep friendships in The Summer I Turned Pretty—just with a lot more demons. Check out Season 2, Episode 1: “In My Time of Dying”, where the Winchesters face impossible choices to save one another, making for a moving character study beneath the monster-hunting surface.
7. One Tree Hill - ‘Pilot’
A mix of sports, romance, music and small-town intrigue, this teen drama captures the push-and-pull of relationships over the years. Like The Summer I Turned Pretty, it’s about who you are when you are young and who you are becoming. Go for Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”, where half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty) collide on and off the court, igniting family drama, first crushes and the emotional threads that will define the series.
Whether you are reliving your coming-of-age summers or discovering these shows for the first time, each one offers a slice of that same magic found in The Summer I Turned Pretty. They remind us that growing up is never a neat process, love is rarely straightforward and friendships can be as epic as any romance. Until the next episode lands, let these millennial favourites fill the gap and take you back to a time when life felt wide open and every choice seemed like the most important one in the world.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
