As I have previously established on here, I’m a sucker for a teen show. I did not read the immensely popular book series this show was based on, but decided to check out the first season anyway. The thing that set this show apart (and above others) for me was really the vibe. Anything that feels like summer, I am inclined to like. Summer is my favorite season and, besides all of the other things I love about it (warm weather, longer days, my birthday, etc.), there’s just a specific summer feeling that can’t really be explained, only experienced. And this show is able to capture that so well. It feels like summer. 

The scenery and the soundtrack. That’s really all I need from this show. Scenery and soundtrack. Everything looks perfect and summery: the beach, the boardwalk, the town, but, most importantly, the house. I could write 5 pages on how much I love this house alone. It’s the most beautiful, perfect, New England beach house you’ve ever seen and fits that very specific aesthetic so well. Pair that with a soundtrack that features Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, One Direction, and more of pop music’s latest and greatest, and you have a vibe almost specifically curated for me. 

Seriously though, the soundtrack is a huge part of this series in a way I haven’t seen with shows before. The show’s official Spotify playlist is on regular rotation in my Airpods for both the songs I already know and love and the songs I haven’t heard before but align with my taste. And it’s not just me. The music usage in the show is a big topic of conversation among fans online: what songs were used in what scene, what that could symbolize about the deeper meanings there, etc. 

Another big piece of that is the Taylor Swift of it all (yes, her again). Author of the book series and executive producer of the TV show, Jenny Han, is apparently a huge Swiftie and somehow was able to license multiple Taylor Swift songs for the first season of the show. They were also all used in big moments, not just as background music. Ahead of the second season, two different trailers were released as promo for the show, both set to Taylor Swift songs. The first, a version of the song “august” with different, more dramatic instrumentation, went viral on TikTok and has fans begging Taylor to release it as a new “cinematic” version of the song. The second was “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)”, a song from Taylor’s at the time yet to be released album of re-recordings, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”. Including this song in the trailer before the album was released also made fans crazy and was incredible marketing for both the show and the album. Jenny Han then told fans that there would be 8 Taylor songs throughout the second season. For me (and other Swifties I’m sure), the song choices and their placement in specific scenes heightened the emotions of the scene because of the history and emotional connection I was bringing to it from knowing those songs so well. Taylor’s actual involvement in the show is unclear as she is known to be fairly selective with licensing her music but seems to give Jenny Han free reign to use whatever songs she wants. Some fans have joked that it’s a money laundering scheme for Taylor but many have questioned what she actually gets out of this. She has done some minimal promotion for the show, but mainly just when new versions of her songs are involved. Sure the book series gave the show a pre-existing fanbase, but I am curious how much of the show’s popularity can be attributed to a boost from the Taylor Swift connection. Either way, Taylor Swift and her discography have become inextricable from this show and that is probably one of the main reasons I like it. 

Summer vibes, beautiful beach house, and Taylor Swift. That’s really all I need in a show. That’s really all I need in life. But yes, of course, there is actual plot. It’s your typical teenage love triangle (I’m team Conrad by the way, thanks for asking) mixed with some serious adult drama. It can veer into the corny and cringey and it can also veer into the deeply emotionally gutting. But, for the most part, it rides the line of humor, hijinks, romance, and heartbreak pretty seamlessly. Out of the “teen show” genre, this one feels a little more grounded. Yes, there is melodrama, but teenagers are melodramatic. 

I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s a “good” show in the grand scheme of television. But in the conversation of teen shows, it’s way up there. I definitely preferred the first season to the second. It took place in and spanned a full summer whereas the most recent season flashed back to during the year and took place over one week at the very beginning of summer, allowing the first season to capture more of that special summertime vibe. Also, due to plot specifics, the first season was a lot more happy and hopeful (for the most part) and had more of the anticipation of romance while season 2 deals with the fallout. I still found season 2 to be an enjoyable watch and would recommend if teen shows, beach vibes, and pop music are your thing!

2023 Count: 21 seasons, 37 movies, 1 special