Why Laurel Calls Susannah "Beck" In The Summer I Turned Pretty

One of the best friendships on The Summer I Turned Pretty is between Laurel and Susannah, but why does Laurel always call her best friend Beck?

Summary

• Laurel calls her best friend Susannah "Beck" because it is her maiden name, showcasing the depth of their long-lasting friendship in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
• The show focuses on the bond between Laurel and Susannah, which is just as strong as their blood relationships, highlighting the importance of their friendship.
• In the original novels, Laurel and Susannah have been best friends since childhood, but the show changes their backstory to parallel the highs and lows of Belly's adolescence. The Summer I Turned Pretty explores complicated relationships and the truth of being a woman.

Of the many relationships and friendships to appear in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the connection between Laurel and Susannah is one of the best, however, the series never quite explains why Laurel calls her best friend "Beck" rather than Susannah. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a romantic drama based on a young adult romance trilogy by Jenny Han. The series follows Belly, a young woman who finally grows into herself and realizes that her summer vacation at the fictional Cousins beach may never be the same, for better and for worse.

The Summer I Turned Pretty is usually quite successful at offering backstory and details about its characters. Through photos, memories, and anecdotes, the characters paint a thorough picture of their history and their time spent together in the past. Unfortunately though, much more time has been spent on the pasts of Belly and the Fisher brothers than on their mothers. So far, the show has confirmed that Laurel and Susannah met in college and have been best friends ever since. One especially important detail about their friendship, though it may seem subtle, is Laurel's nickname for Susannah: Beck.

Laurel Calls Susannah "Beck" Because It's Her Maiden Name

The real reason why Laurel calls Susannah "Beck" is because that is Susannah's maiden name. When the two women originally met in college, Susannah would not have been married yet, meaning her name would have been Susannah Beck rather than Susannah Fisher. Audiences can then assume that the nickname began very early on in their relationship and has stuck ever since. It's unclear whether Susannah's other classmates called her this, however now, during the events of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Laurel is the only character to call her Beck.

What makes the nickname so special for Laurel and Susannah is that it shows how deeply their friendship runs. Laurel has known Susannah longer than anyone else in the show aside from The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2's Aunt Julia. Although both women now have husbands, ex-husbands, and children, it's safe to say that the bond between them is just as strong as with their blood relationships. The nickname Beck refers to a much different time for Susannah and Laurel. It is a reminder of their long-lasting friendship and shows that their relationship is unlike any other in the show.

Why The Summer I Turned Pretty Changed Laurel & Susannah's Backstory

Although Laurel and Susannah's friendship is special in The Summer I Turned Pretty, as it turns out, the original novels have their connection run even longer. In Jenny Han's books, Laurel and Susannah have been best friends since childhood, not just college. It isn't entirely clear why Han made this The Summer I Turned Pretty book change, but perhaps it can be attributed to the content of the show. As Laurel and Susannah relive their adolescence together in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1, it parallels the highs and lows of Belly's own adolescence. In this way, all the women are connected by this important time in their lives.

Overall, The Summer I Turned Pretty isn't afraid of exploring real, complicated relationships and the truths of being a woman. The show emphasizes this pivotal time in a young woman's life, and does it with nuance, as the series looks not only at Belly, but at her mother and Susannah as well. While the show's romances are the main draw, the other themes of friendship and coming-of-age should certainly not be forgotten.