Before it was the No. 1 show on Amazon Prime, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was a trilogy with the first book released way back in 2009.
Prior to the release of the third and final season of the show, author and show creator Jenny Han teased that the series may conclude differently than the books, sparking fear amongst the members of Team Conrad (Christopher Briney), and raising questions as to who Belly (Lola Tung) might choose.
And, although the finale did differ from the final book “We’ll Always Have Summer,” it still was incredible in its own regard.
The third season begins with a time jump three years into the future. Belly and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) are both attending the fictional Finch College, and their three-year relationship is seemingly perfect. But just as it transpires in the books, Jeremiah cheats on her during spring break.
Things go downhill in the fallout of his infidelity. Belly completely loses herself in Jeremiah; she turns down an incredible opportunity to study abroad in Paris, and overall the show lacks a focus on her personal hobbies, which reflects how involved she is in him. Just because he proposes to her in an emotionally fueled moment, and she accepts, does not make them a couple solid again.
When Conrad learns about Jeremiah’s unfaithfulness, he confesses to Belly that he still loves her, and begs her to be with him instead, a scene that matches the book nearly word for word. This act was selfish of Conrad in some ways, but it was also the first time since making a promise to Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) on her death bed to take care of Jeremiah, that he put his happiness first. Jeremiah inevitably finds out about this, and even though Belly insists she loves him, she doesn’t deny the fact that she also loves Conrad. They decide to call off the wedding that morning.
After Belly’s impromptu decision to flee to Paris when the wedding is called off, we see a lot of growth and reflection on her part. The new haircut she flaunts is a symbol of her maturity and newfound independence. She was once a young, stupid teenager in love — and four years into the future in the very last episode, she is a woman who faces a daunting question when Conrad comes to Paris the day before her birthday.
Does she know what she wants, or is she still figuring that out?
On one hand, she should be allowed to move on from her high school ex-boyfriend. She should be allowed to discover herself in Paris, and not owe anything to anybody. It’s not like her only two options in the world are Conrad and Jeremiah.
But on the other hand, it’s Conrad. The boy she used to wish for on every birthday. The boy who taught her how to ride a bike. Throughout the series, Belly’s feelings for Conrad, which started off as an innocent crush she had as a little girl, transform into something deeper and real. The love she has for him is infinite. And when he shows up at her doorstep, it’s like she physically can’t say no to him.
In the books, it was pretty clear Belly was going to end up choosing him. However, in the show, Belly continued to remain conflicted until the literal last second.
After she and Conrad spent the night together, she goes down a rabbit hole of “what ifs” and regrets.
What if Susannah had never gotten sick? Would they have even gotten together? If her and Jeremiah worked out, would Conrad still be chasing her?
Now, none of this suspense occurred in the books. Belly and Conrad corresponded through letters while she studied abroad in Spain, and suddenly, the epilogue is the morning of their wedding.
But in the show, their getting together was a slow, gradual build up. From picking peaches, tending to each other’s wounds and even spending Christmas together in Cousins, Conrad realizes that avoiding Belly would never solve the problem.
“I’ve changed everything about myself, and the one thing that never changes is that I love you,” he tells her in a last ditch effort to make her understand that, even though he may not have always shown her, he has always loved her.
Still, Belly insists that he leave, but regrets it mere seconds after he walks out of the door.
“Out of the Woods” by Taylor Swift plays as Belly realizes that questioning him was a mistake. She chases him down the streets of Paris and through the train station, as viewers hope that his train hasn’t left yet. Even as someone who read the books, I was screaming and crying, praying that they would end up together.
“Conrad, I choose you. Out of my own free will,” Belly declares when she finds him in his seat.
They kiss, and everyone gets their happy ending.
Jeremiah, at first devastated, confused and feeling betrayed, learns how to manage on his own. In a way, Belly cheated on him, too. But he picks himself back up, finds an unexpected passion for cooking, and develops feelings for a girl who has absolutely zero interest in his older brother.
Even Taylor and Steven, albeit an unexpected couple due to them not having a relationship in the books, figure out a way to be together and have plans on moving to California for Steven to launch his gaming start-up.
The series ends with Belly and Conrad eventually making their way back to Cousins, the camera panning outwards, depicting the beach and the summer house, where many important moments had occurred — symbolizing the fact that yes, the teens had grown up, but they had not grown apart. They had all gone through so much loss in various different ways, but they would always have each other, and they would always have summer.
However, this isn’t the end. If you’re still reeling, or wanting more — don’t worry. “The Summer I Turned Pretty Movie” is on its way.
