It has been a great pleasure to read and watch The Summer I Turned Pretty as a freshman and conclude the series as a senior. The show first premiered in 2022, with so many surprises that would follow it.
After a pause in filming and production after the writer’s strike in 2023, Jenny Han’s Young Adult novel-turned-show has concluded—for now.
The first episode of season three came out in July, and viewers were told that episodes would be released every Wednesday until Sept. 17, 2025. This news caused frustration in audiences, as they wanted to know what was going to happen all at once.
However, this sequence of releases did help keep the hype up, making the wait worthwhile.
The season begins with a time skip of four years from season two, with Isabel “Belly” Conklin and Jeremiah Fisher at college. It was interesting to see how much time had passed, especially since they are all grown up and have moved on with their lives.
The first couple of episodes are mainly about Fisher and Conklin’s relationship, until we see Conrad Fisher, Jeremiah’s brother, studying as a medical student at Stanford University.
During the time jump, it seems evident that Conrad has been somewhat disconnected from his family and the Conklin’s. When I first saw him on the screen, I was stunned to see how different he was, but also upset because he wasn’t on speaking terms with Belly.
As the show continues, the biggest plot line within this series is Jeremiah going on a trip to Cabo, Mexico, with Lacie Barone. Knowing that this was going to come up this season made it scary to see how it was executed because I wanted it to be what I had envisioned.
The scene was well filmed, but I wished that Belly didn’t forgive him for, arguably, cheating on her. In the end, Jeremiah and Belly end up getting engaged outside of the hospital where Steven was after his car accident.
I was not a fan of the engagement since I don’t think that Jeremiah and Belly should have gotten back together. Also, Belly’s brother was in the hospital, so it seemed as if Jeremiah used her vulnerability as a gateway into getting her to say yes.
While watching the show, it was unfortunate to see both of their families’ disapproval of their engagement initially. I did not want them to be together, but it was heartbreaking to see that neither of them, especially Belly, had support during a big life milestone.
On the other hand, I loved the music choices used this season like “False God” by Taylor Swift, “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingoes, and “Je te laisserai des mots” by Patric Walson. These songs heightened my emotions while watching the show.
For instance, in the last episode where Belly and Conrad reconnect in Paris and come back to Cousins Beach together, the French and Taylor Swift songs made an impact on how I perceived the scenes.
However, it was a tumultuous season; from Belly and Jeremiah almost getting married to Belly and Conrad barely ending up together in the last 20 minutes of the series finale.
Seeing them ending up together just like in the books felt like a happy conclusion, even if they didn’t get married. Just knowing they are together brings comfort, and it was amazing to see it all unfold and finish after 3 years.
Han, Lola Tung (Belly), and Chris Briney (Conrad) did an incredible job creating and acting as these characters for one final time, bringing joy to our screens for the past couple of years.
It was difficult to say goodbye to them once the end credits rolled at the end of episode 11, but just wait: Han had other plans for us “Bonrad” stans.
At the finale premiere in Paris, France, on the 17th, Tung and Briney posed in front of a poster reading, “The Summer I turned Pretty The Movie.”
Fans all over the world were excited to hear the news that they still had more time to watch the couple after only seeing a short period of their relationship. Unfortunately, there is no release date for the movie, and filming has yet to begin.
So dear The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP): you didn’t give us “flowers or candy,” but you did give us numerous summers’ worth of content that began when the books came out, and then when the show was released.
To end the “TSITP” franchise, the movie is heavily anticipated, allowing fans to spend one last time with the Conklin’s and Fishers.
