This article contains spoilers!
Ever since its premiere in June of 2022, Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty has captivated audiences across the globe. Praised for its nostalgic appeal and captivating plot line, the book-turned-television series gained international prominence with its latest season, garnering over seventy million views in the first seventy days.
The show follows teenager Isabel “Belly” Conklin, who has spent every summer at Susannah’s (her mother’s best friend) beach house in Cousins Beach. There, she grew up alongside Susannah’s two sons: the reticent older brother, Conrad Fisher, and his carefree younger sibling, Jeremiah. Though Belly had adored Conrad since their youth, the emergence of new feelings for Jeremiah leaves her conflicted and unsure of which brother to choose.
Throughout the series, viewers have shared her struggle, torn between the pair. The question of “who is the better brother?” has sparked numerous fierce debates online, leaving viewers eager to see the culmination of the story in the third and final season.
Since rekindling her friendship—and then relationship—with Jeremiah at the end of the second season, Belly and Jeremiah seemingly have the perfect relationship going on at Finch, the university that the pair attend. However, a fight over spring break plans results in a major misunderstanding in which Jeremiah believes they have broken up, while Belly simply thinks they are going through a rough patch.
This leads a jaded Jeremiah to cheat on Belly whilst in Cabo, and marks a turning point in their relationship. As news of his infidelity reaches Belly, they break up for what most people would think is for good. However, Belly then accepts a spontaneous marriage proposal from Jeremiah.
Many viewers, including myself, found this development unusual. Belly’s hypocrisy was evident. She had broken up with Conrad in the second season because she felt he was emotionally unavailable (this was right after his mother’s death), but proceeded to agree to marry Jeremiah and give him a second chance even after he cheated.
Tensions rise as the pair’s wedding looms closer and Belly and Jeremiah try to reckon with the unresolved feelings Conrad has for Belly. After many confrontations and altercations, Jeremiah calls off the wedding, leading Belly to book an impromptu flight to Paris.
In Paris, Belly reinvents herself in what was an incredibly satisfying character arc. However, in the original book series, Belly does not move to Paris. Many fans found this change crucial to the main character’s development.
In a fulfilling culmination of the series, Conrad flies to Paris just in time for Belly’s 22nd birthday and has the chance to reconnect with his first love. As they wander through the city’s most romantic landmarks, it feels as though all their years of distance and longing are finally leading to something meaningful. Overall, the finale offers an emotional close that feels both long-awaited and deeply satisfying.
