The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is an extremely popular coming-of-age TV show that released its finale on September 17^th 2025. The show is extremely popular, attracting over 25 million viewers from across the globe. The story is set in Cousins Beach, a fictional location inspired by East Coast beaches during the course of various summers. It follows Isabel (Belly for short), an 18 year-old who is played by the actress Lola Tung. In the story she is trapped in a love triangle between Conrad (played by Chirstopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (played by Gavin Casalegno), two brothers. On social media, fans were divided on who Belly should choose: the fun and playful Jeremiah, or the responsible and complex Conrad. 

After this there will be spoilers for season 2 and 3 of the show, if you plan to watch it, please don’t read past this point. During the first two seasons, it wasn’t clear which brother Belly would end up with, since she dated both of them. However, over the course of the 3rd season the plot is set the stage for Belly to choose Conrad and not Jeremiah. In the finale that was released this past Wednesday, Belly does inevitably choose Conrad. In this article I am going to talk about the final season of the show and the little details that were included to foreshadow the ending. 

It is important to say that the show is based on a successful book trilogy also written by Jenny Han. The books have similar plotlines and settings as the show, however the latter added many new characters as well as having subplots for many side characters such as Steven (Belly’s Brother) and Taylor (Belly’s best friend). In the book finale Belly ends up choosing Conrad right after calling off her engagement with Jeremiah. This is why many fans thought that in the show Isabel would pick Jeremiah as a way to distinguish the show from the book. 

Season 2 of the show ends on a bittersweet note. Belly finds herself torn between the brothers at the end of the summer that was filled with grief and tension following Susannah’s (Conrad and Jeremiah’s mothers) death. Conrad and Jeremiah are struggling the most with grief and guilt. At the end of the season Belly starts dating Jeremiah. 

Belly is trying to move on from the previous summer full of emotional turmoil as Season 3 begins. She started her freshman year of college in hopes of a fresh start. While still dating Jeremiah she finds out that he cheated on her on two separate occasions. Even after that, he proposes, and Belly says yes! They start planning the wedding even though most people in Belly’s close circle disprove of it; arguing that they are too young and that it was an impulsive decision. Eventually, they call off the wedding, because Belly admits that she still loves Conrad. After that, Belly goes off to a study abroad program in Paris hoping to meet someone else besides the Fisher brothers. While there, she briefly dates a local named Benito but they quickly break up.  

In the finale, Conrad turns up out of the blue in Paris for Belly’s birthday (which she was planning to spend alone) saying he’s there for a conference, but it’s clear he came just to see her. They spend the whole day exploring the city, talking about all the summers in Cousins Beach, and reconnecting in a more grown-up and deeper way. At the end of the day Belly and Conrad start dating. However, Belly gets spooked when Conrad mentions the words “ever after.” She gets scared due to the fact that she already made the mistake of jumping into a serious relationship too fast. So, Conrad leaves, and Belly doesn’t know what to believe anymore. In a moment of realization, Belly understands that she’s loved Conrad her whole life and that now she finally has a chance to be with him. So, she sprints to the train station to see him just before he leaves. She tells him, in a very romantic scene, that in every version of her life, she would choose him. And this season ends with the two of them going back to Cousins Beach together, as a couple for the first time. 

Throughout the 3^rd season there were various indicators that she was going to choose Conrad. An important moment when Belly found Conrad's old journals filled with letters and poems he wrote for Belly , ultimately never sending them. This says so much about how much he truly cares for Belly, even if he doesn't exactly outwardly demonstrate that. Belly is also often seen wearing Conrad's hoodies, a symbol that he is always with her. Even the shot composition also helped show the contrast between the two  brothers with Conrads's scenes having a golden light hue, while Jeremiah's are bright and more visually energetic. 

After the show ended, the actors announced on social media that there will be a movie portraying Conrad and Belly’s life after the finale. As for now there hasn’t been much information regarding the release date of the movie or which of the original actors will be coming back. However, we do know that the movie is in the very early stages of production and won’t be released until 2026. 

To conclude, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3, is committed to honoring the ending of the original book, while expanding the storyline of various side characters. Belly's story, besides being a love triangle, represents the choice between a calm and peaceful lifestyle and a fun and energetic one. The show became so widely known due to its emotional storytelling, character development  and how well it depicted the peaceful and cozy Cousins Beach.

Bibliography:

“Everything We Know about “the Summer I Turned Pretty” Movie.” Femalefirst.co.uk, 26 Sept. 2025, www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrities/everything-know-summer-turned-pretty-movie-1430417.html. Accessed 26 Sept. 2025. 

“The Summer I Turned Pretty Wiki.” Fandom.com, 2025, thesummeriturnedpretty.fandom.com/wiki/The_Summer_I_Turned_Pretty_Wiki. Accessed 26 Sept. 2025. 

Dasgupta, Esha. “Beach Houses to Paris Streets: Where “the Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 Was Shot.” Travel and Leisure Asia | India, Travel and Leisure Asia, 24 July 2025, www.travelandleisureasia.com/in/destinations/the-summer-i-turned-pretty-season-3-filming-locations/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2025.