Amazon Prime hit show, “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” wrapped up its latest season with all the sun-soaked nostalgia and heartbreak fans have come to expect. Whether the finale satisfied you depends on which team you were on: Team Conrad (“Bonrad”) or Team Jeremiah (“Jelly”). Before you read any further, I must add that there will be spoilers included in this article if you have not finished watching Season 3 of the show yet.
Adapted from Jenny Han’s bestselling novel trilogy, “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “It’s Not Summer Without You” and “We’ll Always Have Summer,” the American romantic drama series has built its reputation on a simple but effective formula: a love triangle, a beach house, lots of Taylor Swift songs, the essence of unforgettable summers and the bittersweet passage of time.
In the finale, the main character, Belly (Lola Tung) finally makes a definitive choice between brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). The tension that has been simmering throughout the show comes to a head in a mix of confrontations, reconciliations and tears that culminate in, of course, a grand declaration of love. In case you did not already know, Belly chooses Conrad, obviously.
For those who are new to the show or need a refresher, here is my oversimplified summary of it:
Season 1: Belly becomes “pretty” and attracts new attention from boys, but her heart has always been set on Conrad. He secretly returns her feelings, but is too depressed to actually say so. Jeremiah confesses his feelings, too. However, the season ultimately ends with Belly and Conrad’s long-awaited kiss.
Season 2: Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother, Susannah, dies, fracturing Belly and the boys’ families. Belly starts dating Jeremiah, but her complicated history with Conrad never truly disappears.
Season 3: Belly and Jeremiah are together, but cracks show. Jeremiah cheats, in typical “Friends” manner, while they were on a break. Belly is angry, then forgives him. They get engaged, much to their family’s demise. Conrad returns, and the love triangle combusts into a huge mess. The wedding was called off, and Belly goes to Paris. She ultimately chooses Conrad, leaving Jeremiah — and Team Jelly supporters — a little heartbroken.
The finale’s strength lies in its emotional catharsis. The writing acknowledges the consequences of Belly’s choices while offering closure to a story that began with her transformation out of adolescence. Yet the weaknesses are just as visible. Jeremiah’s “chef arc” felt undercooked (pun intended). I will admit it: There were moments when I found myself frustrated with Belly and Jeremiah, and had to take a break from watching because their indecision and unwillingness to hear the other’s perspectives was exhausting. However, Jere deserved better than being reduced to the rejected brother.
In addition, Belly dating both brothers will always feel awkward. If she and Conrad decide to have kids, imagine them finding out that Mom used to date Uncle Jere. Yikes. The show glosses over questions like that, but in classic coming-of-age romantic fashion, as long as the lead couple ends up together, nothing else matters or is followed-up on.
On another note, side characters like Steven, Belly’s brother, and Taylor, her best friend, finally got a happy ending with each other, putting closure to the messiness that made them a fan-favorite couple. I suppose the upcoming movie will give more insight into Jeremiah’s life after Belly, and that of supporting characters like Belly’s mom, Laurel, Conrad and Jeremiah’s dad, Adam, and Belly’s dad, John. By the way, am I the only one who noticed a flirty moment between Adam and Laurel at Jeremiah’s get-together in the final episode of season 3?
Even with its melodrama, the finale captured what Han does best in all of her works: portraying the beautiful mess of growing up. Messy love triangles, grief, betrayal, huge romantic gestures — it is undeniably inflated, but so is adolescence. Fans got three years worth of entertainment. Team Conrad got their win, and Team Jeremiah got… well, his character development and closure, sort of.
The series also succeeded in sparking conversation online. One fan joked: “If Belly chooses herself, I’m suing Jenny Han.” Clearly, Han spared herself a lawsuit.
Now that the show is over, I can say this: The show was messy in ways I did not always love, but I enjoyed it for the drama that it was. It sparked conversation online, prompted many TikTok trends and left us longing for beachy summer escapism after the credits rolled. Thanks for the chaos, Jenny Han. Now, I will rewatch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” to remind myself what unmessy love looks like.
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