The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Season 3 finale of Jenny Han’s beloved series brought a bittersweet closure to the heartbreak and nostalgia of Cousins Beach. 

Belly Conklin’s love triangle with the Fisher brothers evolved from her teenage love and yearning for Conrad to see her romantically, to her resilience through emotional pain and grief upon Susannah’s passing, and finally to the newfound independence she gained in finding herself.

Unlike Season 1’s upbeat debutante festivities or Season 2’s heartbreak, Season 3 gives a heartwarming conclusion that encapsulates years of Belly’s romance. The final choice between Conrad and Jeremiah, the beating heart of the story, left me both cheering and devastated at the same time.

When the season unfolds, Belly and Jeremiah’s serious relationship, meant to lead to marriage, is called off on the wedding day after Jeremiah discovers Belly still has feelings for Conrad. All along, Belly had been promising Jeremiah she loved only him, when her heart still beat for his older brother. Belly’s hope for infinity still remained with Conrad. She clung to Susannah’s desire that she was destined to be with the Fisher boys.

The unspoken bond between the two as childhood friends blossomed into Conrad’s romantic feelings for Belly. Conrad’s constant presence throughout the season of showing up for Belly, helping run wedding errands and convincing her mom to attend demonstrated his love. 

Aching for Belly, he took action to win her over despite her being his brother’s fiancée, hoping to show her infinity. Stripped of his pride, he finally admitted his love, 4 years too late, a tragic truth for a character who struggled for three seasons to say what he really felt. He loved Belly, but sometimes love isn’t enough. 

The messy mix-up of Susannah’s letters on the wedding day and Jeremiah’s grief-sentiment line, “you’re not my brother anymore” captured the raw heartbreak between the brothers that left us in our seats feeling devastated.

Belly’s move to Paris showcased her growth, as she let go of her past and stepped into her ambitions for the future. She refused to let the chaos of the called-off marriage define her. Her renunciation of the love she once shared with Conrad marked a turning point of her moving on and becoming her own person outside of a relationship. The breakup signified more than the divergent paths, but depicted the fleeting teenage idealism of eternal love or “infinity” that she had once believed in.  

Her resilience allowed her to adapt to new situations rather than dwell, as she had in the past, upon Susannah. In Paris, after calling off her wedding with Jeremiah, Belly took odd jobs. She swept floors at a movie club and worked at a bistro to support herself while living with new, unwelcoming roommates far from home. It wasn’t the study-abroad plan she had imagined, but she stayed in Paris to find herself after a period of feeling lost and codependent.

Conrad and Jeremiah’s reconciliation after the called-off wedding, resulting from Conrad’s love confession to Belly, encapsulated “brothers before girls”. This paid tribute to Susannah’s promise that they would have each other’s backs. 

Jeremiah also received a happy ending with Denise as he pursued his career as a restaurant chef. His flavor profile and deep care about chocolate cake references Steven’s comments that Jere only takes flirting and food seriously. Except this time, he is serious about his relationship with Denise. 

She keeps him grounded and pushes him to accomplish tasks rather than rely on his trust-fund comfort, while he wants the best for her. When she told him about moving for a new job, he encouraged her to go, a stark contrast to how he told Belly he didn’t want her to leave for Paris after what was supposed to be their honeymoon.

Although Season 3 wasn’t perfect, it gave closure to all the characters. Taylor and Steven’s rekindled relationship felt rushed with the quick resolution after Steven’s accident, but it still offered a satisfying ending. The two grew from complicated friends into a serious, mature couple. The pair shares a vision of a future as Taylor plans to move to California to support Steven. The constant friendly banter between the two complements each other, bringing out the sunshine in each, and balances the disagreements of the past.

Belly’s mutual love confession to Conrad showed that her choice was never out of pity or Susannah’s wishes but made with certainty. She had always and still does love Conrad, a fitting end to the suspense built over the three seasons of who she chooses.

The house at Cousins Beach represents youth, love and the tether to Susannah. Weaving together Belly and the brothers, with the joy of the past and the future. 

Prime Video officially announced “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie, which will explore Belly and Conrad’s future together. Season 3’s ending, which left out Belly and Conrad’s engagement and wedding from the trilogy’s book series, left much to explore in the movie. The movie will also feature Steven, Taylor, Denise and Jeremiah moving and living in California. 

Overall, Season 3 delivered a satisfying conclusion that honored both the books and the endless, infinite bond between the two as the one person they had felt fireworks. In the end, The Summer I Turned Pretty reminds us that while summers fade, the love you spark lingers.

Final Rating: 9.5/10