The series finale of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” premiered on Sept. 17, leaving audiences thrilled but emotional.
The show is based on the novel series written by Jenny Han. Han, a famous author, has written other popular series, such as “To All of the Boys,” which was adapted into a film series consisting of three movies on Netflix.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin as she spends the summer at Cousins Beach, a fictional beach set in Massachusetts, with her mother and her mother’s best friend, Susannah, and Susannah’s family. Susannah has two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.
The coming-of-age story centers on a love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers, evolving from a childhood crush on Conrad to a complicated romance with both. The narrative unfolds as Belly navigates love, friendship, and family drama, including Susannah’s battle with breast cancer.
In season one, Belly, as a teenager, dates Conrad, Susannah’s oldest son. Conrad and Belly break up in wake of Susannah’s death and Conrad’s grief in season two. Belly goes on to date Jeremiah, the younger brother, months later.
The teen drama stirred a frenzy on social media as viewers either chose Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad, or Team Belly, too.
In the third and final season, the story jumps a few years into the future with Belly and Jeremiah in their junior year at Finch College, a fictional college set on the campus of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, with Jeremiah ultimately proposing to Belly, after she finds out that Jeremiah cheated on her twice during spring break in Cabo.
The season follows the preparation of Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding, with the friends and family of the couple having mixed feelings about the engagement, mostly bad.
Isabella Conway, a senior nursing major, is a huge fan of the show. She said she was highly anticipating the series finale.
“I watched it last night after I worked for sixteen hours because I was so committed,” Conway said.
Conway, like many others, is Team Conrad, so she wanted to see more of him.
“We got too much of Belly and Jeremiah,” Conway said. “ In the book, we got more of [Conrad’s] inner thoughts.”
Many viewers this season thought Jeremiah’s character was unlikable and immature.
“I was very easily rage-baited by Jeremiah,” Conway said.
Belly and Jeremiah end up calling off their wedding after Conrad confesses his love to Belly on the days before the wedding. She flees to Paris, meets new friends, and finds a new love interest, Benito.
After living in Paris for almost a year and receiving several letters and care packages from Conrad, Conrad decides to surprise Belly in Paris on his way to Brussels for her birthday. Belly invites him to her pre-birthday dinner with friends, and Conrad joins.
Sarah Hart, a senior finance and economics major, said she is also on Team Conrad.
“I was nervous that when Conrad went to surprise her, that she was still with Benito,” Hart said.
Fortunately, for Conrad lovers, Belly reveals at the dinner that the two had split six weeks prior. After the dinner, Conrad and Belly have a spicy rekindling, leaving viewers shocked.
Hart said she was confused when Conrad confessed his love to Belly, for a second time, but she didn’t reciprocate those feelings. She let him leave her apartment to catch the train to Brussels.
“If a boy talks to you like that, put a ring on it,” Hart said.
Junior Mint, the polar bear Conrad won for Belly at the boardwalk years prior in the show, played a huge part this season. Conrad sent it to her in Paris and after he leaves, she looks at the bear, realizing her true feelings for him.
“How many times do you need to look at this bear with this necklace to realize you’re in love with him?” Hart said.
The last episode ends with Belly getting on the train to Brussels, telling Conrad that she loves him, and the two end up together.
“I think that Belly grew into a woman’s mindset almost. She wasn’t this little girl that had a little crush. She realized it was authentic love that she had for Conrad,” Hart said.
Some viewers, such as Emily Fisher, a freshman biology major, felt Belly gained a sense of self and maturity while in Paris, yet some characters are still lacking in this.
“I hoped that Conrad and Jeremiah would have gotten closer in the time that Belly was in Paris,” Fisher said. “I was hoping they would rebuild their family and forgive each other.”
Wednesday afternoon, the cast announced “The Summer I Turned Pretty” the Movie via Instagram.
Emma Rosin, a senior biology major, said she saw the movie announcement before watching the finale.
“They had me for a moment,” Rosin said. “I thought it was going to end on a cliffhanger again because I accidentally saw a spoiler for the movie.”
Han, the author, revealed that Belly still has one more milestone to experience. Fans think this means Conrad and Belly’s wedding.
“I haven’t read the books, but I think that the movie will be set a little in the future after their wedding or it will be their wedding,” Rosin said. “I think having a big wedding movie would be perfect because it will be the first time we really see them together.”
Hart said she is excited to see the movie for this exact reason.
“I did not see it coming to be honest, but I’m glad because I don’t think three seasons is enough,” Hart said. “ I need to know more. We need to see them together. Like, what are your children’s names?”
“I am so excited for the movie. I am excited to see a more confident version of Belly and to see how she grows into her older self,” Fisher said.
Han, in an interview with TODAY, disclosed that she is still in the writing process for the movie and no one should expect it to be released next year. However, fans were ultimately happy with the show’s ending.
“There were a lot of rumors going around that the episode was going to be split into two parts or be three hours long,” Rosin said. “Honestly, the length was perfect, and I think they fit everything they needed to into the last episode.”
For Conway, knowing there would be a movie made the ending more satisfying.
“I like how it ended, knowing there is a movie coming out. I wouldn’t have liked how it ended if that was it,” Conway said.
Morgan Dence is the assistant social media editor for The Setonian’s Social Media. She can be reached at morgan.dence@student.shu.edu.
