At last.
The season finale gives fans closure to the love triangle.
Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” has reached its end, finishing its three-season run Sept. 17 with a finale that was bittersweet and inevitable. The conclusion felt triumphant — after three years of tension, I finally felt the story’s emotional arcs come together, giving each character a satisfying resolution. Moments in the finale brought forth a sense of completion that the books only briefly hinted at. But the finale also carried the weight of rushed pacing, conflicts that were wrapped up too quickly, and unnecessary resolutions that aimed to please every viewer.
One of the show’s greatest strengths is its cast, specifically Christopher Briney (Conrad). Briney’s portrayal in the finale is vivid: a man deeply in love, bearing grief and hope. His facial expressions added an extra layer of complexity to his character. The chemistry between the cast feels genuine and natural.
The soundtrack across the series deserves recognition. Each season leaned on a strong soundtrack composed of different artists, but in particular, Taylor Swift. Season three matched songs with emotion that heightened the tension and tenderness of each scene. The use of Swift’s song “Dress” during an intimate scene between Belly (Lola Tung) and Conrad became a cinematic moment for fans to remember for years.
Jenny Han deserves credit for sticking close to the books, something most adaptations struggle to do. The show honors the books’ main story while making some notable changes in setting and character journeys. Though the additional three episodes weren’t included in “We’ll Always Have Summer,” it gave Belly’s journey a sense of closure.
Beyond the love triangle and wholesome moments, the show has become a cultural phenomenon since its debut in 2022. It reignited Swift’s older songs as the emotional soundtrack, and created year-long debates over “Team Conrad” or “Team Jeremiah.” Han opened doors for greater Asian American representation in mainstream teen dramas, giving fans a family dynamic that feels authentic since the series “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The show shaped pop culture in ways dramas fail to do.
Although the finale showed the character growth of Conrad and Belly, characters like Jeremiah (Gavin Caslengo) felt underdeveloped. Jeremiah’s long-running insecurities and inferiority complex received attention, but his resolution is unrealistic. Conrad and Belly had three seasons to come out of their shell, especially with Belly’s development in Paris. However, Jeremiah received two episodes to show his growth. This could’ve been avoided if the wedding of Belly and Jeremiah had occurred earlier, rather than creating additional characters and scenes to build up to it.
In the books, Jeremiah is not the villain; neither is Conrad entirely blameless. However, Jeremiah is portrayed as the villain and less deserving, in contrast to Conrad, who is flawed and given much more redemption and screen time. His mistakes were intensified, while Belly’s emotional indecision was softened. In reality, Belly fractured the Fisher family by loving both brothers while still clinging to Conrad. Instead of leaning into the consequences of Belly’s actions, they were romanticized.
Overall, season three delivers the long-awaited reunion of Conrad and Belly and reminds us that happy endings can be messy. Despite the rushed resolutions, the finale captured the heart of the story — growth, relationships and the complexities of love.
