Warning: This review contains spoilers.
The “The Summer I Turned Pretty” series finale tied a neat bow on the story of Isabel “Belly” Conklin, played by Lola Tung, and her love triangle between two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher, played by Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney respectively.
Long story short, Conrad got the girl and it’s what the viewers wanted— evident by the loud conversations heard that day throughout Bartol. It’s also what we saw coming from the very beginning.
Season 1, which premiered in June 2022, shows time and time again how Belly romantically feels for Conrad, yet she pursues Jeremiah as the safer option. Whatever she feels for Conrad, she pushes aside and has Jeremiah accompany her to the debutante ball. When Jeremiah finds out shocking news and leaves Belly stranded, Conrad steps in, not only for the ball but also as Belly’s boyfriend.
That’s how Season 1 ended three years ago, and it’s exactly how the series wrapped up, too; Jeremiah and Belly split because of Belly’s unresolved feelings for Conrad. Belly is once again sitting in white after Jeremiah leaves. Their wedding was even planned for the same venue as the debutante ball.
She then leaves everything behind and goes to Paris. After a year of yearning and letter writing, who shows up unannounced for Belly’s birthday but Conrad. The intense parallels to Season 1 are aplenty throughout Conrad’s time in Paris— almost as intense and intimate as the “Dress” scene.
The most obvious parallel is referencing a direct line from Season 1 where Belly confronts Conrad about his marijuana smoking, urging him to quit with information he taught her. In the finale, Conrad brings up Belly’s previous point about “marijuana mess[ing] with white matter” from years ago, when this time, she’s the one smoking. She then adds on to the callback, asking “do you memorize every little thing I’ve ever said?” to which Conrad instantly replies “yes.” Cue swooning!
Later in the episode, Belly brings Conrad to the River Seine, where he asks her to dance. The scene brings us back to all the times they’ve danced together before, with the characters themselves even bringing up Belly’s senior prom where they originally broke up.
Conrad declares his love to Belly for what feels like, and very well might be, the hundredth time and she once again turns him down. However, unlike ever before, the two actually talk things out and come to some understanding (thank goodness Conrad goes to therapy now!). Conrad starts his journey out of Paris while Belly realizes she’s been wrong this whole time and chases after him to now declare her love.
They’re in love! They’re infinite! It’s what Team Conrad has been waiting for all summer. Author Jenny Han planted some doubts for us, like suggesting she changed the ending from the books and leaking fake footage of Jeremiah in Paris to throw fans off her scent.
To me, the show couldn’t have ended any other way. Sure, Adam could’ve brought more champagne from the failed wedding and Jeremiah could’ve finally got with his hot friend Redbird. In terms of Belly’s story, this was the only option.
To have her go off to Paris and find herself without returning to Conrad would’ve felt empty. To have her return to Jeremiah would’ve been downright wrong. And the fans definitely wouldn’t have been pleased either. I can only imagine the solemn faces we would’ve seen at Common Grounds if it had gone a different way.
All in all, fans can sleep peacefully knowing beloved, brooding yet pathetic Conrad got what was intended. Him and Belly finally have their happy ending. At least, until we see what Jenny Han has in store for the newly announced movie.
