9/10
The third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Prime Video’s TV adaptation of Jenny Han’s series, sufficiently concluded Belly’s (Lola Tung) love story and gave viewers the cringy love story they wanted. Thanks to Han acting as one of three head show runners, the show accurately depicts the final book of the series, We’ll Always Have Summer. It even extended past the book’s conclusion, giving readers three extra episodes of uncharted territory. Although the storyline largely satisfied viewers, the acting did not always keep up with the drama.
This season continues the show’s signature blend of teenage melodrama and summer romance. Yet again, Belly has found herself conflicted between her history with Conrad (Christopher Briney) and her future with Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). These two paths don’t merely represent different loves, but different versions of herself. This season moves through Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding planning, Belly’s strained relationship with her mother, and bittersweet flashbacks to Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard) season 2 death, before concluding with Belly’s decision on her future. Instead of focusing on a typical love triangle, this season explored the challenges of growing up and letting go of childhood.
The characters spend the better part of the season planning Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding, though tensions quickly take over. Laurel (Jackie Chung) argues that the two are too young to make this commitment—hoping that Belly doesn’t make the same mistake Laurel made with John (Colin Ferguson). Jeremiah’s jealousy over Conrad’s presence and Jeremiah’s unfaithfulness all haunt Belly as she attempts to structure her future. These conflicts are only heightened with flashbacks to Susannah, grounding the romance in grief, and providing the important thematic question: Is this what Susannah would’ve wanted?
Character development remains the show’s strongest point. This season, Belly finally begins to take accountability for the rift she has caused between the Fisher brothers. While Conrad’s quiet intensity and Jeremiah’s loud warmth continue to clash, season three reveals that both brothers share a similar emotional vulnerability. They have grown from competitive and reckless teenagers into successful young men capable of deep love.
While Belly’s love story is the main focus of the series, the subplots help to ground the plot. Laurel and John’s rekindling gives more dimension to often-overlooked parental dynamics. Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Taylor’s (Rain Spencer) playful banter and genuine chemistry offer some balance to the heavier themes of maturity. The addition of Denise (Isabella Briggs) provided a realistic reaction to the crazy antics of both families.
Even the sibling rivalry between Conrad and Jeremiah evolves into something more complicated than just a fight for Belly. Their hatred for each other felt more directly vicious than in previous seasons. It felt as if they weren’t fighting for Belly, but fighting over her to get back at each other. These threads enrich Belly’s storyline, and give the series depth. It feels more like actual life rather than the background of a love triangle.
Where this season falls short is its execution. The script provides numerous opportunities for emotional showcases, but actors (with the exception of Briney and Spencer) rarely nail them. The writing aims high, but the delivery doesn’t always land. In emotional high points, the dialogue feels raw on paper but stiff in performances. Moments like Jeremiah’s plea for Belly to choose him, or Steven’s speech to Taylor, should ache with intensity, but they rather come across as rehearsed and inauthentic. Even Belly’s confession to Conrad on the train feels rushed because her delivery lacks the weight and emotion expected from a decision three seasons in the making.
The new material had the potential to add intrigue, but instead fell flat. Han’s additions in the final three episodes brought some narrative twists, but not enough fresh energy. The ninth episode, entitled “Last Call,” simply follows Belly’s lost bag around Paris, a plotline that feels aimless and disconnected from the emotional stakes built up throughout the season.
Still, the finale is by far the best episode of the season. Fans finally got to see fantastic scenes of Belly and Conrad, notably the rooftop and their dance along the river. After episodes of clunky overacting, Tung and Briney finally show up to work. They’re invigorating, and their charged chemistry explodes into something that feels really conclusive, even if it’s totally rushed.
The final season is satisfying. The cringy moments, questionable acting, and overly dramatic characters are exactly what the audience is used to, and in fact, they’re part of what makes the series so captivating. Belly makes her choice with just enough back and forth to make it feel complicated, even though the outcome feels inevitable from the start.
Despite its flaws, season three offers satisfying closure for both die-hard fans and casual viewers. It stays soft and romantic, thematically accurate to Han’s original works, and unafraid to dwell in the messy, beautiful complexities of love. It may not be the strongest, prettiest, most nuanced, or award-winning series—but it’s melodramatic, chaotic, and borderline insane in all the ways that make it exactly what viewers want.
