The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s series finale packed an emotional punch, settling once and for all which Fisher brother Belly is meant to be with. After the cliffhanger in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3’s penultimate episode, which saw Conrad (Christopher Briney) booking a last-minute ticket to Paris for Belly’s (Lola Tung) 22nd birthday, the series finale had to pull out all the stops.
Would Belly and Conrad end up back together again, after all that had happened between them and Jeremiah? Or had Belly changed too much during her time in Paris, allowing her to leave Conrad behind in her past? Thankfully, for anyone who was on Team Conrad, The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, episode 11, “At Last,” provided a wildly heartwarming, surprisingly sexy, and romantic ending.
Even so, some fans may find themselves wishing that a few additional details from Jenny Han’s original books had been included in this last-ever The Summer I Turned Pretty episode, as Conrad and Belly finally settle into their new lives together and come home to Cousins.
Why Belly Chooses Conrad & How They Finally Get Back Together
Credit: Eddy Chen/Prime
When Conrad shows up on Belly’s doorstep (right after that gorgeous haircut), things between them are a little awkward, at first. Belly’s unsure how to act, and Conrad’s afraid of scaring her off. In the end, though, they spend the day as tourists together in Paris, and slowly begin to open up to each other about their experiences while they were apart.
As a result, Belly asks Conrad to join her at her pre-birthday dinner. At dinner, Conrad can’t keep his eyes off her, especially once he finds out that Benito (Fernando Cattori) and Belly are no longer together. Suddenly, Conrad is openly flirting with Belly, giving her wonderfully sentimental gifts and sharing a moment with her as she blows out the candles on her cake.
Later, they spend the rest of the evening alone, and things come to a head as they dance on the banks of the Seine. They talk about the disaster that was Prom Night, they talk about Belly’s unnecessary outburst at Susannah’s funeral, and Belly admits how much his letters meant to her. Finally, Conrad asks her if she’s moved on from him, and in response, Belly kisses him.
After a sexually charged journey back to Belly’s apartment, everything seems perfect. They’re together, they’re still in love, and they can work everything out. Not so fast, though. Belly’s true fear is finally revealed: what if Susannah’s illness and death are the only reason they got together, the only reason they ever fell in love?
Thankfully, Conrad sets her straight and tells her that the only constant in his life has been his love for her. After all, it was really Belly’s and Jeremiah’s relationship that was created by Susannah’s death, as they couldn’t figure out how to be alone during such a traumatic time.
And yet, Belly waits until Conrad has left her place to realize that she wants to be with him, and in true romance trope fashion, she chases him through a train station and onto a train. “Conrad, I choose you of my own free will,” Belly says when he finds him. “If there are infinite worlds, every version of me chooses you in every one of them.”
This is a major moment for both of them. Belly finally admits that her being in love with Conrad had nothing to do with Susannah’s well-meant meddling or her own grief, and Conrad finally gets to be the one who was chosen, rather than watching her choose someone else.
What Happens To Belly & Conrad After TSITP Series Finale’s Ending
A few minutes later, we get an all-too-brief glimpse of Conrad and Belly’s life together following their Paris interlude. Belly’s voice-over tells us that she “eventually” went back to Cousins, and we’re shown a shot of Belly and Conrad driving together along the beach. Naturally, they end up at the house, and there’s a lovely shot of them walking inside together before they end up next to the pool.
In the final book of Han’s trilogy, We’ll Always Have Summer, the epilogue reveals that Belly is nearly 24 years old. It’s safe to assume The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s final scene takes place along the same timeline, roughly two years on from Paris. Oddly, though, Belly and Conrad’s walking into the house together is significantly less memorable than what happens in the original epilogue.
It’s unclear how far they’ve taken their relationship in the show. Are they living together? Have they talked about their future?
Jeremiah’s New Romance With Denise & Career Prospects Explained
While Conrad’s in Paris, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) is working on a presentation dinner, as he’s quickly become one of the “hottest” up-and-coming chefs in Boston. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the dinner ends up being held at the Cousins beach house, bringing all the remaining TSITP characters together for one last hurrah.
This includes Denise (Isabella Briggs), who has become Jeremiah’s roommate and new bestie since his breakup with Belly. Denise has been good for Jeremiah; she’s been a real friend and unafraid to call him out on his issues. She even does so in this episode, when she tells him that the only one truly obsessed with Conrad’s success in life is Jeremiah himself.
Denise wasn’t the only one dishing out hard truths, though. In a surprising and undeniably welcome moment of growth, Jeremiah admits that the reason he asked Belly not to go to Paris after they got engaged was because he was being selfish, afraid of being alone. His mature acceptance of being left on his own in Boston is somewhat undercut by what happens next, however.
Clearly, Jeremiah was never meant to stay single for long, as Denise and Jeremiah share a passionate kiss in the kitchen after he has her try his chocolate lava cake dessert. Whether their romance will work out in the long run is a question mark that hangs over The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s series finale, however, as Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Denise’s business venture is moving them to San Francisco.
Steven & Taylor’s California Decision & Endgame Romance Explained
While Jeremiah and Denise’s future remains uncertain, Steven and Taylor (Rain Spencer) have come a long way. Though The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final episode includes a time-consuming and somewhat unnecessary fight between TSITP’s secondary couple, because Steven hadn’t yet told Taylor about the impending transition to San Francisco, they decide to move there together.
As Taylor tells Steven on the docks, she’s moving “with” him, not “for” him. That’s a massive distinction for her, especially when compared to how Steven and Taylor’s storyline started at the beginning of this season, when she practically jumped out of a moving car to avoid confronting her feelings for him.
She was so afraid to be with him, to be vulnerable. Her admitting that old fear and agreeing to this new adventure is a massive step for her, and it’s nice to see Steven and Taylor so settled. Moving and starting a new life together is a dream come true for both of them.
How The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Season 3 Ending Compares To The Book
Belly and Conrad kiss on Cousins beach in The Summer I Turned Pretty
While The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 ends roughly in the same place as the book’s epilogue – Belly and Conrad together in Cousins – the season finale actually provides much less detail about their relationship status and future. The book epilogue includes Susannah’s wedding day letter to Belly, and Belly, in turn, reveals that she’s just married Conrad after they reconnected through his letters.
In the four-page epilogue, she and Conrad have just ditched their wedding reception, escaping to the beach instead to run into the ocean together. It’s a lovely way to bookend their story, so much of which took place on that stretch of sand, that it feels a bit strange to have such a different ending in the show.
Thankfully, despite a few changes to the storyline, Belly and Conrad end up right where they’re supposed to be in The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s series finale: in love and free to be with each other, with all their secrets and feelings finally out in the open.
All episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 are available to stream now on Prime Video.
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