‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ leaves viewers yearning for more

By Teagan Rotella

After the major letdowns that were episodes nine and 10, the finale of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” brought everything I had wanted — yet somehow still left me wanting more. 

“The Summer I Turned Pretty,” a popular series streaming on Amazon Prime Video, follows Belly Conklin, a teenage girl who spends every summer at the fictional Cousins Beach with her family and the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. Over one crucial summer, Belly navigates her evolving feelings for the brothers, while facing loss, love and complicated family dynamics.

The finale stood out not just for its plot resolution, but also for its emotional tension and well-placed references to earlier seasons. From countless parallels to spot-on background music, this finale had me screaming at Belly for letting Conrad leave, laughing at the arguably unnecessary Taylor and Steven debacle and once again crying over Conrad’s heartfelt confession. 

The opening scene of the finale episode captured my attention right away. Finally in Paris, Conrad waits for Belly outside her apartment, anticipating her arrival. The song “Je te laisserai des mots,” which translates to “I will leave you words” in English, plays in the background. The song choice alone already had me in a metaphorical chokehold, because Conrad — quite literally — left Belly his words by sending her letters while she was in Paris. “Je te laisserai des mots” flawlessly captures Conrad’s feelings as he awaits Belly’s appearance, perfectly expressing his longing and deep-rooted feelings for her. At that moment, he is unsure of Belly’s current feelings for him or how she will react once she sees him again, leaving him completely vulnerable to her reaction — a feeling the song conveys beautifully.

Throughout the episode, fans were treated to several Belly and Conrad moments, such as the “Do you memorize every little thing I’ve ever said?” comment, which directly parallels their pool scene in season one, as well as their dance under the moonlight, which mirrors their prom night dance from season two. The numerous parallels provide perfect full-circle moments between Belly and Conrad, making this finale memorable and satisfying.

As a fan of the book trilogy, I was surprised when the final episodes diverged from the original plot. After episode eight, for the first time since watching “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” I did not know what would happen next.

However, in season three, Jenny Han, the author of the original trilogy and executive producer of the television series, chose to leave the final three episodes open-ended for readers, deviating from the book’s quick resolution following Belly and Jeremiah’s canceled wedding. This left several readers, like myself, constantly wondering how the television series was going to end.

One of my friends from high school, Juliet Labrecque, who is currently a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, read the books as well. Similarly to myself, Labrecque wondered whether the finale was going to give us the same ending as the books, or switch up the plot.

 “The episode scared me so many times that Belly was ultimately going to choose herself,” Labrecque said, which would contradict the ending of the final book, where Belly chooses Conrad. Ultimately, Labrecque, along with other readers, was very satisfied with the ending.

After the disappointment of episodes nine and 10, which felt like filler episodes that were merely prolonging the inevitable finale of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” television series gave fans — especially readers — the emotional impact they had been waiting for. With rich parallels, heartfelt confessions and a bold deviation from the book, episode 11 delivered a satisfying close to the final season.

Like thousands of other fans of the book trilogy, I was disappointed when the finale ended without even a glimpse of Belly and Conrad’s wedding, which was briefly mentioned in the books. So, when I heard that there will be a movie adaptation of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” I was beyond excited. Freshman international business major Nataly Tejada shared similar feelings. She stated that the final episode was “worth the wait” and she is “excited to see more of Conrad and Belly when the movie comes out.” It made me wonder what the movie’s plot will cover — will it focus on Belly and Conrad’s wedding? Steven and Taylor’s relationship while they are in San Francisco? Jeremiah’s personal growth and new relationship with Denise? Either way, I will definitely be watching it immediately after its release!

Teagan Rotella is a freshman journalism major