***Warning: This review contains spoilers for seasons one, two, and three of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
For many viewers, The Summer I Turned Pretty brings its audience feel-good vibes of summer. From warm nights with family to debutante balls and meeting new people at parties, the show perfectly captures many teenagers’ dream summer. Season 3 had a happy ending, but it was a hit or miss with certain episodes. However, at the show’s heart lies a timeless love triangle that will go down for the ages.
The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung), a 16-year-old girl who begins to turn heads shortly before she turns sixteen. Each season follows Belly as she travels to Cousins Beach with her mother, Laurel Park (Jackie Chung), and her brother Steven Conklin (Sean Kaufman) for the summer. In Cousins, Belly, Laurel, and Steven live in the beach house of Laurel’s best friend, Susannah Fisher, along with Susannah’s two sons, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney).
Belly’s long-time crush on Conrad is a plot point throughout the entire show. They get in a relationship at the end of season 1, which was released on June 17, 2022, but it ends up being short-lived because Conrad’s grief over losing his mother to cancer overpowers his other emotions. Season 2 was released on July 14, 2023, and explored Belly’s unresolved feelings for Conrad and the loss of Susannah. It also showed Jeremiah’s increased involvement in Belly’s life, and at the end of season 2, she ultimately chooses to be with him.
Season 3 was released on July 16, 2025, and it sparked a lot of controversy online due to Belly and Jeremiah’s engagement which took place early on in the season. Despite all the characters in the show being against it, Belly and Jeremiah continue to move ahead with their engagement, with Jeremiah finally winning the favor of his dad, Adam Fisher (Tom Everett Scott), who helps them arrange a lavish wedding.
Casalegno had a nuanced portrayal of Jeremiah’s childish nature, his struggles to win the approval of his dad, and the new responsibilities that come with engagement. He is the perfect picture of a brother who was always expected to be the sunshine of the house, and who lived under the shadow of his older brother. However, in moments such as when he demands a $750 mirror-glazed chocolate raspberry cake despite a shortage in their budget, his immaturity is also highlighted. In fact, the mirror-glazed chocolate cake became a running joke among audience members because of Casalegno’s nuanced portrayal of Jeremiah.
One of the biggest moments of the season was the night of the bachelorette party, when Conrad waits for Belly by the ocean and confesses that he loves her and wants Belly to be with him. This confession was so beautifully done by Briney, giving viewers the vulnerability that they’ve always wanted to see from him. It also shows Belly’s vulnerability in the moment, especially as When The Party’s Over by Billie Eilish plays in the background, enhancing the emotions of the dramatic scene. The song helps to demonstrate how torn Belly is between her steadiness with Jeremiah and her vast love for Conrad. In a moment centered around learning how to let somebody go, the song choice struck me as beautiful and ironic. It captured the bittersweet nature of learning to let go of someone you love.
My favorite scene in the entire season was when Belly and Conrad spent a winter day together. Belly was left home alone, so she decided to go to Cousins. Jeremiah was skiing with Steven and the family while Conrad was supposed to be skiing with his father and brother. However, Conrad went to Cousins and spent the entire day with Belly. I enjoyed their little quips with each other and the overall cozy atmosphere with hot cocoa, pajamas, movies, and crossword puzzles. It was heartwarming to see Belly and Conrad together, just coexisting with one another and having natural conversations.
That being said, I didn’t love Belly as a character throughout the third season since she ended up using and hurting many different people to try to convince herself to move on from Conrad. Nevertheless, Tung’s portrayal of Belly is very apt. She shows a girl with flaws who tries her best to be herself.
After Belly goes to Paris to escape reminders of the past and her actions, she shows a lot of character growth. She’s able to find herself new roommates, learn a new language, and make new friends. This was a necessary challenge for her, since the only place she saw as home previously was Cousins Beach, with her friends and family. Paris helped her find herself and step out of her own comfort zone, allowing her become her own person; something that I felt she needed after being sheltered her entire life.
After the wedding gets called off, Conrad and Jeremiah finally reconcile, and Jeremiah tells Conrad that he could never compete with the relationship his brother and Belly had. He tells Conrad to go to Paris to find Belly, and he states that, although he wouldn’t be happy with their relationship, Conrad shouldn’t waste Belly’s love for him either. Fans tended to see more of Conrad’s perspective this season, but this moment allowed viewers to take a look at what happened from Jeremiah’s perspective. Jeremiah was expected to be fine with Belly and Conrad’s relationship, even though he was also in love with Belly. When he and Denise Russo (Isabella Briggs), a fellow intern at his dad’s office, got together at the end of the season, that was a moment where he got exactly what he deserved: someone who could love him first.
Denise became my new favorite character by the end of the season. I loved her independence, her free spirit, and her ambition to set out and accomplish everything that she wanted. With Jeremiah, she showed him the kindness he needed when he was at his lowest point, and she helped build him back up from the past that haunted him. Bringing Jeremiah into her life showed her softer side, a higher sense of vulnerability that she doesn’t show to the rest of the world. It was so interesting to see them together, especially because they were so different. Their differences made it surprising that they brought out the best in each other.
Finally, the ending with Belly and Conrad was much deserved. After the series of ups and downs, they were finally able to get past their complicated feelings. Their vulnerability was beautifully highlighted, especially when Conrad told Belly he loves her, and she didn’t know how to feel. Tung’s brilliant acting when she said, “What if…you only loved me because that’s what your mom wanted and your mom died?” shows the amount of insecurity that Belly has dealt with while she was with Conrad. It feels as if she is finally able to face her fears and openly communicate with him, which was something that they struggled with while they were together.
When Conrad leaves, Belly finally comes to terms with her conflict and acknowledges that her love for Conrad will always be a part of her, saying, “I have brown hair and brown eyes and I will always love Conrad Fisher.” Realizing this, she runs to the train that Conrad is on and tells him that she would choose him in every life. They embrace and share a kiss, solidifying a step forward in their new relationship. This ending was so perfect for them, as Belly still continues her life in Paris but finds her missing pieces. Tung and Briney’s performance in this scene is filled with vulnerability and heart and it helped me feel their yearning for each other.
All in all, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a show with one of the most iconic love triangles ever. It’s perfect for people looking for an emotional but feel-good story at the same time. Season 3 gave everyone a happy ending, showing the growth of the characters from where they started. At times, some of the episodes are slow and don’t advance the plot, so the pacing was hit or miss. However, the growth of each character is beautifully captured. If you enjoyed the movie To All the Boys I Loved Before or the TV show My Life with the Walter Boys, check out The Summer I Turned Pretty for its similar sentimental nature.
9/10