Summer has finally come to an end and, with it, The Summer I Turned Pretty. Dry your eyes, the saga isn’t over yet. Hours after the premiere, Jenny Han revealed the next stage in the twisted, interconnected lives of our favorite Cousins Beach residents: The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie. The revelation took some of the sting out of the ending, where Belly and Conrad fans got what they wanted, but so fleetingly after three seasons of suspense that the sweetness of their rekindling threatened to be overtaken by the bitterness of losing them from our screens forever.
Episode 11, At Last, was the best of the entire series. Acting performances, writing, directing, cinematography, depth, and mood: the final episode was the peak of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The stakes were as high as they could possibly be, and the overwhelming consensus is that they knocked it out of the park. Particularly, Lola Tung and Chris Briney, whose romantic chemistry has always been the heart of the show, and this time, we got to see them wear it on their sleeves. Conrad Fisher will go down in history as an iconic TV boyfriend (the yearning is on a different level) and, despite all the cynics (calling myself out here as well), Belly Conklin’s depth and growth in Paris is a positive message to all viewers watching: trust yourself, take a risk, and what’s meant for you will come for you. And come he did.
Bonjour Conrad!
When Conrad first arrives in Paris, Belly seems skeptical (and is dressed with a fresh bob, just so you know). Initially, I was annoyed about this; we had 60 minutes to see these two in love, and Belly took ten to finally start letting her guard down. Now, I actually love it. Belly feels possessive of the world she’s carved out in Paris after getting her Cousins world ripped out from under her. She’s not the same girl who will put on a smile for the Fisher brothers just because it’s what she’s always done. But, when you have Conrad Fisher taking romantic pictures of you on an open-top bus, running around the Medici Fountain, staring at you when you’re surrounded by the artwork of the Louvre, and asking “to see Paris the way you do”, you’re ultimately going to cave.
Belly takes him to her favorite rooftop view of Paris, where they finally fully relax and talk like they used to. Before Susannah, before Jere, before the wedding — just two people who enjoy each other’s company. They talk about Belly’s new life, her initial fears, how Conrad’s perspective on moving to California helped her get through the loneliness of a new place, and Conrad’s passion for medicine. It’s when Belly tells him, “You sounded like ten-year-old you”, that we know good things are on their way. For so long, she’s looked at Conrad and seen this guy who broke her heart; now she’s seeing the real him again.
Initially, Belly had been warning him they were on a clock; her friends were throwing her a birthday celebration that night. Now, she invites him. The look on this man’s face — swoon. Chris Briney shows his strength through nonverbal acting. His eyes, his face, his body language: we can feel the excitement, the love, the stakes — this is his last chance and he knows it.
Paris Through Belly’s Eyes
One of the sweeter scenes is Conrad getting ready in Belly’s bedroom while she’s in the bathroom before they head out for the night. In the episode before, we saw him sit in her Cousins room, missing the girl she was. Now, he’s in her Paris apartment full of photographs of her new friends, picking up her copy of Les Années (a memoir about evolving perspective — always love a subtle book reference for character context), and pictures of Benito, which clearly send a shot of fear through him. Again, he doesn’t have to say what he’s thinking; we know. He doesn’t know this Belly; maybe she won’t want him like she used to. This is quieted when he finds Junior Mint displayed, and his mind goes back to when he first won it. The brief, wordless flashbacks to the past really make this episode; the subtle reminders of their history.
Belly’s birthday outfit stops Conrad and me in our tracks. Lola Tung, the woman you are. That is what a lot of this episode is about: Belly’s transformation into a confident, independent young woman, and, unlike Jeremiah, who wanted to keep her as some dependent, half-formed person, Conrad loves it. He’s looking around this room in awe of her, in awe of the life she was able to carve out for herself from nothing. There’s no jealousy or fear over her growth, just pride and excitement. When he helps put on her bracelet, it’s a silent recall to the corsage that he forgot to bring on prom night, better known as the night they broke up. Just like that night, Conrad is in her space, with her friends, for an event for her; they get a pseudo-do-over. Our sweetie pies are healing everyone.
Happy Birthday, Belly! You Gonna Unwrap Your Present?
The dinner party, top to bottom, is the best scene to ever be filmed on The Summer I Turned Pretty. It felt so different from anything they’ve ever done; a focus on mood, lighting, and the Belly/Conrad dynamic that we’ve never quite gotten before. I think maybe because, finally removed from the childlike daze Cousins is always painted from, we get to see these two adults, in an adult setting, doing adult things. Belly’s Parisian friends are exactly what she needed. She introduces Conrad, they immediately reveal that they know all about him, and make scandelous comments in French while Conrad just laughs and stares at Belly flawlessly speaking a second language: perfection. Benito is obviously not as excited to be introduced to Conrad and makes a tactical move by giving Belly her birthday present early in front of everyone. A picture of Belly naked in her bedsheets, of course! Stay strong, Conrad.
At dinner, Conrad and Belly sit apart, sharing stolen glances across the busy table. A small detail that spoke volumes is Conrad seamlessly going along with Belly being called Isabel. He doesn’t reveal her nickname, doesn’t accidentally call her it, he respects who she is with these people, and doesn’t attempt to mark her as his own with the nickname his family has given her. Gemma leans into Conrad and tells him she thinks what he did was quite romantic (I’m inclined to agree). Jenny Han is brilliant for this one: Belly’s friends’ opinions over what went down mimic the conversations we see from fans about the love triangle. Specifically, Celine:
“It’s like something out of a movie. Half the people looking at the screen, screaming ‘Do it, do it, Conrad,’ and the other half are like ‘Aah! No! Don’t do it! Don’t do it!'”
– Celine in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale
Meta, but I love it. However, I didn’t love Benito chiming in with “Yes. In the movie, he’s the villain.” Belly quickly cuts him off with, “No, God. If anyone was the villain, it was me.” Their eyes meet from across the table, and Conrad gives the slightest shake of his head, his eyes pained. Benito pushes further, asking why he’s come to Paris. Belly says it was for work, but Conrad corrects. He did come for work, but he changed his flight to Paris because he really wanted to see her. Celine jumps in to comfort Conrad, giving us the final confirmation that what we think is about to happen is really about to happen: Belly dumped Benito six weeks ago. She’s single, and Conrad’s game face goes on.
Belly soothes Benito: “You’ll always be the boy who taught me how to ride a scooter.” Conrad, with some newfound confidence, jumps in, “Hey, I’ll always be the boy who taught you how to ride a bike.” Oh, Conrad Fisher, you did not come to play around. Belly beams.
Belly unwraps her gifts and jokingly turns to Conrad, asking for his. Her friend says in French, “Isabel, I think he is the gift. Are you going to unwrap it later?” Okay, I kicked my little feet and giggled, alright? The tension between these two is insane. Conrad doesn’t speak French, so tell me why it seemed he knew exactly what that woman said? They’re sitting insanely close, sultrily sipping at their wine glasses, when Celine brings out a joint to pass around. Conrad leans in closer (somehow) and says, “So…Benito. Not your boyfriend?” Belly, unflinchingly looking into his eyes: “I never said he was.”
Do You Remember Every Little Thing I’ve Ever Said?
Belly grabs the joint and takes a long drag, leading to what seems to be the most loved scene of the finale. Conrad looks at her and says, “I thought you said marijuana messes with white matter.” Jenny Han. You didn’t. Belly looks at Conrad and smiles; the scene splits for just a second to Conrad from season one smiling flirtily after Belly said that very thing to him. So, she delivers back his line, “Do you remember every little thing I’ve ever said?” Yes, he answers immediately. These two are psychotic, and I love it. They’re quoting each other from six years ago. Belly hands him the joint, and he passes it without hitting it. Belly asked him not to smoke six years ago. So, Conrad doesn’t smoke.
To close out the dinner party, Belly and Conrad sit on a couch where he gives her “a little piece of Cousins.” It’s sand from the beach in a little glass vial. It was his that he collected four years ago when he tried to be around Belly and Jere as a couple for the first time. He knew he wouldn’t be back for a while (it’s unspoken that he couldn’t bear to be there with them like that), and he’d pull it out whenever he missed home (also unspoken that “home” translates to her). Now that she won’t be back for a while, he wanted to give it to her. This is one of the clear ways Conrad trumps Jere; Jere would have taken that opportunity, as he had already tried twice, to convince her to come home or stay with him. Conrad isn’t asking her to give anything up.
They bring out Belly’s cake as they sing Happy Birthday in French, she looks across the candles at Conrad before blowing them out, and it flashes to her after her 16th birthday, looking at Conrad across a crowded room. She blows them out. Every year, she wishes for Conrad Fisher on her birthday. She doesn’t have to wish anymore.
I Dream About This. You.
After a night of relentless flirting, they walk the streets of Paris and start unpacking some of the past. Very important, and, once again, something only Conrad would think of reminding her of after she says she broke their family:
“We all broke it. It was not on you to keep our family together. We were kids. We weren’t trying to hurt each other.”
– Conrad in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale
She takes him to one more spot on the River Seine as she admires the light reflecting off the water. Conrad asks her to dance. As they do, they talk about the last time they danced: prom. Another sign of growth: when Conrad tries to start taking the blame, Belly says she was such a brat about prom (thank God, because I’ve always wondered why we villainized Conrad Fisher for struggling under the weight of his mother’s impending death). She wanted the perfect night:
“I had envisioned like this perfect prom movie. You know, we’d dance for hours and then go back to the hotel and…
[Conrad: Make love?]
Yes, Conrad, have sex.”
– Belly in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale
I loved seeing them like this (not to mention, “make love”?? Oh, Conrad). Rehashing their most painful memories while laughing and twirling in the moonlight before collapsing into each other’s arms while I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos plays. She tells him his letters kept him going here, that she used to reread them anytime she felt lonely. He asks why she never replied until a few weeks ago. Rightfully so, Belly said she needed space to move on, and she couldn’t do that and still be contacting him. “And have you moved on?” Conrad asks. Three seasons in the making, Belly and Conrad finally kiss while Dress by Taylor Swift begins to play.
Belly tells him to come home with her, which he, of course, does. We get an insane montage of them making out in the cab home, up the stairs of her apartment, before eventually getting to her bedroom. The yearning, anticipation, and self-restraint finally being let loose made this scene an intoxicating watch. And of course, still painfully romantic. Right before they have sex, Taylor Swift sings out, “Say my name and everything just stops.” The music cuts immediately, and Conrad’s voice rings out: “I dream about this. You.”
You’ve Always Been A Precious Person To Me
Blissful in bed after, Belly tells him she used to wish for him every birthday. Conrad, in what was intended as a light-hearted throw-away comment, tells her now she’s stuck with him forever. Immediate panic on Belly’s face leads her to start pushing away when Conrad is leaving for his train. He was thinking of staying another day and missing the intro to the conference. She tells him he can’t change his plans for her, just like she won’t be changing her plans for him. Uh-oh, Belly’s feeling that newfound independence being threatened.
Belly is pushing him to get the train today. Conrad, looking terrified, says he can get one later and they can get breakfast and spend a little time together. She rejects. He sits under the covers, she’s dressed in her robe at the end of the bed. In a move that initially had me wanting to give Belly a smack upside the head, she starts questioning him on why he came here and what he thought would happen. He’s not letting up. He tells her he wanted to see her, to tell her he loves her, and see if there’s any part of her that still loves him. With a delivery that nearly broke me in half, Conrad asks, “Do you not love me anymore?”
“I’ve always loved you. That’s the problem. How are we supposed to know if we love each other because we want to or because we were told to? […] If your mom hadn’t gotten sick again, would we have ever gotten together? You know, or would you have just gone off to football camp that summer… and never looked twice at me again? You know, if we didn’t lose Susannah… would it… loom so large for us? What if… what if you only love me because that’s what your mom wanted, and then your mom died?”
– Belly in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty finale
Again, at the time, I was kind of pissed. We just got what we were waiting for, we had a chance for them to unpack this before they slept together, and we didn’t? But, ultimately, it’s realistic and something that Belly has needed to say out loud. It’s what we all theorize and judge about them and Susannah in the real world — were they programmed to love each other, or do they just love each other? And of course, we needed one last swoon-worthy Conrad Fisher love confessional.
After a beautiful speech, he assures her, “If I met you for the first time tonight… I would love you.” Belly says he can’t know that, but he pushes back: “I’ve changed everything about myself, and the one thing that never changes is that I love you.” He’s sure of it, but she tells him she can’t be. Conrad gets up, dresses quickly, and tells her happy birthday before leaving for the 5 a.m. train. I thought we’d get just one episode where Conrad Fisher’s will to live wasn’t horrifically rocked, but he travels to the station in tears.
And I Will Always Love Conrad Fisher
Alone in her apartment, Belly opens her birthday text from Laurel. A picture of her at three years old. Belly’s monologue begins ringing out about how she believed she wasn’t the girl she used to be, but now knows she still is. And is that so bad? She goes over to grab Junior Mint, moving his scarf to reveal the infinity necklace.
“She followed her heart no matter what. And despite all her mistakes, I have to believe she’s still worthy of love. I still love her. And I still love him. I have brown hair and brown eyes, and I will always love Conrad Fisher.”
– Belly in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty finale
I’m sorry to hate so late in the game, but this scene was just a little too cheesy, messy, and then quickly cleaned up for my taste (Out Of The Woods by Taylor Swift playing is also a bit too on the nose). But I get it because what rom-com doesn’t have a dramatic chase scene? Belly screams out the window for Conrad, who is crying in a cab somewhere, before getting dressed and running to the station. The first episode ended with her running from Jeremiah; the final episode ends with her running toward Conrad.
Running onto his train to Brussels, she searches the cars frantically. Finally, she finds him: “Is this seat taken?” She asks. His red eyes light up.
“Conrad, I choose you of my own free will. If there are infinite worlds, every version of me chooses you in every one of them.”
– Belly in At Last, The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale
She grabs the infinity necklace around her neck as her eyes run. Conrad gets up and touches it, as if to make sure it’s real, before Belly nods and they kiss. Peace on Earth at last. The last scene of the show is set to Phoebe Bridgers’ nostalgic Scott Street as Belly and Conrad return to Cousins the following summer. They walk in the house, hand in hand, and out to the pool, where the camera leaves them in the distance. Goodbye, The Summer I Turned Pretty. The credits roll with pictures of Belly and Conrad over Christmas in Paris, blissfully happy at last.
Other things happened this episode, of course, but they were really loose ends being tied up. Jeremiah is an up-and-coming chef, Adam and Jere’s relationship is beginning to heal, and Jere and Denise’s relationship is beginning to bloom. Taylor and Steven are moving to California to fully commit to Steven and Denise’s business. Everyone is happy and connected once again. Surely, their stories and Belly and Conrad’s will be developed in the upcoming movie, but Jenny Han is remaining tight-lipped. All she’s let out is that there’s still an important milestone in Belly’s story we haven’t seen. Here’s hoping for a montage of their year abroad and their wedding. Though I’m excited to get to see these two again, I do wonder what the movie will actually revolve around now that the conflicts are settled. I guess there’s always the thrill of watching Jere sit through a Belly, Conrad wedding.
Oh, The Summer I Turned Pretty, what a tumultuous relationship we’ve had. Season one started as a hate watch, season two was still a bit of a hate watch, but born from an unexplainable investment in the characters and a slight enticement to watch Lola Tung and Chris Briney’s acting grow. But, with the rage bait of the beginning of the season fading out, the final installation was just unmissable.
Jenny Han did something rare: she dug up this old excitement we used to have with television. Group watch parties, fan theories, waiting restlessly for the next episode — what we used to do with Hannah Montana (Did you pick Jessie or Jake?), Pretty Little Liars, or Gossip Girl. So we can scoff and call it bad all we want (I often do), but in ten years’ time, I have a feeling we’ll still be rehashing that beach scene confessional, reminiscing on the peach scene, and swooning over that dinner party. Han introduced us to two actors we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for: Lola Tung and Chris Briney will have successful careers. But when we see them again, Lover will still play in the back of our minds. Bye for now, Cousins, see you on the big screen.
Want to relive the drama all over again? Check out the recaps of episodes one and two of The Summer I Turned Pretty here.
Don’t lose the romance — check out our Love Is In The Air: Contemporary Romance bookshelf on Bookshop.
