We’re more than halfway through The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final season, and episode six, Last Name, has done everything but scream “BELLY OBVIOUSLY ENDS UP WITH CONRAD” to tell viewers how this story shakes out. After Conrad’s historic P.O.V episode last week, Belly’s narration returns, and with it, we finally see our girl come to her senses. Lots of truths were revealed this week: Belly’s real feelings about this wedding, the lengths Conrad will go to for Belly, the reality of Jeremiah’s father-brother complex, and, best of all, Belly’s feelings for Conrad.
Apartment-Hunting Nightmare
Belly flees Cousins after her tense outing with Conrad and crashes at Adam’s Boston apartment with Jeremiah for two weeks, camping on an air mattress stationed directly outside of Adam’s bedroom door. Cozy. Adam is understandably annoyed about Belly’s extended staycation and pushes Jeremiah to send her back to Cousins. The episode is immediately set up to convey a point about Jeremiah (one I think we’ve all known for a while now): He is desperate to impress his father; it is of the utmost importance to him, even surpassing his relationship with his future wife. There may be less Belly-Conrad this episode, but Han makes sure to emphasize which brother is the better choice.
Adam, trying to get them out of his apartment, gives Jere the morning off so he can go tour apartments with Belly for their senior year (her first, his second). Jeremiah protests that he had gotten up early to prepare for their meeting, but Adam assures him he is not essential. Unsure, but I think I could smell Jere’s resentment towards Belly in this moment wafting out of my screen.
The first apartment they tour is Belly’s favorite and, by some miracle, it’s in their budget and they’ll let them fill out an application immediately. Assuming all credit checks come back clear, it’s theirs. At this, Jeremiah, wowing the audience with his idiocy yet again, asks the realtor: “And say someone was a little behind on credit card bills, would that negatively impact the, uh, credit score?” Isn’t this boy a business major? Working at an investment firm? And he doesn’t know that not paying your bills affects your credit score? Belly, smiling through the mortification, pulls him to the side and whispers, “Your dad pays your credit card.” (I hear Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter screaming in my head.)
Jeremiah smiles and nods, but reminds her of the other credit card he opened to get free Bruins tickets that he’s missed several payments on. With that, their chances go up in smoke, and they move on to the much danker, undesirable apartments they can afford. They get in a small spat over Jeremiah’s lack of interest and his constant checking of his phone for work updates, but smooth it over quickly. It’s becoming clearer that both of these two know their relationship is teetering on the edge of a cliff and are doing everything to make it seem like they’re cruising on a long, open road. You can’t fool me.
Having Second Thoughts?
And, at least on Belly’s part, we can’t pretend we don’t know exactly why. At night, Belly returns to Cousins. She walks into the kitchen and is unnerved by Conrad at the counter, listening to music, eating his dinner, and bent over a crossword. Conrad, shy but clearly excited, tells her there are some leftovers in the fridge if she wants them. Belly, looking dazed, refuses and quickly hurries off to bed.
Belly heads to the club the next day to meet with Paige, an events planner, to talk wedding logistics. She’s been holding off on approving some key items so she can run them by Jeremiah (good luck, oh, and he clearly couldn’t care less). It’s more apparent than ever how out of her depth Belly is; the scale, the fanciness, the day as a whole that has been stolen by Adam and run away with by Kaleigh.
Panicked, she calls Jeremiah and tells him she’s having second thoughts (the ball is finally rolling, people). Jeremiah, looking like he’s about to shit himself, tries to talk her down as Belly says, quite reasonably, that she doesn’t want to be looking out at a sea of strangers on her wedding day. He tells her, “So don’t, look at me.” Addressing her concerns would be nice, but, sure, a hollow romantic statement will do. Belly pretends his words have steadied her as her internal monologue rings out:
Jere’s right. All we need to do is cling to each other to get through this storm.”
– Belly in Last Name, episode six of season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty
Because that’s how you’re supposed to feel about your wedding day, right? Belly, clock in.
“And What About You, Conrad?”
Belly returns to the house, looking dejected, as Conrad fixes a sprinkler out front. Quite the handyman these days. He immediately picks up on her mood, acting much bubblier than usual, and tells her he’s made some food for her. More chicken, but he also put some corn on the cob and a cookie with it. Can it be any more painfully obvious who the right choice is? Belly pushes it off, saying she isn’t hungry, and the concern on Conrad’s face is apparent. He casually asks if Laurel has changed her mind about the wedding, knowing that this must be the main reason for her sadness over the past few weeks. Belly downheartedly shakes her head and goes inside.
Later, Conrad goes to the kitchen to wash his hands (loved the attention to detail here — it looked like he was scrubbing in). He looks over at the fridge and tries to restrain himself to check if Belly’s eaten the food he’s made her; he cracks, and no, she has not taken a bite (the little note ‘Eat Me’ with the smiley face nearly took me out). He’s had enough of the worry. Taking out his phone, he texts an unseen number, “Can we talk?” We all knew where this was heading, didn’t we?
Conrad drives hundreds of miles to an all-night roadside diner to meet with Laurel. Sometimes, amidst all the drama, I forget Laurel has known these boys their entire lives. The chemistry between Jackie Chung and Chris Briney is subtle but strong, making the scene a breath of fresh air from all the noise and chaos of the rest of the episode, but just as impactful. Conrad eventually gets into telling Laurel to attend the wedding or she’ll regret it for the rest of her life. His reasoning for meeting with her: Belly’s health. Pain-stricken, he tells Laurel she isn’t eating, she isn’t sleeping, she’s all alone because Jere’s in Boston, and she’s constantly sad.
Laurel is clearly swayed by his words, but some ill feeling still lurks below the surface. She finally asks him: “What about you, Conrad? When do you get to be happy?” Laurel has obviously been disapproving of this engagement from the start, primarily citing Belly’s independence and both her and Jeremiah’s future, but here we see a different angle as to why. Though it isn’t said, Laurel knows Conrad still loves Belly and, crystal clear through all of her reactions and scenes with the brothers, she always believed it would be him ending up with her daughter. Don’t forget her famous quote from the end of season one: “For Belly, Conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear.”
Bride-and-Groom Festivities
Back in Philadelphia, Belly arrives at her bridal shower thrown for her by Taylor and Lucienda. Finally, for the first time in weeks, Belly has a smile on her face in connection with the wedding as she walks through the balloon-enclosed entrance to Taylor’s home. Yay, someone’s making something about her. It’s only her wedding. Inside, college friends, high school friends, and next door neighbors flock to greet a smiling Belly before we see Laurel’s nervous grin in the back of the crowd as Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper plays. I can’t lie, I cried. The shock, relief, and little-girl look on Belly’s face, the trembling on Laurel’s face as she wraps her in a hug. The fact that Conrad gave this to Belly, and she doesn’t even know.
As Laurel and Belly reunite, so too do Adam, Conrad, and Jeremiah. Out suit-shopping, Jeremiah desperately mimics his father’s behaviors: ordering the same drink as him, sipping it the same, matching his sense of humor and banter, and breathing in every word. Meanwhile, Conrad tries to ignore them both during his fitting. Despite Conrad’s apathy and Jeremiah’s overeagerness, Adam’s attention still swings towards Conrad as he micromanages the detailing of his suit. Not his other son, who is literally the groom. Jeremiah silently stews with resentment.
Luckily, Jeremiah has a connection with Adam that Conrad will never be able to relate to: They’re both sleazeballs. In the car to the steakhouse (originally an oyster restaurant for Jeremiah but changed to Conrad’s favorite), Jeremiah shares that Laurel came to the shower, smiling as he says, “Told Belly she’d come around.” Conrad smiles privately to himself, doesn’t comment on his part, and tells him he’s happy for them both. Jeremiah then asks if Conrad’s bringing a plus one (totally, could he borrow the bride for the day?). Conrad quickly brushes it off, smiling awkwardly and saying he’s good, which Adam, shady as he is, takes as Conrad planning to “make a play” (gag) for one of Belly’s bridesmaids.
Jeremiah follows his lead, telling Conrad her friend Anika is hot. Conrad’s head jerks slightly backwards, disturbed at hearing Jere describe another girl like that while he’s with Belly (we all are, but I think the shock has worn off for us). Conrad tries to shake him off again, saying there’s no point because he’s leaving for California. Jeremiah, laughing, and meeting his father’s glance in the mirror, says, “That’s exactly the point,” as Adam cracks up. This scene is so important. The way these two brothers approach relationships and loyalty is being showcased, and there’s a clear winner. Dating Belly for four years hasn’t seemed to dampen the player in Jeremiah, and Conrad is starting to notice. Just wait until he finds out where that flirty side led him in Cabo. It’s got to be the next episode, right? I can’t wait any longer.
Their comparison only worsens when Adam shares his big news: He’s been seeing “someone” for a while and wants to bring her to the wedding. Kaleigh, his secretary, also known as the woman he cheated on their mom with. Though Jeremiah doesn’t know about the cheating, he did accidentally catch Adam and Kaleigh kissing at work unbeknownst to Adam. Don’t worry, he let the incredible unprofessionalism go without a word.
Conrad looks winded when he hears the news and is undeniably pissed. Jeremiah immediately concedes, telling his dad he’s glad he found someone who makes him happy. Being the only real man in the car, Conrad ignores Jeremiah and tries to get to the truth: “Right, yeah, so when did this thing with you and Kaleigh start, Dad?” He’s going to press Adam further when Jere puts his hand on his arm and clears his throat, signaling for Conrad to stop. The way Conrad looks at Jere echoes what we’re all thinking: God, he’s a mini Adam.
Guess I’ll Always Care
Back at the bridal shower, they open gifts and play bridal games, and Steven and Taylor resume their familiar, deprecating banter as they face off in a “Does-Belly-Know-Jeremiah-Game”. I wish I had more to comment on for Steven and Taylor, and the new forming love triangle with Denise, but, unfortunately, a once-preferred storyline has become unsubstantial filler. Anytime characters outside of the Conklin-Fisher plotline come into play, the scene tends to run flat.
Belly gets every question right (and is being quite over the top and irritating about it), until the final question: Does Belly know the name of Jere’s first step? Not only does she know it (Rosie the dog), she gushes about how he first found her, how it was the cutest thing she ever saw, and how sweet he was, crying when Rosie’s owners came to pick him up. It’s the first time in a while that Belly has glowed talking about Jeremiah — luckily for us, she wasn’t really talking about him.
Steven interrupts, saying it was Conrad who found Rosie, not Jeremiah. Belly immediately gets defensive and hostile with Steven, insisting he’s wrong. The disagreement bothers her more than it should. She confides in Taylor that everything is suddenly becoming so real; she’s going to be someone’s wife (yeah, worse — you’re going to be a manchild’s wife). Thank god we’re finally seeing Belly be brave enough to confront the reality of her choice, even if she’s not able to admit it was a mistake yet.
Laurel’s coming puts a little glimmer back in Belly and Jere’s facade. She calls after to say, “Jere, we’re so on!” to which Jere visibly flinches. He can sense the doubt she’s been secretly wrestling with. More importantly, she calls to tell Jere to set Steven straight on the Rosie story. But Jere tells her it was Conrad, and Belly’s face falls. Jere pretends his dad is waving him out the door (he’s not even glanced his way) and ends the call with Belly. She’s shaken by the news:
I’ve known Jeremiah my whole life. I know everything about him. I’ve always prided myself on how I remember every little detail. So it scares me to think I got this one wrong.”
– Belly in Last Name, episode six of season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty
Belly’s scared because, despite how much she tries to delude herself otherwise, she has not been in love with Jeremiah her whole life. When she recalls love-soaked childhood memories, they are never going to be about Jere. That part of her belongs to someone else. This is beautifully explored in Belly and Laurel’s tradition of watching old musicals, a ritual they’ve had since Belly was little. Jenny Han really is a sneaky little mastermind for this one: Belly’s all-time favorite musical, the one she’d beg to watch over and over with Laurel knowingly smiling in the corner, is Bye Bye Birdie.
Her favorite song to belt out? We Love You, Conrad. We get a flashback of an adorable, young Belly perking up as the song begins to play with a bashful smile on her face: “We love you, Conrad, and we’ll be true. When you’re not near us, we’re blue.” At night, Belly would sing to her own Conrad, Conrad Fisher. In the mirror, with a painfully adorable glee, she sings:
Bye-bye birdie, I’m gonna miss you so. Bye-bye, birdie, why’d you have to go? Birdie, guess I’ll always care, guess I’ll always care, guess I’ll always care.”
-Young Belly singing Bye Bye Birdie in episode six, Last Name, of season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty
Belly’s narration takes over as young Belly draws “B+C” surrounded by hearts in her mirror, saying she loved Conrad in a way you can only do the first time around. Completely, with everything you are. Not only is this a huge Easter egg for the conclusion of the story, but Belly and Laurel, present day, are watching Funny Face with Bonjour, Paris playing in the background. Something tells me Belly is going to get her man and her life-affirming adventure. She’s just got to lose some dead weight first.
We Might Just Get Away With It
That dead weight was petrified when Adam asked him to stay in town over the weekend for a golf meeting. For once, Jeremiah is adamant he needs to stay home with Belly, to be the first thing she sees when she gets home. The anxiety when Adam insists he come, the fleeting glances to Conrad, are all screaming insecurity. Someone can feel the ice starting to crack. You scared, Jeremiah? You should be. Because the last scene of this episode is damning. You might as well pack up your board shorts and bong, my friend; it’s game over.
Belly returns to Cousins the next day and catches sight of a shirtless Conrad prepping his board before his surf. A little bit of a long glance at those back muscles, Belly, no? Looking a little out of breath, need some water? As he heads off, Belly goes to write out a few thank-you notes for her shower. Conrad comes hobbling in after getting cut by a fin on a wipeout. He tells Belly it’s not too bad, but as she listens to him groan up the stairs, she makes her way over and gasps at the trail of blood.
Conrad, drenched in sunlight on the edge of the porcelain bathtub, huddles in pain as he holds a towel to his wound. He tries to brush it off, but Belly rushes over in a panic to clean it. He tries to protest, but she insists. She runs the water over the cut as blood flows out into its stream. She pours the hydrogen peroxide on the cut, and Conrad doubles over with a groan, burying his head into her shoulder. Let’s just call a spade a spade: Belly is turned on. She tries to push it off, telling him not to be a baby, and dresses the wound.
The sunlight flooding into the bathroom wraps everything in a hazy, romantic glow as we hear Belly’s heartbeat through her chest. The last time we heard her heartbeat was when she found out Jere cheated: In that moment, her heart stopped beating for him. Now, she finds it again. In the best callback of the show’s history, Taylor Swift’s False God starts playing. The song that played on the Fourth of July, when Belly and Conrad almost kissed for the first time, where their mutual feelings for each other were finally made clear.
Conrad looks up at her, his green eyes dazzling in the sun, his wet hair dripping down his face (a callback to the same episode where a drunk, bold Belly tells Conrad she’s always found him romantic with wet hair), and thanks her. Belly is completely beside herself; out of breath, she whispers “sure” as she unabashedly switches from staring into his eyes and at his lips with the lines “remember how I said I’d die for you” playing in the background. This time, it’s Conrad who breaks things off, despite her basically begging him to kiss her, asking Belly to help him get up so he can take a nap.
Obviously dreading letting this moment end, Belly says he’s lost a lot of blood, and he shouldn’t sleep. He reminds her that that’s concussions. As he walks away, Belly collapses on the side of the tub, out of breath and on fire (the yearning Queen is back to demand the title from her King). She claws at her chest, where Conrad’s head was resting moments ago, as her monologue rings out: “This time it wasn’t like with the peaches. This time it was all me.”
Could Jenny Han be any clearer on how this romance is going to end up? The sexual tension between Belly and Conrad, the cracking of Jeremiah and Belly, the quiet selflessness of Conrad begging Laurel on Belly’s behalf, the rising action of Conrad finding out how similar his brother and his father really are: What an episode. I didn’t think the peach scene could be topped, but Jenny Han has gone ahead and done it. There’s no way that Jeremiah and Belly make it through another episode. The cheating scandal must be breached, feelings must be admitted, curly-haired, blue-eyed sirens must have their asses kicked, and finally, we can get everyone on the road to recovery.
The timing and plot development severely lacked in the first half of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final season; these last two episodes have finally put us back on track. Cut the filler storylines, bring on the brotherly battle, and let’s all fall deeper into the romance we’ve stuck around for three seasons for. But this slow-burn better get a move on, or else it threatens to burn the story to the ground.
Need a recap of episode five of The Summer I Turned Pretty? Click here.
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