All the episodes of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 are out, and one thing remains the same: main character Belly’s love life is as problematic as ever.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is about a girl named Belly (played by Lola Tung) and her messy love life. Her feelings flip-flop between two brothers, Conrad (played by Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (played by Gavin Casalegno). The two boys are her mom’s best friend’s sons whom she has known her entire life. Conrad, the older brother, is Belly’s ex-boyfriend, and her current boyfriend, Jeremiah, always gets a bit intimidated when his big brother shows up.
(Need a recap of Seasons 1 and 2? Read this first.)
Season 3 starts four years into Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship. The two are going to college together, and they’re in a happy relationship. In college, Belly is learning about adulthood and understanding what kind of person she is. I’m happy that she’s figuring things out and is able to do it with her boyfriend’s company, but Conrad’s return is causing Belly some confusion and butterflies.
When Jeremiah and Belly make a major decision in their relationship, friends and family are not thrilled with the couple’s choice–and they are not alone. When I watched the start of Season 3, I couldn’t believe it. To me, this couple really captures the vibe of young and dumb. It made me so irritated, especially because right before this decision, someone (yes, a certain guy) makes a massive mistake. Sorry, “Summer” writers, but for me, everything that happens afterward just seems too rushed, especially when I supposedly “happy” and long-expected event completely unfolds like a flash of lightning.
Yes, I’m being vague, but I really don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t watched the season yet.
Let’s just say that Belly starts second-guessing her decisions. Super stressed, her focus shifts from Jeremiah to Conrad like a butterfly, especially when the latter returns from school. I love watching her scenes with Conrad; yeah, nothing significant happens, but the way they look at each other is enough to keep me screaming at the screen. I so want them to just get back together, and the tension cuts through the screen like a knife. The chemistry between Tung and Briney as Belly and Conrad is off the charts.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship continues to be difficult and draining. Conrad and Belly end up having a very deep conversation, leading to Belly’s spontaneous decision to take off overseas without telling anybody where she is. There, she makes friends quickly and gets comfortable pretty fast with her new life. The problem is that it really upset me how she just disappears after causing so many issues between the two brothers; that’s really messed up. By the end of the season, I have to say that Belly’s character really annoyed me; there is nothing wrong with wanting love, but please, stick with one brother, Belly!
Eventually, a certain someone ends up making a surprise visit, to everyone’s shock, including her new friends, who can’t believe the boy they’d heard so much about is actually there. Their reactions are the best, and mimic my own. While Belly isn’t the sweetest about the reunion at first, it proves to be just what the two of them need.
Season 3 ends with Belly choosing the first boy she ever loves…ah, but who is that? I won’t tell. Rest assured that a movie continuation of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” has been confirmed by Amazon Prime Video. Scheduled to be directed by Jenny Han, the movie will serve as the conclusion to Belly’s love story. I can’t wait!
Whether you enjoy the season or not, I think you’ll love the soundtrack, which evokes summer nostalgia with lots f Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Ariana Grande.
Is Season 3 worth your time? Rotten Tomatoes says that reviews for Season 3 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” are 90% positive. I totally agree with that rating, because Season 3 is definitely in a class of its own. It is frustrating and messy at times, like all teen dramas, but so, so good.
