The Season 3 finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty is finally here. But what was initially teased as the series finale has some fans thinking otherwise — and wondering whether or not it’s actually the end.
Ahead of its early morning release on Wednesday, viewers of the hit coming-of-age series believed that they’d be getting more than just one episode — and that the series finale would consist of either two or more episodes or a feature-length film. Neither was true, and they were instead given a single episode, titled “At Last,” that clocks in at 80 minutes.
Beloved for its array of Taylor Swift needle drops and unapologetic embrace of messy love triangles, the show, which is based on Jenny Han’s trio of novels, follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) as she navigates the ups and downs of adolescence and early adulthood — all while yearning over Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney), the boy she grew up with.
Online fandom for the series has also emerged as one of TV’s strongest at the moment. Season 3, especially, has proven that girlhood is alive and well and can be found watching Belly and Conrad’s love story unfold on the big screen at a neighborhood sports bar.
But is it really over? The Summer I Turned Pretty fans aren’t totally convinced. Below, we’re recapping Episode 11 and breaking down the reasons why fans think there are more episodes to come — and why the story is far from over. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
Update: Since this article was first published, Jenny Han has confirmed there will be a TSITP movie — continuing Belly and Conrad’s story.
Wait. What happens in the finale?
OK, there’s a lot to unpack. The main thing that happens is that we finally get the long-awaited Bonrad — Belly and Conrad — reunion, and it doesn’t take long for it to happen either.
The episode kicks off immediately with Conrad standing outside of Belly’s new apartment in Paris, where she eventually sees him. Conrad says he felt compelled to drop by and catch up before heading to Brussels for a conference. Belly’s reluctant at first but agrees to take him around the city as his own personal tour guide. She tells him up front, though, that she has a hard-out at 8 p.m. because she has plans of her own.
Their day of sightseeing is filled with stolen glances — from Conrad, mostly — and some scenic shots of the French capital. Eventually, Belly decides to invite him out to a pre-birthday party her friends are throwing her that evening.
Fans have long been critical of Conrad’s seemingly one-sided amount of yearning this season, but the ensuing scenes prove that Belly hasn’t exactly moved on from him. There are more stolen glances, flirtatious interjections — like when Conrad proudly says he’ll always be the guy who taught Belly how to ride a bike — and parallels to Bonrad scenes from Season 1.
Their reunion really ramps up after the party, when Belly takes Conrad to a walkway along the Seine. Alone now, Conrad asks Belly to dance, and she agrees. She admits that her needing to move on from Conrad factored into why she moved to Paris. He asks her if she’s moved on from him, and, well, she kisses him.
Online, Bonrad shippers have practically gone feral for what happens next — which is a steamy scene between Belly and Conrad that’s soundtracked to Taylor Swift’s Reputation-era track, “Dress.” But their night together leaves Belly spiraling. When Conrad tells Belly he loves her, she’s resistant and tells him she’s not as certain as he is about their future together. Tears are shed, and Conrad eventually decides to leave Belly’s apartment and catch the 5 a.m. train to Brussels.
Belly is eventually hit with an epiphany: She’s been trying so hard to change and separate herself from the girl that she was but realizes there’s nothing wrong with her at all — and that that girl is still in love with Conrad. She comes to her senses and chases after Conrad as another beloved Swift track — “Out of the Woods” — plays. Belly finds him on the train and declares her love.
“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,” she tells him.
Conrad’s crying, Belly’s crying and then they kiss.
Why do fans think ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ isn’t actually over?
While there is a Bonrad reunion, fans feel as though the finale lacked some crucial plot points of We’ll Always Have Summer, the third and final book in Han’s series. For one thing, they were disappointed that the Valentine’s Day flashback — when Conrad surprises Belly after a day full of classes and takes her to go look at the stars — was left out. The book also concludes with Belly and Conrad getting married, which also didn’t happen in the Season 3 finale.
During the ending credits, we see a bunch of photos of Belly and Conrad during the holidays in Paris. Fans were quick to point out that the decision to only show photos from a single holiday, which some felt was a missed opportunity, could perhaps be intentional. Keeping the photo album to just Christmas in Paris could mean that bigger milestones — like their eventual wedding — could be unpacked in further episodes.
The lack of scenes with Belly and her family — her brother, Steven (Sean Kaufman), and her mom, Laurel Park (Jackie Chung) — has also been used as a possible reason for why the show isn’t actually over yet. Fans are still hoping for a whole reunion in Cousins Beach.
Will there be more episodes or a movie in the future?
It’s tough to say. As of now, Han hasn’t said anything about more episodes or a movie, though her handwritten note during the ending credits seems to hint at that possibility.
“We put our whole hearts into this show and we’re so thankful to you for coming along with us on the ride,” Han writes. “Maybe we’ll meet again one summer in Cousins.”
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