It’s rare for me to feel totally pleased with a series finale. (I’m a victim of the 2019 Game Of Thrones finale letdown, which is to say I’m traumatized.) But as a vocal member of Team Conrad, and a staunch supporter of the “friends-to-lovers” and “second-chance“ romance tropes, The Summer I Turned Pretty’s conclusion landed pretty well for me. We finally got Belly and Conrad together. And the finale also happened to include the romance movie clichés that appear in all of my favorites. There was an unbelievably well-choreographed sex scene, passionate declarations of love (I need Conrad’s speech tattooed), and even a slight reinterpretation of the classic rom-com airport chase—though the TSITP Gods opted to have Belly sprint through a train station instead. In fact, the finale followed the traditional romance structure so closely that it even featured one of my least favorite tropes: a best friend character who’s shifted out of the main character’s focus.
At the risk of activating any TSITP purists, I should clarify: I would never reduce Taylor Jewel to the traditional one-dimensional sidekick role that we’ve seen time and time again. They’re the ones who exist solely as comic relief or as a sounding board for the protagonist’s grievances (for reference, see: Kathryn Hahn in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, or Carrie Fisher in When Harry Met Sally. I have to name the actors instead of the characters because there is a 2% chance you’d recognize the characters’ names.) No—unlike those rom-com BFFs, Taylor has always been a fully fleshed-out character in her own right. That wasn’t the case in the original The Summer I Turned Pretty book trilogy, where, from my read, her character was so self-involved it was a mystery why Belly stayed friends with her.
In the TV adaptation, Taylor has become a layered, key player. This season brought us into her and her mother’s unconventional, Gilmore Girls-esque dynamic, and her will-they-won’t-they romance with Steven has basically powered the show’s B-plot for years. And her friendship with Belly? Honestly, it’s its own love story. Their bond has evolved as they’ve grown. She and this show’s heroine hold each other accountable—they’ve fought, made up, and shown up for one another through grief and breakups. This is the friend who reminded Belly about her Parisian dreams when it seemed like she’d forgotten them! Which is why the finale’s lack of a conclusive Taylor and Belly scene vexed me.
Yes, they were across the globe from one another. And yes, the finale had bigger fish to fry—namely, the resolution of its central love triangle. And I realize that the recently announced movie spin-off will likely feature plenty of Taylor and Belly scenes. But the series finale is valuable property. And for a show that’s done such a great job representing this healthy, communicative female friendship up to this point, it felt off-brand for their relationship not to have a moment to shine during the closer. Not even a phone call!
To really cement my satisfaction with this series’s closer, it would’ve been nice to get a moment that closed the book on Belly and Taylor—a scene that tied up their friendship the same way their romantic storylines were sealed. It’s what their onscreen bond absolutely earned. The closest we got were some (admittedly adorable) scenes in Paris during the penultimate episode. But had I known that was the last time we’d see these friends on screen together, I probably would’ve appreciated them more. Who knew that would be the show’s official punctuation on their relationship?
To be fair, Belly didn’t have final moments with any of her friends or family back home. In fact, her last scene with Steven was a tense back-and-forth on her wedding day, a couple of episodes back. This finale was the Belly and Conrad Show, save for some Jeremiah and Staylor updates on the side. That Bonrad focus wouldn’t have bugged me, had it not happened at the expense of other conclusive moments. This would’ve been the perfect episode for Taylor and Belly to bond over how they’ve both been afraid of committing to their respective partners throughout this series. It’s when they could’ve discussed the relationship insecurities they’ve dealt with, and how together, they’ve realized that trusting your gut in love can be scary.
Here’s to hoping that The Summer I Turned Pretty movie dedicates some significant time to Belly and Taylor. Yes, I would’ve hoped that the finale would feature an exchange in which these young women could reflect on all the relationships and coming-of-age chaos they’ve undergone together. But maybe the movie will supplement the finale’s lack and offer a proper conclusion for this genuinely solid portrayal of platonic love. Because, as this show seemed to understand, female friendship is just as valuable as romantic relationships, for Belly and women everywhere, they’re a critical source of companionship and love.
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