The third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty aimed to deliver a definitive ending to Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah’s story, but many viewers felt the pacing sprinted past important beats. The finale leans toward the Bonrad endgame, aligning with the books yet leaving some character journeys underdeveloped. The result is a conclusion that lands with momentum rather than the languid burn fans anticipated.
With only 11 episodes, the show tried to tie off multiple threads at once, especially Belly’s struggle between past loves and present choices. The wedding arc, which could have served as a fulcrum for deeper emotional exploration, ends up squeezed for time rather than building gradually.
A movie ending wasn’t strictly necessary
Some fans argued that a feature film wasn’t required to give fans the wrap-up they wanted. A longer final chapter could have closed Belly’s arc and her friends’ stories without shifting to a cinematic format. Instead, pushing the finale into a movie risks conjuring new conflicts to justify the spectacle, rather than delivering true closure.
What’s more, the last episodes feel like a long trailer for a film that hasn’t arrived yet. Beloved moments from the books, including certain flashbacks and a memorable water-side reunion, were left on the cutting-room floor, amplifying the sense that the ending was being saved for a future adaptation.
Other subplots—Laurel and John’s complicated dynamic, Jeremiah’s sudden culinary spotlight, Steven and Denise’s storyline—were left hanging. The compressed timeline short-circuited opportunities for growth, not only for Belly and Conrad but for the broader ensemble.
Today, The Summer I Turned Pretty is streaming on Prime Video, and fans are left weighing whether the three-season arc could have delivered a satisfying close without a movie detour.
The ending remains a conversation starter for a devoted fanbase, even as debate continues about pacing, structure, and how to honor Jenny Han’s source material.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is now streaming on Prime Video.
Source: Original article
