From First Love to Last Look

The Final Season of  “The Summer I Turned Pretty”

Photo from Erika Doss on Prime / CC BY-SA 4.0

On July 16 of this summer, Amazon Prime released the first three episodes of their hit show, “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Based on the New York Times Bestselling trilogy, season three of  ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ focuses on 21-year-old Belly Conklin, fresh out of her junior year of college. This show, at its core, is a love triangle between Belly (played by Lola Tung) and two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah (played by Chris Briney and Gavin Casalengo respectively.) Season one opened in late June of 2022, immediately captivating the audience with its dramatic plotlines and popular soundtrack.

This season opened with a time jump from the finale of the second season, with Belly about to finish her junior year at fictional college “Finch.”  The main arc in the season is Belly’s engagement to high school sweetheart and childhood best friend, Jeremiah Fisher. Fans were excited to finally see how this season would play out, with the show making it on Amazon Prime’s top ten list the day it was released. So far, the show has remained very popular as the new episodes are dropping.

Previously, the show has taken the books as a loose guideline, following the overarching plotline, but adding several characters and stories along the way in order to add more to the series as a whole. This is seen with Belly's brother Steven, who has a romantic arc with one of Belly’s friends. This being said, season three has followed relatively closely to the books. Several iconic scenes, lines, and quotes from the book are seen in the show, much to the excitement of the audience.

This entire series is based off of the romance between Belly and her two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. And while a love triangle is an effective way to keep audience members hooked on what will happen and who the main character will choose, after a while these plotlines and tropes tend to feel recycled. This is clear,  especially when it's between the same two brothers for years. In season one, Belly has her heart set on Conrad, but then decides to date Jeremiah, because Belly believes she has to leave her childhood love in the past. However, at the end of the first season, she ultimately decides on Conrad. Then, in season two, she breaks up with Conrad and goes back to Jeremiah, because she feels Conrad is not in the right time, emotionally, for a relationship. Now, in season three, she has been dating Jeremiah for four years and is engaged to him, but there is still unresolved tension and conflict between her and Conrad. As an audience, this can start to feel old and repetitive.

While the plot may feel recycled, the music used in the show certainly is not. Featuring hit artists like Taylor Swift, Tyler, the Creator and Olivia Rodrigo, this series certainly exercises the ability to set a show to a fantastic soundtrack, one that the creators know will resonate with its target audience. 

As of Aug. 27, eight episodes have been released in total. The quality of the show has improved as the seasons have continued, with the actors growing in their abilities. It is fast paced, keeping the audience hooked episode to episode. This season has been meeting the expectations of the fans, with plotlines that may be reused, yet captivating and a hit soundtrack. The audience is excited to see how this story will end and who Belly will choose.

<Star Ratings>

Characters- ★★★★★

Plot- ★★★★★

Soundtrack- ★★★★★

Romance- ★★★★★

Overall- ★★★★★