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Pack up your jean shorts and flower crowns, because we’re heading back to Cousins Beach. The Summer I Turned Pretty, the Prime Video series based on the trilogy of books by Jenny Han, is back for its third and final season on July 16 — and if the trailer is any indication, the show’s central love triangle is messier than ever. Last time we saw Belly Conklin, she had finally selected Jeremiah as the winner in the battle for her heart over Conrad — who, in case you forgot, are brothers, and are still grieving their late mother. Now, the show is coming back, and you know what that means: Belly is going to be wreaking more emotional havoc on this poor family. Has she considered joining Hinge?
Anyway, here’s what we know about the final season of the show.
When does The Summer I Turned Pretty season three take place?
In Han’s trilogy, there’s a time jump between books two and three. She’s confirmed the show will follow suit, telling Entertainment Weekly that season three will pick up about two years after the end of season two. That means Belly is now at the end of her junior year of college and two years into her relationship with Jeremiah, according to the trailer description. Meanwhile, Conrad is living in California and appears to be pursuing a career in medicine.
What did we learn from the trailer?
For one thing, Belly and Jeremiah are considering marriage. They’re seen telling their families they’re getting married (everyone seems pretty taken aback). In another scene, Belly’s mom warns the couple they “aren’t ready for a commitment like this,” but they argue that they are. They’re in love, goddamn it! In the final shot of the trailer, Belly appears to be walking down the aisle in a white dress, though it’s a real coin toss who will be at the end of that aisle. At least she knows what her new last name will be?
There’s also Belly’s best friend, Taylor, who finally got together with Belly’s brother Steven at the end of season two and made out with him on the hood of his car. The trailer suggests these two are still involved — he’s seen blowing kisses to her from outside her window, twirling her around romantically, etc.
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But it might not be the smoothest sailing for Team Staylor. Sean Kaufman, who plays Steven, told Entertainment Weekly that season three will find them after having “broken up and gotten back together more times than anyone remembers,” calling their relationship status “so confusing.” “If the final season was an ice-cream flavor for Steven and Taylor, it’d be Rocky Road,” Kaufman said, though he promised “there will be romance.”
Since Taylor has a smaller presence in the books, it’s anyone’s guess how things will wrap up for her and Steven. I’d put money on these two crazy kids figuring it out.
Will there be more Taylor Swift?
Swift’s songs were featured heavily on The Summer I Turned Pretty’s first two seasons — Swift even debuted “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” in the trailer for season two over a year before releasing the rerecorded version of 1989. It seems pretty likely we’re getting another Taylor Swift–heavy soundtrack for season three. The trailer features two of her songs — “Daylight” and “Red.”
Han is famously a huge Swiftie, and she and Lola Tung, who plays Belly, even went to the Eras Tour together. In a 2023 episode of Podcrushed, Han said she asked Swift to use her music in the show in a handwritten letter, in which she “said what she meant to me and what I knew she meant to my readers and how it would be the best gift I could give them.”
Based on the books, what else will happen in season three?
Though the show occasionally diverges from the books, cast members have hinted that season three will stick pretty close to the original story. “I know Jenny is really just strong on staying as true to the books as possible and hitting the main points,” Gavin Casalegno, who plays Jeremiah, previously told People.
Han has been pretty tight-lipped about how things will shake out, and told People she’s happy to keep fans guessing. “To me, the fun of the show is to watch it and be able to experience it as the story is meant to be told, which is where you’re not sure of the ending,” she said. “I know that it can make the fans crazy, but I’m really always trying to preserve their experience.”
I guess we’ll have to tune in to find out. Let’s hope Belly and her two brother-lovers can figure things out, and family dinners aren’t too awkward for the rest of their lives.
