The Summer I Turned Pretty is a teen drama series based on a book series with the same name. The show focuses on Isabel "Belly" Conklin and her love story between the two brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. The show stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kauffman, Rain Spencer, and Jackie Chung. Season 3 is available to stream on Prime Video on July 16, 2025, with new episodes coming out every Wednesday.
Episode 1: Last Season
July 16, 2025
The season starts a year after season 2, in the spring, where Belly (Tung) is in her junior year at Finch College, Jeremiah (Casalegeno) is a senior, and Conrad (Briney) is at Stanford Medical School. Belly and Jeremiah have been together for the past four years. Steven (Kauffman) and Taylor (Spencer) have been in an on-and-off relationship, and Conrad is single. It's revealed that Belly suffered a knee injury and had to leave volleyball, which led her to her major in sports psychology. Steven, a graduate from Princeton, is now working at Adam's (Conrad and Jeremiah's dad) finance company, Breaker. Conrad has been accepted to work at the Stanford Medical Center as a first-year resident with his friend, Agnes. Jeremiah faces difficulty when he learns he's unable to graduate due to unfulfilled class requirements. Belly learns that she has the opportunity to study abroad in Paris however, she is conflicted because of Jeremiah staying an extra semester. She agrees to go to Paris as Jeremiah persuades her. At the end of the episode, Belly and Jeremiah are at a party where Belly learns that Jeremiah cheated during spring break and leaves him.
Since I know the story because of the books, I knew that the cheating moment was going to come but I just didn't expect it in the first season. I thought we would see the beginning of Belly and Jeremiah together at college and then progress into the events. I don't really know how the season is going to play out now. I have been so excited to see this season and the first episode already has me ready for more.
Episode 2: Last Christmas
July 16, 2025
The second episode begins the day after Belly learns that Jeremiah has cheated on her. She recalls the fight they had before he left for spring break. Jeremiah didn't tell her about the plan, which upsets Belly. However, Jeremiah escalates the argument by bringing up the comparisons between him and his brother, Conrad, and not being more like him. The conversation ends with Jeremiah saying they shouldn't be together anymore and leaving. After spring break, Belly reaches out to him and they get back together. In the present tense, Jeremiah is trying to make it up to her however, she ignores him and starts preparing for Paris.
In California, Conrad is starting his first day at the Stanford Medical Center. However, he is then fired later in the day after making a mistake. We also learn that Laurel (Chung), Belly and Steven's mother, is now a professor. She is attending a Literature conference where she runs into her ex-husband, John, and they spend the day and night together.
Later at night, Steven tries to talk to Taylor about getting back together on a car ride, however Taylor doesn't agree and forces Steven to drop her off on the side of the road. Steven agrees but tries to drive closer to her, resulting in him crashing into a truck. Taylor and Belly are at the hospital looking after Steven. Jeremiah is also close by, but gives Belly space. Taylor reveals that she still loves Steven but has been too scared to be that close to somebody. After the accident, she realizes that she wants to try again with Steven. Steven disagrees, and they are not together anymore. Conrad reaches out to Belly about Steven, and Belly flashbacks to her and Conrad spending Christmas in Cousins together without anyone knowing. In the present day, Belly confronts Jeremiah about the cheating and forgives him. Jeremiah proposes that they get married, and Belly says yes.
I think this episode was really good and filled with more serious moments. I remember seeing a car accident scene in the trailer, but I assumed it would be Conrad rather than Steven, so that was a huge shock to me. Also, the soundtrack for this episode was so good too. Hearing Olivia Rodrigo's 'lacy' and Ariana Grande's 'i wish i hated you' were highlights for sure. The hospital scene was a much more focus for this episode as everyone was worried. I think it shows a lot of change and responsibility that each of the characters now has. I think if this were to happen when they were younger, they'd be freaking out a lot more. My favorite scenes would have to be the flashback of Belly and Jeremiah in the library (I think it's such a classic college moment with your partner) and Conrad and her during Christmas (Seeing them being comfortable in each other's presence without talking or doing anything together was really nice). Also, Conrad's look this season feels more 90's and like a refined classic look. It touches on the old American wealth aesthetic with the sweaters' and polo collar peaking out. I especially love the leather watch, which really completes the look.
A personal opinion: I don't like Conrad's Stanford friend, Agnes. I feel like she's trying to compete with him. It's been pretty clear in the first and second episodes when she mentions that she got the job at the medical center, and let Conrad believe he didn't get it when he did. And then in the workplace, she brings up Conrad's unresolved feelings for Belly, which I just found kind of disrespectful. Like she's trying to psych him out, which works when he mislabels a blood sample because he was thinking about Belly. I do feel bad that he lost his job, but it was for a valid reason, which could cost somebody their life. Hopefully, he gets something else quick this season and not in another time jump.
I think the season overall feels more adult compared to the other two seasons. The first two seasons took place in the same setting that viewers got used to. This season puts the characters in new settings and times, looking at the fall, winter, and spring than just the summer. Even the cinematography feels a lot different. Colors are much darker than saturated. It shows a more mature look. Also, I've never realized how trendy and current this show is until I started paying attention to the soundtrack in these past two episodes. There are musical artists who have only gained popularity in the past 2 years, such as Chappell Roan and Benson Boone.
Episode 3 Predictions: Everyone will be going to Cousins to attend Susannah's (Conrad and Jeremiahs' mom) new memorial garden. Belly and Jeremiah will reveal they plan to get married and we will see everyone's reactions and the push back from that. The trailer already shows a couple of the character's reactions but I think this episode will go more into detail about it.
Episode 3: Last Supper
July 23, 2025
I know this is a very late review, and my opinion may be short since it's been 2 weeks, and I don't remember that much.
We start after Jeremiah proposes. He and Belly are in their honeymoon phase, enjoying each other's company before the school year ends. After, Belly meets with a sad and upset Taylor after Steven rejected the idea of continuing their relationship. Belly consoles her, and to cheer her up, she tells Taylor that she and Jeremiah got engaged. Taylor criticizes her and says they're too young. Belly, upset with her reaction, storms off. Belly moves out of her college dorm with the help of her dad, and they both drive back home. Belly doesn't want to announce the engagement until Susannah's memorial, with all the family together.
Taylor comes back home to her mom's house for a month before leaving for New York and learns that her mom broke up with her boyfriend, Scott. Her mom, saddened about why Taylor and Steven broke up, devises a plan to get them back together. She convinces Taylor to go over to the Conklins' house and try to make amends with Steven. Taylor goes the next day to apologize to Belly and starts wedding planning with her. After, she tries to convince Steven, but he steps away before anything happens. After no progress, Taylor's mom calls Steven and asks him to help her with her finances for her business, telling him to ask Taylor if he has any questions. Steven hesitantly agrees and looks over it. Steven calls Taylor and tells her that her mom is almost bankrupt and will lose her business by the end of the month. Taylor, distressed, questions her mom, and she reveals that she never paid attention to it and let Scott handle it. Taylor now has to figure out how to keep her mom's business running before she leaves at the end of the month.
In California, Conrad is looking into being a research assistant after losing his job at the clinic. Agnes offers to help him as she has connections to a researcher at the lab he's applied to. The conversation shifts between them, and Agnes encourages Conrad to go to his mom's memorial and see his family. During this, it is revealed that Agnes was in love with Conrad, but the feeling wasn't reciprocated.
Back on the East Coast, everyone is on their way to the memorial except for Belly's dad, who was uninvited by Laurel. After the ceremony ends, Conrad surprises everyone, leaving Belly unfocused on Jeremiah. They all go to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Belly and Jeremiah are driving together, and they decide to wait and not tell their families about the wedding yet.
While waiting for the reservation table, Steven and Conrad talk. There has been a strain on their relationship over the past few years due to Conrad not reaching out. At the table, everyone goes around giving their speeches about each child. Adam, Conrad and Jeremiah's dad, belittles Jeremiah for staying an extra semester at college. Belly takes offense to this and suddenly announces their engagement. Everyone is shocked and upset that they made this decision without thinking. This causes dinner to end abruptly, and both families leave. Belly and her family drive off, and Conrad is left alone at the restaurant.
This episode didn't really feel as eventful, dramatic, or serious as I was expecting. While it did show everybody's reactions to Belly and Jeremiah's engagement, I think I was expecting the backlash from everyone to be more than what we got. Taylor was in disbelief, but then came around and supported Belly. The family was in shock and anger, but was cut off by the end of the episode. This didn't really have the same weight as the last two episodes. I guess maybe it felt a little more childish because of the decision Belly and Jeremiah made about announcing it and rushing this huge life choice.
A lot of people had the same reactions based on the Twitter and YouTube posts I saw. The creator, Jenny Han, mentioned that there weren't going to be any filler episodes this season, but this one did feel like it was dragging the story along. While patience is key, people were expecting more book moments and quotes. For example, as Belly gets ready for the memorial, she's thinking in her head about Conrad and if she looks pretty that he might notice her. That could've been a voiceover during that scene and offered more context for the viewer to see how Belly feels, but it wasn't added. Also, I did see this one opinion that at the end of the episode, when Conrad is alone, instead of being depressed about the wedding announcement, he's planning on winning Belly back, which is a much better interpretation than what is shown and understood by the viewer.
While it's not the main storyline and not on my mind as much, I would like to see how Steven and Taylor's relationship plays out now. He's given up on her, but now learns about the difficulty her family faces. I think he will try to help them out, but I'm not sure if it will bring them back together. The standard cliche says yes, but considering how Steven is feeling now, he may have different priorities that don't involve Taylor.
At the end of the episode, while everyone leaves the restaurant, the song No Surprises by Radiohead plays. There's one lyric that plays when Conrad's on screen, which is Bellyache, ... which is very in tune with how Conrad is feeling over Belly not being with him. That was just a fun thing for me when I saw the episode, and was in shock over it. One weird thought I had was how Conrad loves WOC. His first girlfriend, Aubrey, is a WOC shown in season 2 at Susannah's funeral and Belly, an Asian-American girl. Jeremiah on the other hand... He called himself equal opportunity in the first season, but then he proceeded to cheat on Belly with a white girl.
Overall, not my favorite episode, but definitely the most meme-able and talked about online, specifically the ending.
Episode 4 Predictions: The aftermath of the engagement announcement. Judging from trailer clips, Jeremiah will go over to the Conklin house and explain that they are ready to be a married couple. Belly still has her summer job in Cousins, so she goes to the summer house and lives with Jeremiah. However, Conrad decides to stay back as well in the Summer house to try and fix his relationship with Belly. Steven will go over to Taylor's house to help with her mom's business.
Episode 4: Last Stand
July 30, 2025
Two weeks have passed since the announcement, and everyone is tense. Belly has started working as a waitress to save for the wedding, and Jeremiah is trying to prove he's responsible by working at his dad's company, Breaker. On Belly's birthday, she brings up the idea of wedding dress shopping to her mom, and Laurel avoids the idea. Belly asks Taylor and her mom to join her instead. They all go to a discount prom dress store, where Belly finds a dress. She calls Jeremiah to let him know, but then breaks down, questioning if they're making the right choice without their families' support. Jeremiah assures her and reminds her that they will get through this.
Steven and Jeremiah are working together and face difficulty in being treated as serious employees. Jeremiah asks Steven to be his co-best man, and he agrees but asks not to tell anybody. Steven and his co-worker, Denise, complain about how Adam isn't serious about the new business deal they worked on. We see both of them start to bond later in the episode about their hobby of video games, which leaves a tense romantic feeling between the two of them.
Taylor is trying to get her mom's business running and is cleaning out a part of the house to make room for a home salon. While doing this, Steven calls her and says he looked into her mom, Lucinda, to see if she could get a loan. He then says that Lucinda won't be able to because her ex-boyfriend, Scott, opened multiple loans in her name and never paid them off. Taylor freaks out and decides not to go to New York for her internship and uses the money to pay half of the bank loans.
Jeremiah shows up at the Conklin house unexpectedly to ask Laurel for her blessing to marry Belly. Laurel objects to the wedding again and leaves the conversation. Belly follows her and both lash out at each other, causing Belly to pack a bag and leave the house with Jeremiah. They both drive to Cousins and find Conrad staying there. Belly asks why he's here and not at work and says she's staying for the rest of the summer. Conrad avoids the conversation and heads out of the house. After, he learns he got the lab assistant job and needs to go back to California. Jeremiah asks Conrad to surf with him, and Conrad at first tries to avoid him, but then agrees to go. While down there, Jeremiah asks Conrad if he would be his best man. Conrad doesn't agree to do it because he thinks the idea is ridiculous and that they're not ready. Jeremiah is upset by this and tells Belly. They both proceed to make fun of Conrad behind his back over his reaction. Jeremiah goes back to Boston, and Belly stays back at the house. Belly goes back to her room to unpack and sees her debutante ball dress and reminisces on a memory she had with her mom. Belly starts crying until she falls asleep. Conrad, about to leave for his flight, hears Belly crying and decides to stay in Cousins and to be Jeremiah's best man.
Episode 4 was really good. It felt more emotional than dramatic and serious, like the last 3 episodes. We see how Belly and Jeremiah are trying to prove to everyone that they are ready for this next step in their relationship. We also see Conrad, Steven, and Belly's dad come around to this decision, whereas Laurel is still heavily against it. It's a different setting for all the characters since they're in new chapters of their lives and adjusting while trying to be accepted by everyone else. Steven is trying to gain approval at work to build his career and what he wants his future to look like and Jeremiah and Belly are tryng to be taken more seriously and start a life together. Laurel is trying to hold everything together, and Conrad is struggling to fight for what he wants. All of these challenges are shown pretty well this episode in every scene, with the viewer being sympathetic to all the characters and their stories, even rooting for a few specifically.
I am liking the Taylor storyline in this episode. She's seen in this more responsible role compared to the last couple of episodes and seasons. She's going through a lot with her mom's business and making sure everything is taken care of at home before she can continue on with her summer. She instead gave up her summer plans and internship, something she was extremely excited about in the last three episodes, to support her mom during this time of difficulty. I think that's really strong of her and a new side to her for sure. I'm now interested to see how Taylor manages to help her mom and still have a nice summer for herself.
Laurel getting angry at Belly and Jeremiah over this decision is a valid response however, I hated that she was being unsupportive about it directly to Belly. It's even revealed in the episode in a conversation between Laurel and John that they got married young. So for Belly to do this isn't too out of the box for this family. Also, I hated that while talking with Jeremiah and Belly, she brought up how nobody knows that Susannah would've wanted them to get married at this age. Sure, Susannah and Laurel were practically like family, but Susannah was also Jeremiah's mom. They would know each other better than Laurel ever will. That just upset me how Laurel said that to Jeremiah, like no, you were just a friend, that's her son. It's a very different relationship, and I think Susannah would choose her son's happiness over Laurel's disagreement.
My favorite scenes from this episode are the wedding dress shopping scene and the flashback to when Belly was a child in the summer house. I think that whole scene, including her present-day self, shows how Belly values family and wants everything to be happy. To know her mom isn't coming to her special day hurts because she trusts her mom and her opinion.
Overall, a really good episode that now is setting up the rest of the season. It's a new dynamic for everyone and their stories. It did feel a little boring like I wanted to pause the episode cause I wasn't focused on it. Rating: 8/10
Episode 5 Predictions: Conrad and Belly are wedding planning and hanging out. That's all I have. This is the halfway point of the season so maybe there's some conflict between Jeremiah and Conrad, with Jeremiah having some unresolved feelings over Conrad and Belly's past relationship. Taylor is still helping her mom and Steven is conflicted between Denise and Taylor.
Episode 5: Last Chance
August 6, 2025
This episode takes place through Conrad's point of view during the Fourth of July weekend. Conrad and Belly are staying in the summer house together and Conrad is fixing up the house for the wedding while Belly is starting to wedding plan. Belly goes out to run some errands and asks Conrad to tag along. He doesn't at first but then goes into town and runs into her, joining her after. He is still unhappy over the wedding but tries to make her happy throughout the day as each plan ends up not working out. Conrad reminises over their time together, from kids to their relationship. He shows regret for his actions but tries to hold himself back from hurting Belly and his brother.
Jeremiah is working in Boston and is assigned to look over a revenue report between Breaker and a new company. He calls Belly to tell her to start running errands without him since he is trying to impress his dad by working. While reviewing the report, he spots an error and tells Adam about it. Adam at first undermines him but then comes around saying Jeremiah did a good job. Because of this, Adam starts to see him differently and agrees to the wedding. He also starts helping out more with their finances.
Steven and Denise are coincidentally on the same train to New York and start to get along with each other. They learn they have more in common than they thought and spend the train ride together. It is implied that they spend the weekend together attending a gaming conference.
Jeremiah finally arrives to Cousins while Belly and Conrad are eating dinner. Conrad excuses himself and leaves the two alone. After dinner, Belly and Jeremiah go out to the pier to discuss the day. Jeremiah tells Belly that his dad approves of the marriage and wants to help out in exchange for some invites for his business partners. Belly disagrees at first but Jeremiah explains that this is how it has to be. She caves in and they have a fun night together, watching the Fourth of July fireworks and dancing.
I actually love this episode. We're brought back to the original love story and how Belly and Conrads' dynamic is. Belly kept talking to Conrad in a different way, like they were friends and not exes. Things weren’t awkward for her because she is secure with Jeremiah whereas Conrad is feeling uncomfortable. Conrad is still in love with Belly but is unable to say anything because she’s with his brother. And she brings him up too when it feels like there’s something romantic about to happen, cutting off any hope. But still he longs about being with her the entire time but isn't planning to get her back. It’s also an emotional episode where we understand how Conrad is feeling about everything happening. We hear about his regrets, past memories, and thoughts about if his life went differently. It leaves viewers sympathetic towards him. The show is especially making it that way by painting Jeremiah in a different light. Last season, Jeremiah was more empathetic due to his mom's death and changes in the family. Now, we're seeing that this guy isn’t all that great. He cheated on belly, disregards her wants and needs, and is starting to think about himself more than their relationship.
Jeremiah starts proving like he is his dad. Granted, I also did not think he was going to succeed at work but he did. It really surprised me. But with Belly, he’s starting to think more about himself than about her and their relationship. This is shown when the wedding cake Jeremiah wants is way past their budget and he won’t compromise. And when Belly says she got peaches for him, he says he’d rather want strawberries. And finally when they talk about wedding planning, he suggests inviting his dads business partners. Belly dislikes the idea but he convinces her saying it’s how corporate works. I feel like this is overstepping a little bit. I think his cake idea could've been different compared to what he wanted and he could've not accepted his dad's help. But he did and is expecting his dad's money to take care of everything. This does feel pretty wrong since Belly and Jeremiah wanted to pay for their wedding together and not with his dad's money. It makes it awkward if they say no to something Adam wants, with him potentially holding it against them.
I did have a feeling watching this episode that it was directed by Jenny Han. She revealed during the promotion of the season that she made her directorial debut this season but didn't specify which episode. The whole episode felt so different. The camera, cinematography, lighting, editing, and especially colouring, all felt better quality. This episode was extremely warm toned compared to past episodes, making it feel more comforting. The episode takes place in Conrad’s point of view and him and Belly’s day together. And in Conrad’s eyes, Belly is the sun, glowing. Honestly, it's a really perfect episode.
However, Jenny Han what were you thinking with that peach scene? At first I thought it was a Call Me By Your Name bit but then I remembered what actually happens in that scene. I have now learned that it is a very important book scene but it felt so awkward watching that. What was the purpose of zooming into Belly's face while the juice drips down her face? Just awkward and I'm sure every viewer felt that way too after what Conrad does in that scene.
The music this episode was also really different compared to the past episode soundtracks this season. It was more old, classic songs than current pop hits. This was definitely intentional because of how Belly and Conrad are. They are a classic and timeless pair like the songs this episode. Things aren’t weird between them. They can enjoy each others company without having to be together doing something. Belly and Jeremiah are new and exciting but after a while, it’ll start to get boring and repetitive, like a pop song. We haven’t seen their entire relationship these past 4 years but if Belly is still compromising to make Jeremiah happy, it’s going to build up resentment inside of her. We haven’t seen her get upset yet over how he treats her but I think it will happen soon.
This episode was genuinely amazing. The best part was hearing the book quote ‘I’d rather shoot myself in the head with a nail gun than see him touching her like that”. It was such a popular quote on tiktok while waiting for season 3. to hear that was literally amazing, I was dying.
Rating: 10/10
Episode 6 Predictions: Belly’s bridal shower. There’s a scene in the trailer where Taylor gets upset at Conrad for wanting Belly so that’s going to happen. There were also leaks online where Laurel will come around to being at Belly’s wedding by attending the bridal shower. Since Adam accepted the idea this episode, Laurel may be on the same path as well.
Steven and Denise seem to get closer after New York. It could be shown by them not being as insulting to each other at work.
Episode 7: Last Hurrah
August 20, 2025
Episode 7 shows Belly and Jeremiah's Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. Both their college friends come to Cousins the weekend before the wedding to celebrate the couple's last moments being single before committing to each other. They all spend the day together at the house playing games. Steven invites Denise along for the weekend. Both are getting closer to each other after the last episode, where Steven and Denise agreed to start a company together. Taylor notices and encourages Steven to pursue Denise romantically.
Laurel, John, Adam, and Kayleigh, Adam's new girlfriend/mistress, all run into each other at the hotel they're staying at. Adam starts joking about the wedding, causing everyone to be uncomfortable. Laurel is already unhappy because Kayleigh is there instead of Susannah. John tries to console Laurel by telling her to be nice for the weekend. Laurel and John go out for dinner, where they reminisce about old memories. Laurel is to spend the night with John, but he initially says no because she criticized the last time they were together. He then agrees after she promises not to shame them for being together again.
In the evening, everyone is getting ready to go out for a separate bar crawl around town. While getting ready, Belly and Jeremiah share an intimate moment, but Belly doesn't seem too interested and wants to focus on getting ready. Belly is starting to feel more doubtful this episode about the wedding after the last episode's moment where she felt attracted to Conrad. Belly asks Jeremiah to see her at the beach when the night ends.
After, everyone starts to go out with the girls going to one bar and the guys going to another. Taylor and Anika decide to drink and take some gummies at the first bar. Belly and Taylor have a conversation outside where Belly thanks Taylor for bringing her mom to the bridal shower in the last episode. Taylor denies doing that, which leaves Belly to question how her mom came after being against the wedding. The guys and girls all run into each other outside, and Belly asks Conrad if he convinced Laurel to come to the wedding. He says he did so that Belly could have the wedding she pictured. Belly feels confused by this. The guys all leave and Belly asks Taylor to take a gummy to clear her mind. The girls head to a club, where Belly freaks out about everything and reveals that she's always pictured Conrad at the altar with her. Taylor decides to end the night and bring everyone back to the house.
The guys are heavily drinking, and Steven leaves early to spend time with Denise. Jeremiah talks to Conrad about how he doesn't have to take care of him anymore because Belly's there, and they can take care of each other. Conrad leaves and comes back to everyone drunk and making a toast. One of Jeremiah's friends brings up Lacie, the girl Jeremiah cheated with, leading Conrad to learn about Jeremiah's cheating. Angry, Conrad storms to talk to Jeremiah, but Jeremiah runs past him to throw up in the bathroom.
At the end of a long night, the guys come back to the house wasted and sleep the night off. Taylor has a conversation with her mom over the phone, and her mom asks about Steven and them getting back together. Taylor gets upset because her mom keeps pushing her to be with Steven and says that she doesn't want to be like her. Taylor apologizes immediately, but her mom is upset and hangs up the phone. Belly is waiting at the beach when she sees Conrad. Conrad tells Belly about the cheating, and she says she already knew and still wants to marry him. Conrad judges her for her decision and then confesses his love for her. He asks her to be with him instead of his brother. Belly says no and heads back to the house, crying. She tries to see if Jeremiah is awake and waits for him for the rest of the night.
There were some memorable moments in this episode, mainly focusing on Belly and Conrad. Everything is unraveling between the two and Jeremiah. One moment in this episode is when Conrad confesses to Belly to be with him. The scene shares a song from a scene in the first season, 'when the party's over' by Billie Eilish playing in the background. That was a fun catch and left me wondering how the two scenes are connected. I assume they have the same tone, with Belly rejecting Conrad but still wanting him. Another memorable moment for me is when Belly sees a montage of her and Conrad in her head while we can't be friends by Ariana Grande plays. I think it's a very cliché scene that we're used to seeing in other movies and shows. The montage shows how Belly still thinks about Conrad and feels closer to him, since she loved him for a decade. We did see a montage of Jeremiah and her in the second episode however, she was mourning at that time. There is a greater weight to Belly's choices and relationships in this season compared to last season. Things are starting to feel more serious between Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad. Belly is starting to realize this when she reveals to Taylor that all she pictured her wedding with Conrad, but instead, she's with Jeremiah.
Conrad deals with some jealousy and resentment towards his brother because of Belly, him starting to act like their dad, and his immature nature. We see it starting to come up in the last episode when Jeremiah sides with his dad on bringing his mistress/new girlfriend to the wedding. (Granted, Jeremiah doesn't know that his dad cheated.) And in this episode as well, when Jeremiah reveals he'll continue working at Breaker while taking classes online. This left me wondering how he plans to tell Belly after asking her to not study abroad so she could be with him. Also, this would hinder their plans to live on campus, which is something Belly wanted. Now with the new knowledge of Jeremiah cheating, Conrad no longer believes he can help his brother, a promise he made to their mom. Jeremiah has been painted in a really bad light this season with his selfishness and immaturity. He was also like this in the last seasons. An example of him being immature is when he interrupts the ballroom dance lesson in season one. But since he's now more of a main character this season than he used to be, we see more of his personality, which isn't that great.
Do I have an opinion on this episode? Not really. I personally hated Jeremiah in this episode. I think he feels threatened by Conrad and Belly, though Belly has proven herself time after time that she only wants him. It shows the insecurities Jeremiah has in his relationship and life. In the episode, Jeremiah brings up Conrad not having to be there for him anymore, now that he and Belly have each other to take care of. I get being uncomfortable about having an ex stay with your fiancé, but Belly reassured him that nothing was happening. She even chose to spend two weeks with Jeremiah because she wanted to be with him. Also, I hated the dance routine the guys had for the reception. It was oversexualized and feels way too childish and trashy.
I am getting kind of bored with the show. I still wait for a new episode each week, but I can't really predict or think about what'll happen next. I don't really have an idea of what's going on with the side characters like Steven, Taylor, and Denise. Oh, and one thing, Laurel has gotten back with her ex-husband twice this season and then pushes him away. So I see where Belly gets it from. They're both complex characters with their issues, but to see Laurel praised for her common sense and Belly to be hated against when they both are similar doesn't feel good to me. Laurel did realize she made a mistake by marrying young and doesn't want the same for Belly, but she also has never brought it up and explained her reasoning. Laurel instead yelled at Belly without talking it through. It's a thought I had after watching the show and seeing all the backlash Belly faces.
Rating: 6/10
Episode 8 predictions: Rehearsal dinner potentially? I'm not really too sure how the season will end. I do know Belly will end up going to Paris, and after returning, she reconnects with Conrad. Steven and Denise realize they're not good together and choose to stay business partners and friends. Taylor tries to make her move again with Steven. Maybe Laurel will find out about the cheating in this episode. Who knows?
Episode 9: Last Call
September 3, 2025
This episode shows the characters in a dark place and a sense of uncertainty about what lies ahead. The story has now separated them, leaving no room for connection. Belly and Jeremiah have completely ended their relationship and friendship. Jeremiah and Conrad have an estranged relationship after the last episode, where Jeremiah says Conrad is dead to him. Things won’t be the same between the three of them with this much history. Forgiveness would be really difficult.
I think it is really sad to see how damaged they all are. I was thinking about how things were in the first and second seasons, where the three of them mended their relationships after Belly and Conrad's relationship and Susannah's passing. They’ve always been in each other’s lives, and now all of the kids have to learn to move on and be their own people.
I was really scared to see Belly alone after learning that she didn’t have a spot reserved for her in the study abroad program. It was really worrying to see how she’s going to take care of herself on a new continent without any support, money, or housing. It was good to see her determined in her choice of staying in Paris. It worked out for her because of the new friends she met while looking for her backpack. I think that was a really good scene for Belly. She proved herself to be strong and smart.
There is a lot of empathy for Jeremiah in the past two episodes. He has faced a lot of grief since his senior year of high school, with Belly and Conrad’s relationship, his mom's passing away, and his insecurities. We now see a broken boy who has no direction in his life or anyone to lean on for emotional support. I think to see Adam, his dad, finally reach out to him at the end of the episode is really fitting, considering they’re both alike. Adam has gone through the pain of losing his wife and not having anybody on your side and rooting against you. Jeremiah feels that way with everyone because of how they all reacted to the engagement and wedding in the first place. And to now admit that the wedding was a mistake and hurt people is hard because of how much he believed it was right. It’s shown with his conversation with Laurel, where he shuts her out and brings up how happy she must be that she’s getting what she wanted.
Conrad is faced with a dilemma of being there for his family and putting his feelings aside, or being strong and walking away from everything he’s ever known. His conversation with Adam at the end of the episode puts things into perspective for Conrad, where he has to let Jeremiah be and not fix the problem. He struggles with the idea but caves in and leaves for California. I see why Conrad tried to be there for his brother because of how he has always been in this position of taking care of the younger kids. All of them consider Conrad to be strong, mature, and capable, and Conrad internalized this and made it his personality. It’s been shown throughout the whole show since they were kids. Conrad helped Belly with her bike, helped Steven and Jeremiah with the deb ball, and saved the summer house. To know that he can’t fix the problem and has to give up hurts him, but helps him grow for the future.
There is one happy moment in the episode, which is seeing Steven and Taylor get back together. They both have gone through their own personal journeys and problems this season. Taylor felt like she wasn’t good enough for Steven and had a harsh personality to protect herself. Steven went through a quarter-life crisis, figuring out who he wants to be. It was pretty cliché for them to get back together, but it was expected. I think for them to go through the challenges they’ve faced this season with family and future helped them realize what was important to them. So at least they got a happy ending. Taylor was really well written this season and had more of a character arc. I really enjoyed watching her scenes and getting a glimpse of her life.
Some things I liked in this episode were one line later in the episode, which was ‘You don't make it through your 20's without inflicting some damage. Otherwise you haven't lived’. This is an eye-opening time for Belly, where she has to come to terms with who she is, what she's done, and learn how to take care of herself. It’s also a very relatable line to anyone since everyone struggles in finding out who they are. Another thing I liked was Jeremiah’s outfit at the end of the episode. It was a really simple outfit, but it does make him look a little more mature. I think it’s fitting, considering how he now has to step up after extending his internship at Breaker and calling off his wedding.
Overall, I think this episode was dull in some moments, but it does show the characters at square one in trying to rebuild their life and figure out who they all are. Now that there is nothing between them, they have to learn their own identities, strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
Rating: 7.5/10
Episode 10 predictions: We see a montage of Belly becoming more familiar in Paris and travelling around Europe. Conrad in therapy making the decision to pursue Belly again. Taylor and Steven visiting Belly in Paris for New Year's. And the letters.
