The Summer I Turned Pretty ending explained: Who does Belly choose?

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The finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty has finally arrived, and is aptly named, At Last.

The third season, adapted from Jenny Han’s books, has been difficult for viewers to watch. Belly’s decision to marry Jeremiah intensified the rivalry between the Fisher brothers and further complicated the central love triangle.

Just before their wedding, after Conrad had been unfaithful, he confessed a surprising truth: he was still in love with Belly.

By the finale, Belly has removed herself entirely from the situation.

The Summer I Turned Pretty ending explained

Belly moved to Paris, reinventing herself with a fresh new haircut after saying goodbye to both Jeremiah and Conrad. However, Conrad unexpectedly followed her, going to her apartment and waiting. When Belly returned, she arrived with a man named Benito, who appeared to be her boyfriend. They shared a kiss, and Conrad then left, leaving Belly free to finally reconnect with him.

After the initial surprise, they share a slightly uncomfortable hug. Conrad explains he’s in Brussels for a conference and wanted to quickly visit before Belly’s birthday. Belly seems hesitant at first, but then suggests they spend the day exploring the city before his train leaves.

Feeling nervous, she applies lipstick, then immediately feels silly for bothering, thinking she’ll just see him briefly and let him go. At the same time, in Boston, Jeremiah is getting ready to host a dinner party, with Denise and Taylor assisting as he establishes himself as a promising new chef.

Jeremiah tells Denise that Conrad is in Paris. He admits waiting to find out was difficult, but he’s relieved knowing they’re together now after all this time. While talking about getting a new couch for their place, Denise surprises him with the news that she and Steven are moving to San Francisco – their project has received funding.

I was so happy for her when she shared the news, but she quickly asked me to keep it quiet – apparently Steven hadn’t told Taylor yet. And right on cue, there she was, Taylor, walking in!

Everything fell apart when they discovered the dinner venue was leaking, leaving Taylor incredibly upset. She and Denise had a disagreement because Denise hadn’t mentioned the change of plans. Eventually, they teamed up to find a new location, and Denise proposed using Jeremiah’s house in Cousins. After some hesitation, Jeremiah agreed, and they began the process of moving and preparing for the dinner there.

Okay, so the movie wraps up jumping between Boston and Paris. We see Belly and Conrad doing the whole tourist thing on a bus, and honestly, the chemistry is *still* there – Conrad can’t help but keep looking at her. It’s a lot of flashbacks to their past summers, which is sweet, but also a little sad. They try to make small talk, it’s super awkward, but then Conrad says something really vulnerable – he wishes he could see Paris through Belly’s eyes. It’s a nice moment, even if it’s a little heavy.

I absolutely loved this scene! She completely throws their planned tour aside and takes him to this hidden rooftop overlooking all of Paris. It’s where she finally explains that *seeing* Paris from above is when everything made sense to her. And Conrad? He gets it immediately, comparing it to how we understand the human body – all those individual parts feel chaotic on their own, but when you see it as a complete system, it just *clicks*.

He expected her to make fun of him for being a bit of a geek, but instead, she playfully said he briefly looked like his younger self. This created a sweet, intimate moment between them, and Conrad began to notice how at home she seemed in Paris. She confessed it hadn’t been easy adjusting, and she’d initially felt foolish due to the language difficulties. But she remembered his description of the Pacific – feeling like you were on another planet where anything could happen – and realized that’s exactly how Paris felt for her.

Conrad points out to Belly that she’s always been fiercely competitive and courageous – her mom even jokingly called her a “feral ally cat,” meaning she always fights for what she wants. He suggests Paris didn’t have a chance against that spirit. After their honest conversation, Belly asks Conrad to join a small dinner party her friends are having to celebrate her upcoming birthday, and he accepts.

Taylor and Denise are busy decorating back at the Cousins house when Steven arrives, and tension immediately rises between him and Taylor. She hasn’t told him she already knows about the San Francisco trip, and things start to feel chaotic. Despite the issues, they manage to pull things together. Taylor recruits Steven’s fraternity brothers to help as servers and goes shopping for ramekins. Once she’s gone, Jeremiah lets Steven know that Taylor was already aware of the San Francisco plans.

Conrad is captivated by Belly’s little black dress and takes in everything about her apartment – her books, photos, and even pictures of the boy she’d been with on a bike ride. He feels a little awkward until his eyes land on the stuffed bear he won for her at the fair, which makes him feel more at ease.

During dinner, everyone greeted Belly in French, and she finally got a good look at Conrad Fisher, who Benito playfully called a ‘legend.’ Benito joked that they’d all heard a lot about her. Her friends were immediately charmed by Conrad’s unexpected appearance and hoped he and Belly would become a couple. However, Conrad felt a little excluded as Belly sat with Benito, sharing a close and private conversation after he’d sent her a revealing, sun-drenched photo of her in bed.

Benito finally asks why Conrad is in Paris, and the group starts questioning whether Conrad is the bad guy. Belly surprisingly claims *she* is. The tension eases when Celine points out Benito is upset because Belly broke up with him six weeks prior. They playfully bicker, with Belly teasing Benito about teaching her to ride a scooter, and Conrad retorting that he taught her to ride a bike.

During dinner, Jeremiah’s dad shows up, and Denise encourages him to stay positive, assuring him his efforts will pay off and things won’t fall apart. They have a touching moment, but Denise quickly redirects him back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Belly and Conrad shared a sweet moment at the table as she opened presents, and her friends playfully joked in French that Conrad was the best gift of all. She noticed he remembered everything she’d ever told him. He explained that he wanted to bring a piece of Cousins Beach to her birthday, since she’d celebrated every birthday there, and gave her a small vial of sand to remind him of home when he was feeling lonely. She kissed his cheek, then made a wish and blew out the candles on her cake.

Laurel is happy Jeremiah’s dad is around, even though his jokes are terrible, because she appreciates his effort. Everyone raises a glass to Belly, and then Taylor and Steven get into an argument in the kitchen, leading Jeremiah to ask them to leave. Taylor is hurt that Steven didn’t ask her to move with him, especially since their relationship is serious, and Steven explains he didn’t want to put her in a position of moving for him when she’d already done that for Boston. They clarify that she wants to move *with* him, not *for* him, and they make up, declaring their relationship is ‘fate’ and deciding to move to San Francisco together.

Walking home together under the moonlight, Belly and Conrad kick off her birthday celebrations. Conrad tells Belly he initially thought she was unhappy in Paris, but now realizes she’s built a wonderful life there. Belly explains she first felt lonely as if she were being punished, but she’s much happier now. Conrad also lets her know that Jeremiah is aware he’s in Paris, which puts Belly at ease.

Everyone enjoyed the food at Jeremiah’s dinner, and Denise tried the dessert to give him feedback. She raved about it, telling him it was perfect, and encouraged him to stop worrying so much about his brother, right before he kissed her. Afterwards, Jeremiah gave a speech thanking everyone for coming, and his dad expressed how incredibly proud he’s always been of him.

Belly and Conrad share a dance by the Seine, fondly remembering their disastrous prom night. Belly confesses she didn’t respond to Conrad’s messages, hoping to get over him. He asks if she’s succeeded, and they share a kiss. The scene then cuts to a montage of them passionately kissing in a taxi, accompanied by Taylor Swift’s song “Dress,” as they head back to Belly’s apartment.

Belly admits she wished for him on every birthday, and he playfully replies that she’s ‘stuck with him forever,’ which surprisingly makes her uneasy.

She asked about his departure, but he mentioned he was considering skipping the conference. She told him not to alter his plans on her account, as she wouldn’t do the same for him. He acknowledged her point, but she went to the bathroom. When she returned, she urged him to catch the next train, which left at 5am in an hour.

He suggests getting breakfast together, but she quickly rejects the idea. Conrad then asks what’s bothering her, and Belly confesses she’s unsure why he’s even there or what he wants. He tells her he’s in love with her and asks if she feels the same way.

She claims she feels the same way, but she’s unsure if his mother’s wish for them to be together is influencing things. She wonders if his mother were still alive, he might not feel so strongly. Belly admits she wishes she could be as certain about her feelings as he is, but she simply isn’t. Overwhelmed, he gets dressed and leaves, visibly upset.

Belly looks at an old photo her mom sent – a silly picture of her sticking her tongue out. It makes her realize that even though she thought she needed to change, she still loves who she is at her core. She recognizes that she’s still the same girl, and despite any mistakes she’s made, she still accepts and loves herself. She fondly thinks, “I have brown hair and brown eyes, and I love him.”

Okay, so there’s this scene in *The Summer I Turned Pretty* that just *gets* me. Taylor Swift’s ‘Out of the Woods’ is playing, and Belly is having a total rom-com moment – running all over Paris, hailing a taxi, desperately trying to reach Conrad. It’s so classic! She’s racing along the train platform, checking every single car until she finally finds him, and he’s clearly upset. Then, she just walks up and, with this perfect mix of hope and nervousness, asks, ‘Is this seat taken?’ Honestly, it gave me chills!

Finally, Belly tells Conrad what viewers have been waiting for throughout the series: she chooses him. She declares that, no matter what, in every possible world, she would always choose him. She’s wearing the infinity necklace he gave her, and they share a kiss, both expressing their love for each other.

Back home, the happy atmosphere continues as everyone celebrates Jeremiah’s great night. He and Denise are clearly enjoying each other’s company, holding hands under the table, and Steven and Taylor appear deeply in love.

Belly narrates that she didn’t return to Cousins Beach immediately, but she did eventually go back. Conrad gives them a ride home, and they walk into the house together, embracing in the backyard as the camera pulls away.

The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video.

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2025-09-17 15:07