**Editor’s Note**: This article encapsulates the pivotal moments from the initial two episodes of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3.
With the commencement of the highly awaited final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” there is plenty to delve into, and we’re not just talking about Belly’s (played by Lola Tung) college duffle bag. Released on Wednesday by Prime TV, the first two episodes of this romantic, love-triangle-infused series resume after a significant four-year leap, revealing Belly in her junior year at Finch College—a fictional institution—alongside her boyfriend, Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). Meanwhile, his older sibling and Belly’s ex, Conrad (Christopher Briney), has embarked on a journey to become a doctor at Stanford University.
Although Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship maintains a strong momentum, there remains an underlying tension regarding the ever-present love triangle amongst the brothers. Interestingly, this aspect, while critical, shifts to the background in the first episodes of the season. The drama unfolds primarily outside Cousins Beach, aside from several flashbacks, focusing instead on a crisis that emerges between Jeremiah and Belly. The upheaval occurs when Belly uncovers that Jeremiah had cheated on her during a spring break trip to Cabo, echoing a famously contentious “we were on a break” moment reminiscent of the characters Rachel Green and Ross Geller from the iconic “Friends.”
The miscommunication resulting in Jeremiah’s infidelity stems from the belief he held that they were broken up during the Cabo trip—whereas Belly firmly disagreed. This misunderstanding indeed sets the stage for turbulent emotional conflicts, and expectations arise among devoted fans to see how these scenarios play out.
In recognition of the fervent discourse likely to arise from these plot developments, the series preemptively reached out to its viewer community through a public post on its official X page. This message urged fans to maintain kindness in their discussions, emphasizing that any engagement stemming from hate speech, bullying, or harassment toward cast members or within the audience community would face consequences.
Lola Tung shed light on the popularity of love triangles in her recent interview with *Teen Vogue*, wherein she acknowledged viewers’ emotional investment in the characters and their desire for a satisfactory conclusion to the romantic entanglements. This dedication from the audience can sometimes border on intense, prompting a delicate balance between fan enthusiasm and civility.
The emotions attached to these characters are palpable and will undoubtedly intensify as the season unfolds—especially after the dramatic conclusion of episode two, where Jeremiah surprises Belly with a marriage proposal under flawed circumstances. This is crucial, as it occurs under dramatic conditions following a significant hospitalization incident involving Belly’s brother, Steven (Sean Kaufman), due to a car accident, which ultimately serves as a catalyst for the couple’s emotional reconciliation.
In the immediate aftermath of the hospital incident, with encouragement from her friend Taylor (Rain Spencer), Belly finds it in her heart to forgive Jeremiah for his transgression. The pivotal scene outside the hospital reveals Jeremiah’s earnest question of marriage, wedged between heartfelt exchanges of promises of fidelity and a shouted “never hurt me like that again.”
Despite not presenting a ring at the moment (which some viewers noted as an important detail), the proposal arrives almost chillingly right after her brother recovers from a medically induced coma. The unexpectedness of this timing adds to the intrigue of the episode, resulting in Belly saying “yes.”
Book readers were likely aware of this twist, yet even so, witnessing it play out on-screen retained a degree of cringe-worthy discomfort. While acknowledging that every individual is capable of missteps, there is a persistent belief that Belly deserves a different kind of love—perhaps one not entangled in the complexities brought by Jeremiah.
Interestingly, Jenny Han, the author behind the original book series, remarked in a *People* magazine interview that the question of whether Jeremiah’s actions constituted “cheating” is open to interpretation, showcasing the nuanced depth of the narrative. Our engagement with this storyline reflects the exceptional performances by the cast, inciting strong reactions, as long as they are mingled with respect and decorum.
New episodes of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 can be streamed every Wednesday, leading up to the series finale slated for September 17. The journey of Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad promises to provoke plenty of intriguing discussions as it reaches its emotional conclusion.
