Spoilers ahead, summer sweeties!

It’s been over a month since Belly chose Conrad, and the mass-hysteria surrounding The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) (2022) died down—briefly, of course, before the news of The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie (2026) came out, and the screaming returned anew.

It’s easy to discount this show as just a show, reserved exclusively for teenage girls. As I’ve always said, however, the teenage girl is the ultimate, most influential target audience, with the most satisfying and truthful interactions with pop-culture. It should come as no surprise then, that TSITP became the experience of the summer (our winter) for everyone, with people on the edge of their seats and tugging against this love triangle. People gathered on couches and in bars every Wednesday, and squeals of delight, shock and genuine anguish were heard around the world. Paired with its unbelievable soundtrack and dashing heartthrobs at the centre, TSITP is popular for a reason.

The series was barrelling toward the undeniable endgame: Conrad (Chris Briney) and Belly (Lola Tung), with the minor obstacle of Jeremiah (and a cancelled wedding). However, it took a little too long to get here. For a final season wherein we were promised “no filler episodes”, they sure do have a ton of filler storylines. Whilst watching the final season, storylines—like Taylor (Rain Spencer) and Lucinda’s (Kristen Connolly) struggling relationship through a failing business or Denise (Isabella Briggs) and Steven’s (Sean Kaufman) budding, ultimately unsuccessful romance—were overlooked for what they ultimately revealed themselves to be: unnecessary. Neither of these storylines contributed in a specifically beneficial way by the end of the season. Taylor and Lucinda were closer than ever, and our secondary endgame, Taylor and Steven, were basically guaranteed anyway. And not to discredit the art of the “flat-arc”, but Lucinda’s childishness as a mother did become tiresome and weary. In fairness, all of these characters ended in the exact right spot regardless. The journey to get there needed some fast-forwarding, though.

Speaking of fast-forwarding, and a critique noted frequently, is this four year jump. What should be considered an undertone of yearning from Conrad transforms to a desperate obsession—only offset by the fact that he and Belly end up together. I think they spent a lot of the season painting Conrad and Jeremiah on opposite ends of “healed”—one brother stepped away, went to therapy, then later unravelled, whilst the latter bottled up his emotions and stayed close to the source of the hurt. As they come to this centre, which is both Belly and Cousins Beach, they devolve into their respective bad behaviour. Four years seem to have done no good for the siblings, and maybe a closer timeframe would inch toward the more realistic reason for their emotional discomfort: they are young.

That being said, Conrad and Jeremiah’s reunion at their mother’s grave is perhaps one of the most moving scenes of the season, and the true catharsis we have been needing. Even more so than Belly and Jeremiah’s break up, or Belly and Conrad getting together. This made the story feel whole again, like the steps toward all of their futures were being taken. Above everything, it’s all Susannah wanted.

But what about what Belly wanted? Oh, Belly, for all of your terrible decision making (or lack thereof), and fleeing to Paris, you are such a magical character. By far the most thought-out and nuanced character of the series, she offers insight to the breakdowns and build-ups in a particularly turbulent coming of age. I don’t think people are ready for the discussion that Belly wasn’t entirely the problem, that she was stupidly in love, and blinded by her own emotions. It’s not fair to degrade her and hold her to unattainable moral standards. She was just a kid making bad decisions, confused in ongoing bouts of grief, and a serious trauma bond with an equally confused Jeremiah. Her growth in moving to Paris was perhaps the most beautiful and also the most necessary. I certainly wish an episode wasn’t wasted on her chasing after a suitcase, but the episodes following were stunningly carved around the life she was building. That messaging, of how far you can go emotionally once you have physically gone far, is one of the most validating and important for young women.

I can’t leave without giving this cast their acting chops: their growth in the last three seasons is unbelievable, and specifically the breakdown of the wedding: the heartbroken conversations, the lovey-dovey flirting and anger-fuelled screaming matches were all equally, perfectly portrayed. From Briney’s Darcey-esque hand-flexes to Tung’s pushing and kicking feet, longing of all kinds were perfectly captured in the micro-expressions. A narrative based on their physicality and longing was built, surmising, of course, in the taxi-ride heard around the world. Each actor seemed to interrogate their characters with great fervour, which makes me all the more excited for the movie.

The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie is, of course, bound to the meteoric success seen in the series. With the shows’ cultural economy at its greatest height, capitalising off a long-form romcom might be perfect for a particularly dried-up romcom market. It’ll be interesting to see the next phase of each characters’ life, especially considering their arcs were rounded out pretty satisfyingly in the show. What’s left to desire? Maybe an extended cut of the taxi-stairwell-bedroom pipeline? It’s certainly what Susannah would’ve wanted.