Chhavi Jain 
Besties, we made it. After a season of peaches, heartbreak, Paris drama, and more Fisher-boy tears than anyone deserved, The Summer I Turned Pretty dropped its finale—and wow. Messy? Yes. Emotional? Absolutely. Satisfying? For the most part. Let’s unpack.
HOC Rating for Season 3 & Entire Series – ★★★1/2
First of all, can we just appreciate Taylor’s glow-up? From Season 1’s sass-pot sidekick to the mature, emotionally intelligent queen of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Taylor’s arc has been chef’s kiss. She and Steven officially became the highlight of the show for me—chaotic, playful, and yet so rooted in genuine love that they actually gave us something worth rooting for. While Belly spent three seasons circling the Fisher boys like a confused moth, Taylor went ahead and gave us romance goals. Growth, babe.
But hold up—Belly dumped Benito?? The Paris boy with the effortless charm? Yep, she tossed him aside like last summer’s flip-flops, because of course, all roads lead back to Conrad. Which brings me to the romantic fireworks this finale handed us. That moment when Belly asked, “Do you memorize every little thing I’ve ever said?” and Conrad, with his soft, aching voice, replied, “Yes.” Instant goosebumps. That’s the kind of dialogue that rewrites fanfiction in our heads for weeks.
And then—the cake scene. The candles glowing, Belly and Conny’s faces lit in golden light—it was simple, intimate, and ridiculously romantic. But nothing topped Conrad saying, “I like being under the same moon as you again.” Excuse me while I scream into my pillow. That’s poetry. That’s Conrad Fisher at his most devastatingly perfect. And when he later confessed, “I have changed everything about myself, but the one thing that never changes is that I love you”—ugh, besties, that was IT. The moment. The line that sealed him as the broody king of Cousins Beach forever.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah wasn’t left out completely. His blossoming connection with Denise took a sweet turn with that romantic kiss—unexpected, yes, but also kind of healing? He needed someone outside of the Belly-Fisher trauma loop, and honestly, good for him.
The finale also delivered Belly’s long-overdue moment of clarity: she finally admitted she’s been the villain in this story. And thank God. Watching her realize that she and Conrad needed to love each other because they chose to, not because Susannah (may she rest) wove it into their destinies, was refreshing. Because let’s be real—Susannah was the problem all along, romanticizing and pushing these kids into corners they weren’t ready for.
And then, as if the universe wanted to reward us for surviving all this angst, the episode closed on Out Of The Woods by Taylor Swift. Belly and Conrad, framed in love, pain, and the promise of something real. Romantic. Bittersweet. Iconic.
So where do I stand? Taylor and Steven—show-stealers. Jeremiah—finally free. Conrad—forever the boy who memorized every word. Belly—well, at least she faced her villain era head-on. The season wasn’t perfect, but the finale wrapped it in glowing candles and heartfelt confessions.
Final rating? 7/10. Not flawless, but undeniably romantic—and just enough to leave me crying, smiling, and texting “besties, we survived” to the group chat.
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