‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Episode 10 review: “Last Year”

Time and space were exactly what Betty needed post-engagement. Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty showed how the characters were impacted by the called-off wedding. Instead of the raw reaction, “Last Year” chronicled an entire year in the life of Belly’s time away. A year to adapt to her new locale, a year to reset with new friends, and a year to grow. “Last Year” was a clear sign of how life could be, and what it was, for our favorite characters.

The girl who chose Paris.

One of the strongest aspects about post-engagement Belly (or Isabel, to her new Parisian friends) was how she stood by her boundaries and decisions. Belly choosing to stay in Paris after her failed enrollment caused plenty of lingering questions that needed solving (e.g., her visa, money, job, etc.). But it was a good sign to see her try, a newfound determination to make everything work. She hated her roommates, had to work several jobs, and struggled with the language, but she stuck with it to not give up. Even with the emotional homesickness during Thanksgiving, Belly didn’t throw in the towel … and that deserves her some credit.

Belly, for most of The Summer I Turned Pretty, stayed in a dream-like, romanticized space. Between her love for Conrad/Jeremiah, romance, her future, and even heading to Paris, she went all in without acknowledging the consequences. Here, she had to rely on her actions and motivations to have the life she wanted. Being in Paris, especially surrounded by new people and scenarios, has been good for her.

For instance, her voiceover about practicing her French showed a more mature and determined side of her. She knew that people would speak English, but she made a point to learn and try. Belly wanted to form the connections; a chance to create a home and feel like she belonged in the city. And that mindset encompassed everything she did, like who she talked to back home and how she was moving on in her life in Paris. Belly is taking the right steps to grow.

Romance in the City of Lights.

Out of the men Belly has dated, Benito is a good rebound for her. He’s close enough in the friend group, so everyone can vouch for him as a good person to date. He’s clearly handsome, and they have great romantic and sexual chemistry together. And he’s sprinkled a dash of Christmas romance to sweep her off her feet. But the best part of their relationship: Belly has been very clear about her expectations and boundaries.

Let’s say this upfront: her setting a boundary with Benito isn’t a sign that she’s holding space for Conrad or Jeremiah. This has nothing to do with them – it’s all about Belly and where she’s at emotionally/physically/mentally. She recognizes that, right now, there is a chance she’ll be returning home, so their relationship might have an expiration date. Plus, she’s coming off a 4-year relationship, so a passionate romance in Paris could be exactly what she needs to heal. Benito clearly likes Belly, but she’s not using him; she’s been very open about possibilities for her life within the year.

The same goes for her communication with Jeremiah. It’s great that the pair mended fences and found a good place to have a friendship again. A 4-year relationship isn’t something that can easily be forgotten; they loved each other and had considered a future together. Both of them acknowledging that they needed to let each other go romantically was a healthy and mature sign; it was their chance to start their next phase as friends/family. Plus, it was their form of closure that needed to happen, the ending of their story.

Like father, not like son.

Speaking of Jeremiah, he’s not off the hook for his messy behavior during “Last Year”. It’s one thing to rebound, but it’s another to go on an emotionally-driven hookup bender. Steven and Taylor were absolutely right – Jeremiah needed to get it together. Using others as an outlet wasn’t going to be a healthy bandage to heal his wounds. By the end of “Last Year,” Jeremiah is seemingly in a better place, so there’s a chance he’s learned from his mistakes to become an adult. (And a potential partner for Denise, if those romantic vibes come into place.)

Jeremiah’s behavior with the parents was also in the grey zone. On one side, I loved that he apologized and made amends with Laurel. Laurel was still wrong for consistently siding with Conrad and not being there for Jeremiah in the past; none of “Last Year” takes away from those past actions. However, we can acknowledge that both things are right: a loving mother-figure relationship with Laurel, and recognizing where Jeremiah was discarded in the past. She truly seemed to care about him and understood his pain during the holidays.

On the other hand, the Adam situation was messy. Did Adam think he deserved a medal or something? Absolutely, Jeremiah was trash for not communicating that he didn’t go back to school, especially after needing an extra semester. However, can you blame him for not revealing after everything his father has done? Adam has always chastised and berated him for his actions, even when he was a child and teenager, and compared him unhealthily to Conrad. Jeremiah finally speaking his feelings about how Adam hurt him was a long time coming. While it got him cut off financially, it also pushed him to find his career passion and establish himself as his own person, someone away from the need to get Adam’s approval.

You’ve got mail.

Conrad, during “Last Year,” is a complex case, a thread woven into a ball of good and bad decisions. Starting the apology tour was a good starting point; he seemed genuinely sorry at times for hurting the people in his life. It’ll take a while for his loved ones, like Steven, to be comfortable around him again – and rightfully so. Laurel may understand the situation, but there are bigger threads at play.

It might be surprising for many to hear, but Conrad had a few strong arguments during his reunion and forgiveness with Jeremiah. Like, how he didn’t come back to Cousins Beach with the malicious intent to break up the engagement – that developed naturally on its own. Or how the engagement had another meaning due to the Christmas lie. Conrad influenced his part in everything, but he can’t be blamed for the decisions that Belly and Jeremiah made. Their lack of communication and poor decisions also led to their outcome.

Where Conrad lost me, however, was his decisions regarding Belly in Paris. The letters were a fine line that both respected and disrespected her boundaries. If she wanted to talk to Conrad, she could’ve easily done it at any time, but since she didn’t, she made it clear she didn’t want to speak with him. But she also didn’t communicate to stop sending the letters, so there’s an implied acceptance to this. Belly was fine in this controlled grey zone with boundaries.

However, Conrad changing his flight and heading to Paris to see her is 100% against her boundaries. Why not reach out to her to ask if she wants to see him? After she finally decides to write him back (via a postcard!), he makes the decision himself. Not Belly. Himself. If she wanted to see him, she would’ve messaged him, called him, or even included in the postcard that she wanted to speak. The postcard was vague enough to set her intentions of where she was in her position, where she is in her life away from him. This flight is, once again, a selfish choice by him to get what he wants without thinking about where Belly is and what she wants. Conrad, once again, goes for a big romantic grand gesture to make up for the lack of consideration he has for Belly’s agency.

Overall.

“Last Year” was a refreshing chapter for The Summer I Turned Pretty; their chance to find closure in many of the plots and romances that came before. Plus, “Last Year” created a fresh start for the characters to heal, especially for Belly as an adult in Paris. With only one episode left in the series, we’ll have to see who ends up with a happy ending, and if the ending will stay similar to the book’s ending, too.

The Summer I Turned Pretty airs new episodes on Wednesdays on Prime Video.