‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Episode 8 review: “Last Kiss”

Emotions ran high on what should’ve been Belly and Jeremiah’s special day. But did we imagine anything else?! Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty fulfilled all of our prophecies by calling off the wedding. You knew it was going to happen. We knew it. The pacing basically screamed it! “Last Kiss” was a tense and tearful chapter that pushed all of our favorite characters to face a sobering truth that stared them all in the face. And for some, the heartbreak was exactly what they needed, whether they realized it at the time.

Trouble in paradise.

“Last Kiss” felt like a tidal wave of truths unfolding onto the story, pushing it all out in the open (which we needed!). After Conrad’s love confession to Belly, the truth couldn’t go back in the box. Belly had to face it. I’m glad she told Jeremiah the truth because it wasn’t going away. Conrad would be in their lives, and he’d literally be standing at the altar as Jeremiah’s best man. I wish she had told the truth about Christmas at that moment, too. Everything would’ve been out in the open, and she and Jeremiah could’ve unpacked everything before it blew up in their faces.

Part of Jeremiah running away to Susannah’s memorial was him still debating the weight of the secret. Jeremiah is hugely at fault for what happened during The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Episode 8 and the entire season. Instead of communicating his issues with Belly to her, even before spring break, he built up resentment and played mind games. Their relationship moved forward with so much distrust, and let’s face it, they wouldn’t have gotten engaged if they had been truthful from the start. The breakup was the culmination of the truth beneath the surface. If he had been feeling this way all along, about Christmas and Belly and her feelings for Conrad, he should’ve communicated that to her sooner. He’s at fault for dragging this on and being in a relationship with Belly, knowing that she might love Conrad more.

Belly, on the other hand, is also equally at fault for not communicating too. It’s great that she told Jeremiah about Conrad’s confession now, but she hadn’t said a thing about Conrad or her unresolved feelings. She jumped into this engagement knowing full well that she still loved her ex-boyfriend. One problem with Belly during Season 3 has been her lack of accountability and unwillingness to acknowledge her part in everything. “Last Kiss” still found her not fully admitting what she’s done; not until she was faced with Jeremiah being the one to walk away. It was a very messy crawl to the end.

We see you, Conrad Fisher.

The biggest unknown variable throughout “Last Kiss” was what Conrad would do next. He took the cake for having the most audacity and expecting it all to be justified. Any time I hoped he’d learn his lesson, he dug his hole deeper. Taylor and Steven both deserve so many kudos for calling him out on his behavior. Taylor could see what Conrad was doing to Belly; he had an effect on her that always left her head spinning. And his offer to run away together before her wedding was both poorly timed and selfish, a move that could cause plenty of emotional damage.

Steven said the truth that needed to be said, the part that Conrad never took accountability for. Specifically, Conrad withdraws himself and his love from everyone (especially Belly). On his terms, time and time again. He tried justifying staying away as being too tough to be near her, but he always had a choice in the matter. A choice to deal with it, and a choice to heal and grow. Conrad didn’t do any of the self-work in the years since. Instead, he pushed everyone away, and he hasn’t cared about how that affected everyone else around him. Not Steven, not Jeremiah, or anyone else in his world. It’s only when he was ready, and how it affected him, like when Belly was trying to move on.

While Conrad’s connection and love for Belly are undeniable, it can’t overshadow what he’s done throughout all of this. “Last Kiss” was peak messy Conrad, a clear look into the selfish side that prioritizes himself. He’s the one who chose to leave and not fight for Belly, and now he’s the one slipping into her changing room to make one final attempt/goodbye. His being deeply in love with Belly and his making questionable actions can both be right at the same time.

Brother vs. brother.

Jeremiah and Conrad’s argument at the memorial was a long time coming. The brothers weren’t facing the giant elephant in the room, and their tension dragged out plenty throughout Season 3. Conrad was right that Jeremiah had to get ready for the wedding. In their view, if Belly had stayed this long for the wedding, it meant she wanted to be with Jeremiah. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was also right that Conrad wasn’t doing him any favors by staying around to brood and mope over Belly. Confessing his undying love to her the day before the wedding wasn’t a caring concern for his brother; he didn’t show him love at all.

And can we say, Susannah was so messy as well. Seriously, how could she mix up the letters between Conrad and Jeremiah? She was able to place Belly’s letter in the correct envelope, so double-checking wouldn’t have been unreasonable. Regardless of how you feel in the Conrad/Belly/Jeremiah love triangle, discovering that letter would’ve been a devastating moment for anyone.

Speaking of Jeremiah’s heartbroken outrage at Conrad, it brought into question an interesting comparison. Jeremiah was way more hurt about Conrad’s behavior vs. Belly – the difference between fire and ice. Has anyone wondered if the push for a quickie wedding was spurred on by his resentment of Conrad and Belly’s relationship? I’m not denying that Jeremiah is deeply in love with Belly, but the last few episodes brought back the feeling of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1 and Season 2. Specifically, the unspoken battle between the brothers.

Their fight to win Belly. The favoritism from their father. The different treatments of everyone towards them. That tension was woven into that one fight and through Jeremiah’s punch. Jeremiah and Belly are better for not getting married. Not just because of her feelings for Conrad, but also because of the intentions behind it. Jeremiah has made a lot of questionable actions himself, like his constant tests on Belly. It’s not a healthy behavior.

White lie wedding.

Did anyone believe the wedding would happen? Come on, is there anyone out there?! Let alone the book fans who knew the truth, but The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 made it obvious that it wasn’t going to happen. Much of Belly’s voiceovers have been about her longing for Conrad or her doubts about Jeremiah. Belly would’ve gone through with the wedding, and the couple could’ve had a happy life together; we couldn’t root for them since it was obvious they wouldn’t be together.

As mentioned above, Jeremiah and Belly needed to be honest with one another. Not only about the entire Christmas situation, but also about all the lingering feelings and doubts. While Belly is at fault for not communicating what was going on in her head, Jeremiah is even more at fault for not approaching the situation. He sat on the Christmas reveal, and he noticed how Belly was changing since that day. In hindsight, everything from the proposal to the wedding planning feels like it was steeped in resentment and mind games. While the couple rightfully broke up before spring break (and Jeremiah didn’t cheat), the couple should’ve stayed apart.

Surprisingly, the wedding not happening was less surprising than Steven and Denise not working out. What was even the point of their storyline? All it took was one kiss for the pair to throw in the towel. After many episodes of Steven and Denise building up their romantic chemistry, it felt like lazy writing for how quickly the show washed away the plotline. Like, The Summer I Turned Pretty just needed a buffer for one season before they would bring Steven and Taylor back together. Their characters deserved better than that.

Overall.

“Last Kiss” was a tearful and satisfying ending for the drawn-out wedding plot. Every secret was laid out on the table, leaving everyone to face the reality. In its place, we were treated to climactic drama and messy decisions. “Last Kiss” was a strong episode, both for the good and the bad momentum of the series.

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