10 Unresolved Issues from The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale

The Summer I Turned Pretty was a generation-defining teen drama, but its series finale was far from perfect. The hit show, based on the book series of the same name written by Jenny Han, first premiered in June 2022. The highly-anticipated series finale was released on September 17, 2025, after three seasons of love, loss, and iconic Taylor Swift songs.

Throughout the final season, the drama that started at The Summer I Turned Pretty’s fictional Cousins beach became an international affair thanks to Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) spontaneously moving to Paris. Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) chased after her for their happy ever-after, but The Summer I Turned Pretty’s movie sequel still has plenty of loose ends to tie up.

10Laurel & John’s Anticlimactic Breakup

The Divorced Couple Shouldn’t Have Rekindled Their Romance

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One of the first things The Summer I Turned Pretty reveals is that Laurel (Jackie Chung), Belly and Steven’s (Sean Kaufman) mother, is recently divorced. The Conklin family’s patriarch, John (Colin Ferguson), appears midway through the first season with a new girlfriend. They quickly break up, however, and John and Laurel begin seeing each other again in season 3.

Unlike The Summer I Turned Pretty’s devastating breakup in season 2, Laurel and John’s romance seemingly fizzles out between episodes. The pair go from hooking up and spending Thanksgiving together to having amicably split off-screen by the series finale. With such little fanfare, Laurel and John’s second separation proves their season 3 fling was unnecessary in the first place.

9Belly & Conrad’s Christmas In Paris Photoshoot

The Epilogue Sequence Only Provided More Burning Questions

Christmas in The Summer I Turned Pretty has always been monumental for Belly and Conrad’s relationship. In season 2, Belly and Conrad have sex for the first time after sneaking into the Cousins house over winter break. In season 3, Belly first questions her feelings for Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) after unexpectedly spending Christmas alone with Conrad.

As such, the show’s epilogue of Belly and Conrad celebrating Christmas together in Paris was the perfect bookend. The actual photos, however, looked strange. They all seemed to be taken in the same place at the same time, with no costume or scenery changes for differentiation. Furthermore, it was unclear who took the pictures of the couple’s cozy Christmas morning.

8Taylor Dropping Everything For Steven’s Cross-Country Move

Her East-Coast Career Was Just Taking Off

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Belly’s love triangle with the Fisher boys may be the focus of the series, but The Summer I Turned Pretty’s secondary couple often stole the show. Steven and Taylor’s (Rain Spencer) romance was one of the biggest changes from The Summer I Turned Pretty books, but they became a popular pairing and earned their endgame status.

Nevertheless, Taylor and Steven spend most of the series finale fighting— Steven neglected to tell Taylor about his impending move to San Francisco, and Taylor refused to let him explain himself. In the end, Taylor claims she’ll go with Steven, but not “for” him. Given that she’s essentially abandoning her career, though, that distinction is hard to believe.

7Conrad Calling Her Belly Instead Of Isabel

The Protagonist Grew Out Of Her Nickname

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The protagonist’s awkward childhood nickname has put off many viewers, but Belly was always meant to transition to Isabel as she grew up. The show kept her caged until her big move to Paris, wherein her new friends all met her as Isabel and referred to her as such throughout the duration of her stay.

Conrad even asks if he should start calling her Isabel, but Belly bewilderingly refuses. Her name changed to reflect her growing independence, but the show backtracked when it came to her love interest. Hindering her new identity as Isabel made Conrad and Belly’s story in The Summer I Turned Pretty feel, to a certain extent, like arrested development.

6Benito’s Lingering Jealousy

Belly’s Parisian Fling Didn’t Warrant Possessive Behavior

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Arguably the best part of Belly’s adventures in Paris was her short-lived romance with Benito (Fernando Cattori). The character didn’t particularly stand out, but Belly dating outside the Fisher family was a long-overdue necessity. Unfortunately, Belly and Benito’s whirlwind relationship always had an implied expiration date.

After The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final time-jump, it’s explained that Belly broke up with Benito after he wanted to make their casual fling more serious. Consequently, when Conrad visits, there’s an odd and almost bitter energy to Benito. His short relationship with Belly doesn’t justify his blatant jealousy.

5Jeremiah & Denise’s Kiss

The Last-Second Couple Made No Sense

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Isabella Briggs was one of the most refreshing additions to The Summer I Turned Pretty’s cast when she joined as Denise. Aside from a single uncomfortable kiss with Steven, Denise rounded out the ensemble as a friendly but totally unique character. Her drive, dry wit, and incredible fashion sense made her a standout side character.

Despite never showing romantic interest in him, Denise and Jeremiah share a kiss with the unspoken implication that they may date in the future. With how much she added as a platonic member of the core friend group, Denise suddenly falling for Jeremiah felt like a total betrayal to her character in The Summer I Turned Pretty’s series finale.

4Belly Suggesting Conrad Only Loves Her Because Of Susannah

Her Greatest Fear Came Out Of Left Field

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From the very first episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty, it was obvious that Belly and Conrad would end up together. Still, the Amazon Prime Video series needed to give them plentiful trials and tribulations before they could admit their mutual love. Even in the final episode, The Summer I Turned Pretty introduced new obstacles to their relationship.

Conrad’s mother, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), was the biggest “Bonrad” shipper in the show, but her death in The Summer I Turned Pretty partially caused their first breakup. Before their happy ending, Belly implied their love for each other wasn’t real; rather, it was an unconscious effort to fulfill Susannah’s wishes. Conrad quickly dismisses her anxieties, but they were nonetheless confounding.

3Adam’s Unnecessary Redemption Arc

He Was The Series-Long Villain

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There were many interpersonal conflicts between the young adults of the show, but The Summer I Turned Pretty’s true villain was always Adam Fisher (Tom Everett Scott). The absent father committed atrocious, unforgivable acts, including cheating on Susannah while she was undergoing chemotherapy. Furthermore, he treated both of his sons horribly.

Adam was the root of Jeremiah’s inferiority complex and the resentment he feels toward Conrad, but The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 attempts to turn him into a sympathetic figure. A few heart-to-heart scenes don’t undo Adam’s years of horrid behavior, and The Summer I Turned Pretty would have been better off leaving him as a full-blown antagonist.

2The Cousins House Being Empty At The End

Belly & Conrad Should Have Been Surrounded By Family

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Following a romantic chase scene and dramatic love confession, Belly and Conrad close out the series at The Summer I Turned Pretty’s beach house. The cinematic final shot pans out on the empty (bar Belly and Conrad) backyard, as the pool, dock, and nearby shoreline slowly come into view.

As striking as the last image is, it doesn’t make sense thematically. The house in Cousins always belonged to the entire family, which season 2 reiterated when the full cast banded together to save it. As such, it feels like a disservice to the other characters to not have a final reunion at the beach house.

1Jeremiah’s Chef Subplot

The Culinary Drama Took Up Too Much Time

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Without question, the most nonsensical aspect of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s series finale was Jeremiah’s subplot about becoming a critically acclaimed chef. While Belly and Conrad were off gallivanting in Paris, scenes would cut back to the U.S. where Jeremiah was intensely working on a supposedly career-defining dinner party.

Beyond being a jarring tonal change, Jeremiah’s culinary drama was completely out of place in a show like The Summer I Turned Pretty. There was little narrative build-up and no stakes for the audience to buy into, making Jeremiah’s stressful chef storyline the worst part of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final episode.