Our obsession with The Summer I Turned Pretty has returned in full force (but does it ever really go away?). Ever since the movie was announced with the Season 3 finale, we’ve been keeping our eyes peeled for news from showrunner Jenny Han. The author has kept details under lock and key for the most part, including when it’ll come out.
While there’s been no confirmation of when the movie will be released, rumors of filming starting in April spread through The Summer I Turned Pretty fandom like wildfire recently. So, with TSITP back at the forefront of our brain, we started thinking of everything we want to see in Belly (Lola Tung), Conrad (Christopher Briney), and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) next chapter.
Let us know what you think of our wish list in the comments at the end of the page, and drop your own ideas there, too!
Rom-com vibes
TSITP show leans more rom-dram than rom-com, obviously. We didn’t mind the three seasons of angst, but it absolutely cannot continue in the movie. While more intense emotional moments are needed to wrap up certain relationships, the movie should be lighter. Belly and Conrad deserve some levity, for goodness’ sake.
Conrad’s proposal to Belly
Ideally, we’ll see Conrad get down on one knee. We don’t want the movie to pick up when they’re already engaged, please and thank you. While we aren’t sure if Conrad should use Susannah’s ring or not — it feels a little messy, all things considered — we’re crossing our fingers for a beach or boardwalk proposal on the Fourth of July.
Oh, and we need Conrad to go the full nine years when he asks the question. His speech better be superb and last at least a minute. Plus, Conrad asking Laurel (Jackie Chung) and John (Colin Ferguson) for permission beforehand would be perfect. Call us old-fashioned, but after all the Jeremiah engagement drama, it would be nice to see Laurel give him the go-ahead.
Bonrad alone time
We’ve had too many people getting in the way of one-on-one Bonrad over the past three seasons. They’re at their best when it’s just them — remember Christmas? — so they need a healthy amount of alone time at the beach house. There should be no sign of Stephen (Sean Kaufman), Taylor (Rain Spencer), Laurel, or Jeremiah for at least a solid 10 minutes.
Jenny Han, the people need a flirty, intimate Bonrad. They need conversations between just the two of them that show why this relationship works. All the better if they’re living together and all domestic when the movie begins.
More Bonrad spice
This wish ties in with the last one, but it needs to be said explicitly. We must have more Bonrad spice. Sue us. Belly and Conrad’s Parisian… rendezvous in Season 3 was top-tier. We were fanning ourselves during the finale. That car kiss? Come on. The world can’t be deprived of that chemistry in the movie.
Prime Video
Conklin family time
As much as we’re advocating for Bonrad alone time, we’re hoping to see the Conklins all under the same roof, without any drama weighing them down. John isn’t a requirement: It might be a little awkward after his brief reconciliation with Laurel last season. Honestly, we’d be fine if he only showed up for Belly’s wedding.
Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah get closure
This one’s a little more complicated. We’re honestly not sure how or if it’s even possible for Belly and Conrad to get on good terms with Jeremiah again. There’s simply no way time can heal all wounds. If anything, we don’t need to see all three of them hash things out together. Belly and Jeremiah should get their own heart-to-heart, and the same goes for Jeremiah and Conrad.
Their resolution can’t be too perfect, either. Everyone did something wrong in this scenario, so not all should be forgiven. Still, we do think Jeremiah should show up at their wedding, as he does in Han’s third book.
Limited amounts of Jeremiah
Is this mean? We just don’t think that too much time should be spent on Jeremiah. The movie should focus mostly on fleshing out Belly and Conrad’s relationship now that they can be happy and in love. However, when we do see Jeremiah, we think he should be single. Sans Denise (Isabella Briggs). Sorry, Denise. We like you, just not with Jeremiah. We know in the book he brings a date to Bonrad’s wedding, but it would be so much better for his growth to show up alone.
Belly and Conrad defending their love
We know we said minimal angst. That means we don’t want people criticizing Belly and Conrad too much. But there should be at least one moment where they stand up for themselves and their relationship, maybe against someone like Adam (Tom Everett Scott). There needs to be at least a little conflict driving the plot, after all.
A wedding epilogue
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Series Finale Reaction: 7 Things It Got Wrong and Right
This one might be a little controversial. Belly and Conrad’s wedding is pretty much guaranteed to be translated from book to screen: “I can say that there is another big milestone for Belly, so we’ll continue with that journey,” Han told Today.
We agree that it should happen, but the wedding planning should be limited. We got too much of that in Season 3. We don’t need to get into the nitty-gritty this time around, so we think it could work if there’s a little flash-forward at the very end to their ceremony. It shouldn’t be too short, but we don’t need to see more than 10 minutes of the ceremony itself.
The Summer I Turned Pretty movie, TBA, Prime Video
