How did ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ end? Recapping the series’ dramatic finale

The tides have finally turned in the third and final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

All summer long, fans from around the world have tuned in to the hit Prime Video drama series based on UNC alum Jenny Han’s best-selling trilogy centered around the ever-evolving relationships between a girl torn between two brothers.

If you’ve read the books, you know exactly what Belly’s ending entails in the aftermath of calling off the spontaneous Cousins Beach wedding. But does the show have the same happily ever after?

Spoiler alert: You’ve been warned! Here’s a recap of the final episode.

A little piece of Cousins in Paris

After Conrad decided in the last episode to take a detour ahead of his work conference in Brussels, the older Fisher brother made a surprise arrival at Belly’s apartment in Paris.

Following the penultimate episode showing Belly’s new chapter abroad, fans have been on the edge of their seat wondering whether she and Conrad would finally reunite.

Just as surprised as Conrad was to see her in a new city, with a new haircut — a chic shoulder-length bob— and a new guy (aka Benito), she was just as shocked to see him on the doorstep of her apartment on the eve of birthday.

Though she did have plans, Belly decided to “play tour guide” and show him around the city of love before sending him on his way. But that lasted longer than they anticipated.

After an afternoon of roaming around museums and a rooftop, she invited him to her birthday dinner with her friends… including Benito, who she ended up having a fling with after one lonely Christmas evening.

But we learned their romance was short-lived, after she shot down his invitation to go to Mexico for his grandmother’s birthday — which he still seemed sad about weeks later.

At dinner, Conrad admitted (to no one’s surprise) that his visit wasn’t just because of Brussels’ close proximity to Paris. He wanted to celebrate her birthday with her, as they always had growing up by bringing a little piece of Cousins to her. And he did literally, with a tiny bottle of sand from the Cousins beach.

After dinner, during a private walk around the city and a waterfront slow dance, the two finally — yes, finally! — kissed. After continuing the night back at Belly’s apartment, she confronted Conrad about what he was expecting after their romantic reunion.

She questioned whether he actually loved her or just thought he did because of his mother Susannah’s dream of them being together.

But he told her that, through all the changes within himself, he still loves her, and always would.

Yet, Belly said she wasn’t as confident as he was in her feelings. So, she let him go, letting him leave her apartment in the dark hours of the Paris morning to catch a 5 a.m. train.

Until…

She realized she was wrong and she ran through the streets — with Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods” as the backdrop — to find a taxi and find him before it was too late.

‘I will always love Conrad Fisher’

She boarded Conrad’s train to Brussels, frantically looking for him on each car, until she finally found him, asking whether the seat next to him was available.

She looked directly at him.

“I choose you of my own free will. If there are infinite worlds, every version of me chooses you in every one of them,” she told him.

Cue the passionate kiss on the train.

Though they didn’t go back to Cousins that summer, the end credits showed they did eventually venture back as a couple.

“Just as it always had, the beach house held a million promises of summer…and what just might be,” she thought in the final scene.

What about Jeremiah?

Turns out Jeremiah isn’t just passionate about two-tier dark chocolate cakes with a raspberry coulis filling and a mirror glaze on top. His culinary skills quickly earned him the title of “Boston’s hottest up-and-coming chef” and landed him a gig prepping a special four-course meal for a pop-up dinner Taylor planned for work.

As for his brother being back with his ex? Following their long overdue emotional heart-to-heart at their mother’s gravesite about their history with Belly in last week’s episode, Jeremiah admitted that he was okay with them moving forward.

“I think the anticipation was the worst part, but now that the Belly-Conrad reunion is finally happening, it’s not that bad,” he told Denise — who he shockingly formed a romantic connection with.

After crashing in her spare bedroom for six months, while she helped finalize details before the event at the Cousins beach house, the two shared a kiss.

But it’s unclear what their future holds, because she’s moving to California in a month to work on her start-up with Steven.

A new chapter for Taylor and Steven

Speaking of the move to San Francisco, Taylor will be going too.

The news was unfortunately broken to her after she overheard it from Denise’s conversation beforehand with Jeremiah, but after a few tough conversations (and arguments), she is happily moving to the West Coast with Steven.

“I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you,” he reassured her after she told him it would be a move with him and not for him. “Feels like fate.”

A tale to be continued?

Though this was the third and final season, it may not be the end for Belly and the Conklin brothers.

In the end credits, there was a ‘thank you note’ from author and showrunner Jenny Han that hinted more could be in the works:

“We put our whole heart into this show and we’re so thankful to you for coming along with us on the ride. Maybe we’ll meet again one summer in Cousins. Until then — All my love always,” it said.

And later Wednesday, Prime Video announced that “The Summer I Turned Pretty” will conclude with a feature film written and directed by Han.

Now we’ll just have to wait as “the story continues the final chapter of Belly’s journey.”

This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 4:31 PM with the headline "How did ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ end? Recapping the series’ dramatic finale."