The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Finale Review: Belly Makes Her Choice But It Wasn't Easy For Fans

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 finale was like a wrecking ball with multiple moments calling for deep breaths. Overall, watching the final moments felt like cardiovascular exercise with its brisk ups and downs.

Jenny Han, the showrunner pulls off a smooth enough landing for a story that felt as messy as sand in slippers. The last few episodes helped build up to this finale, as the de-escalation in those episodes slowly healed the plot. With Conrad (Christopher Briney) touching down in Paris, the show had its landing gear down.

The ending where Belly (Lola Tung) dramatically chases after the one she loves, a nod to the classic 2000s rom-coms, felt like closure after the long ride. That said, the ending definitely had some jitters, especially Belly's rant a few moments ahead.

Her central problems of ironically not being sure and insecurities resurface. Though her doubts may have been rooted in fear, we see her take that leap of faith in the end and finally make a choice.

Moving on to the well-loved side plots here, we see Han tying up a lot of loose ends in this episode. The story manages to steer through family drama and broken relationships and sails towards a happy ending for everyone.

Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), had taken a big blow with the wedding called off, but this episode finds him healing, cooking and growing. We even get to see Denise (Isabella Briggs) signing up for that mirror-glazed two-tier dark chocolate cake with raspberry coulis filling.

This season also gave us a gift with the Taylor and Steven storyline. Their push-and-pull dynamic finally settles into something beautiful, proving that their steady, sometimes rocky, foundation can get through anything. Their relationship came as a comforting counterpoint to the central storm, making it the perfect side plot that won hearts.

An honourable mention is the clever use of silence that represents Belly's love for Conrad. The presence of silence in this episode too, felt intentional and familiar as Han had used this same silence to call off the wedding.

After all that, the Fisher brothers making up felt like a well-earned moment of calm after the multiple storms they had to weather.

Another sweet detail in the ending of the show is that the beach house had more sunflowers than Hydrangeas when Belly gets back. This is a detail surely goes a long way in telling the rest of the story.

Now that Belly finally made the very choice that got viewers across all ages and walks of life sit every Wednesday, what happens on Wednesdays now?

While Belly's bad decisions, or lack thereof for the longest time, had tested the patience of many, they have also built a community. Fans say the weekly episode watches have been an excuse to host friends for watch parties after corporate jobs or school.

Even though the therapy bills of sitting through this angsty show was high, it did a good job of bringing people together, reminding us that even sandy slippers-type messes can also end well.

PS: Reports say that Jenny Han has confirmed The Summer I Turned Pretty Movie and we can't wait already!