The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 11 Review: Belly and Conrad Prove They’re Meant to Be

Even though this episode ran about 20 minutes longer than recent installments, Conrad and Belly’s rekindled romance still felt a bit rushed—despite the fact that they somehow found time to visit Versailles.

Creator Jenny Han’s decision to bring most of the cast together at Cousins for one final gathering helped streamline the story, focusing on just two main narratives instead of several. However, a lot of the episode’s runtime was spent on Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and his budding relationship with Denise (Isabella Briggs), as well as Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Taylor’s (Rain Spencer) ongoing drama.

Did Steven and Taylor really need a fight over moving to San Francisco when it was clear they’d end up together? And did we need to see Jeremiah’s romance with Denise unfold, even though her friendship had already been good for him? (Though credit where it’s due—Denise did call out Jeremiah’s fixation on Conrad.)

Every time the episode lingered at Cousins, I found myself longing to return to Paris. Nobody yearns quite like Conrad Fisher and Isabel Conklin.

A Parisian Romance Reignites

There was something deeply vulnerable about how Conrad and Belly found each other again. What began awkwardly blossomed into something genuine and mature. Their love story—starting on the banks of the Seine and culminating in Belly’s apartment via a steamy taxi ride and an abandoned stairwell—far outshone anything between Belly and Jeremiah. The spark first teased in Conrad’s POV episode finally ignited in the series finale.

What stood out most was how both Belly and Conrad confronted the missteps in their relationship. This wasn’t a fleeting romance—it was a heartfelt reconnection. Briney and Tung’s performances complemented each other beautifully.

Much of Briney’s acting has relied on Conrad’s body language and anxious energy, so seeing him fully embrace his feelings in this episode was a joy. Tung’s portrayal of Belly was equally strong, particularly when Belly voiced her concerns about Susannah’s lingering influence. With no secrets left between them, even a last-minute train station confession felt perfectly earned.

A Bittersweet Finale

Yes, we know they’re together and happy—but given everything that’s happened, plus the book’s four-page epilogue (where Belly reveals she and Conrad got married), the finale still felt slightly unfinished. Belly’s closing narration, though poignant, leaned on generalities about “coming home” and the “promise of summer” rather than directly addressing her relationship with Conrad. The final scene of them walking into the house was touching, but something felt missing—those cute Christmas snapshots didn’t fully satisfy.

Considering how much of the season focused on Belly and Jeremiah, it almost feels like viewers were shortchanged on time with Belly and Conrad. Still, most of this episode was a dream sequence brought to life. Jenny Han and co-writer Sarah Kucserska captured the essence of a life-changing romance perfectly, closing Season 3, Episode 11 with Belly and Conrad in love, together, and free.