Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ follows the love triangle between Belly Conklin and the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. The third season begins with Belly and Jeremiah in a relationship that turns into an engagement. However, Belly’s love for Conrad becomes a major hurdle in their relationship, and by the end of the season, Belly ends up on a very different journey. The series has gained a wide and passionate audience, which generally means more seasons for a show. However, Belly’s story comes to an end with the third season, and there is a good reason behind it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Was Always Supposed to be Three Seasons Long
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ is adapted from the book series by Jenny Han, who also serves as the creator of the show, having also written and directed several episodes. The novels are a set of three novels which begin with ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ leading to the events of ‘It’s Not Summer Without You,’ and ending with ‘We’ll Always Have Summer.’ Each season of the show adapts one book in the series, considering that a three-season arc appeared to be the most logical thing for the show. Jenny Han revealed that while there was the opportunity to continue the show, given the raging success it became for Prime Video, she didn’t want it to overstay its welcome.
She wanted to have control over the story where it needed to be well-made, giving the characters and the fans what they needed, and most importantly, to end it at the right point, rather than dragging it for more seasons than necessary, and have it cancelled when the juice ran out. Three seasons for three books seemed fair, and so, it was decided that the third would be the final season of the show. While the series relies on the books for inspiration, Han and the show’s writers made significant changes in the storyline, especially for the supporting characters, to give more depth to the story. With this, the show builds upon the source material, something that Han leaned into for the third and final season.
In the books, the story ends with Belly and Jeremiah calling off the wedding, which is followed by an epilogue that informs the audience about Belly’s time in Spain (not France, as shown in the series) and how she and Conrad find their way back to each other. In the show, Han decided to expand Belly’s journey away from Cousins and the Fisher boys to give her justifiable character development rather than sending her off with an epilogue. She wanted the audience to witness Belly’s evolution, which is why three additional episodes were added in Season 3 to focus entirely on her story in Paris. This gave ample space and time for the story to receive a deserved end and bring Belly’s arc to a fitting conclusion.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 4 Could Have Explored Non-Belly Storylines
What makes ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ a great book adaptation is that while it remains faithful to the main characters and their storylines, it also takes the time to expand the supporting characters and give them more depth and range than they received in the books. For example, Steven and Taylor’s storyline receives a passing mention in the books, but in the show, they take a tumultuous journey of their own, becoming a beloved couple that the fans root for. Had the show been renewed for a fourth season, it could have gone in the directions that take the audience further into the lives of these supporting characters, while staying in touch with Belly’s storyline by showing her future with Conrad.
With Belly and Conrad getting their happy ending, nothing much remains to be explored in their relationship, so it would be better for the series to receive a prequel or a spin-off that explores a different aspect of the story. Jenny Han has confessed that while she is done with the Belly-Conrad-Jeremiah love triangle, it doesn’t necessarily mean she won’t return to their universe. If and when she does come back to it, it would be to tell a new story that centers on familiar characters but tells a dynamically different story. She also stated that she would need a deeply compelling narrative to get back on that wagon, and so far, there are no viable prospects for the same. That could change in the future, but for now, the only things fans can do is rewatch ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty.’
Read More: The Summer I Turned Pretty: Is Finch College Real?
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