Why season 3 will be the final chapter of The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty is getting ready for its final bow. After two successful seasons filled with sun-soaked beach days, emotional love triangles, and heartfelt growth, Season 3 is scheduled to air July 16, 2025. It will bring an end to Belly Conklin’s unforgettable summers in Cousins Beach.

The fandom wishes the show could continue longer, but the decision to end it after three seasons makes sense from a narrative and artistic tribute to the source material. This is the reason season 3 is the final—yet fitting—chapter.

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A trilogy by design

The Summer I Turned Pretty is centered around the book trilogy by Jenny Han from 2009–2011. Up to this point, The Summer I Turned Pretty and It’s Not Summer Without You implemented the first two books with wonderful accuracy, portraying the rollercoaster emotions of teenage love and infatuation.

In Season 3, the series will attempt to cover the last book of the trilogy, We’ll Always Have Summer, where Belly faces her ultimate decision with Conrad and Jeremiah while getting ready to leave the beach house behind. The series does her story justice by ending it here, honoring the natural conclusion of Belly’s coming-of-age journey.

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Avoiding unnecessary extensions

In a world of television oversaturated with sequels, spin-offs, and drawn-out stories, stopping the summer I turned pretty at three seasons feels appropriately restrained. Though the desire to continue a well-received series is warranted, extending the show's narrative beyond the source material would most likely diminish its emotional impact.

To me, a fourth season would mean having to come up with completely new storylines that diverge from Jenny's vision. This has the potential to undermine the poignant elements that lend the series its charm: the tragic yet lovely nature of coming of age, the fleeting nature of a summer, and first love's tangled web.

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A complete arc for Belly Conklin

Third season, from a narrative standpoint, seems to be the most fitting opportunity to conclude Belly's story. She has been through so much, from an awkward and love-struck teen to a young woman dealing with real emotional stakes.

It would be fitting for the last season to delve into whether or not she was still caught between the Fisher brothers, and if so, how this would shape her sense of self and readiness to embrace adulthood.

The last book even includes an epilogue, gifting readers and soon, watchers, a relishing moment of closure on where these characters end up. Should the show pivot off the source material, fans expect a satisfying answer to lingering questions, but more so, hope the payoffs and, for season two, address the beloved what-ifs.

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Staying true to the fans

What sets The Summer I Turned Pretty apart is its authenticity, both in representation and emotional depth. The creators, by choosing to end with season 3, prioritize storytelling over viewership, honoring the author’s intent alongside the audience’s emotional investment.

Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah) suggested that season 3 would "finish the story," hinting at a rounded-off farewell. And while audiences might wish for an endless return to summers on Cousins Beach, knowing precisely when enough is enough is a beautiful thing.

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The final summer awaits

With Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty set to air in 2025, viewers will soon witness the closing chapter of a story that has captivated audiences for years. In the same way that Belly is confronted with her last choices, the show, too, decides to put an end to an exquisite journey with a poignant, faithful ending instead of an overstayed welcome.

In the end, knowing when to finish is part of what makes an exquisite tale. For Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad, and the many fans that followed their journey, this summer is, without a doubt, the most unforgettable one yet.