The Summer I Turned Pretty Movie, Belly-Conrad Endgame: Jenny Han Interview

[This story contains major spoilers from Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series finale.]

For three seasons, viewers of The Summer I Turned Pretty watched as Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) fell in love with brothers Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno), with the question always being: Who will be the endgame?

Though the series has closely abided by the bestselling trilogy from Jenny Han, the final three episodes of the third and final season departed from the books, leaving fans left wondering what was truly in store for the love triangle and whether Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah would prevail, even though (spoiler!) in the books, Belly ends up with Conrad.

But now, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter after the series finale, Han says the endgame was known going into this season, and that it was always going to be Conrad.

“I knew where we were headed,” Han tells THR, confirming that there wasn’t an intent to change the series’ ending to a Jeremiah and Belly finale.

The love triangle and everything else that happens in the show, in particular in this third and final season of the series, has been kept in great secrecy, because Han is “very protective of the audience experience.” However trying to keep plot points secret in a social media age with fans also filming and sharing clips of the cast filming online was a battle Han had to take extra measures for. Briney was spotted by fans filming in Paris. Meanwhile, Casalegno was also seen filming in Paris with Tung, leaving fans to wonder if Jeremiah and Belly’s story wasn’t over yet and she could choose him instead.

But the filming was a ruse.

“I wanted to do my very best to protect the ending for the audience. I think it’s really important to not know the ending. I felt like if you never saw him in Paris, then you might feel that you knew the ending of the show,” Han says.

The season three finale debuted on Prime Video Wednesday, but hours after the premiere the Amazon-owned streamer announced it has greenlit a feature-length installment that will serve as the actual series ender, and that Han will co-write the film’s script alongside Sarah Kucserka. Han will also direct the movie, which will wrap up Belly’s story.

“There is another big milestone left in Belly’s journey, and I thought only a movie could give it its proper due,” Han said in a statement when the news was announced. Story details for the movie are being kept quiet for now, and Han remains mum even when asked if she can confirm there is no more love triangle and that Conrad and Belly are and will be the endgame in the film. “People will just have to wait and see,” she tells THR.

Below, Han speaks to THR about the upcoming film, protecting the ending of the series, Belly and Conrad’s conversation after reuniting, and the criticism Jeremiah faced.

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The the final episode of the series is out, but now a movie has been announced to continue Belly’s story. When was it decided to continue the story in a feature film rather than through another season? How early on did you set this in motion?

I can’t remember exactly when I had this idea. I don’t know if it was after season two or during the very beginning of writing season three, but I just thought it would be fun. I had a vision for how season three would lay out. At the end of a romantic story, it’s all about finally getting the two people together, so you don’t get to see much of what happens next. I didn’t want to fast forward and do a quick little montage at the end of it. I really wanted to give people a real meal, so I hope people feel happy.

What can we expect with the movie? Can you confirm there’s no more love triangle and that Belly and Conrad are the endgame couple in the movie, too?

I don’t want to say too much because we’re still in the process of writing it and it’s not final yet. So I think people will just have to wait and see.

Will everyone in the cast also star?

It’s also too soon to say. We haven’t even finished the script. I’m co-writing it with my co-showrunner Sarah Kucserka.

The big lingering question this season was who Belly would end up with and whether the ending of the books would be changed. Going into season three, did you already know Conrad was still going to be the endgame, given the book ended in that way?

Yes.

Was there ever a possibility to change the ending to be a Jeremiah endgame, especially since we spent so much of season two and three watching their relationship have its ups and downs?

Going into the season, no. I know where we were headed.

Ahead of the final season, there were viral clips online of Gavin filming in Paris with Lola. What’s the backstory there? Was that just to throw everyone off?

I wanted to do my very best to protect the ending for the audience. I think it’s really important to not know the ending. I felt like if you never saw him in Paris, then you might feel that you knew the ending of the show. I don’t like being spoiled and it’s very challenging with our show coming out at 3 a.m. eastern [time.] People either stayed up to watch it or they wake up really early and then immediately post reactions and edits online. I would see it constantly. People were like “Stop spoiling!” and then other people were like, “Then stop being online!”

This season, Jeremiah has gotten probably the most criticism and a common argument is that he only pursued Belly as a way to win her over Conrad due to his jealousy or competitiveness. But in the final episode, we actually see Belly question Conrad’s intentions with his feelings towards her and not knowing whether they’re genuine or a result of Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard) wishes. Can you address the criticism of Jeremiah’s intentions with pursuing things with Belly? Then can you unpack her questioning of Conrad in that conversation we see between the two of them?

Well I think those are two separate issues because I think there’s an intention and then there’s things that you aren’t even aware of in the subconscious. I don’t even know if it’s possible to make yourself love somebody because you believe it’s your mother’s wish [Note: In Belly and Conrad’s conversation, she questions whether he began loving her because it was his mother’s wish for them to be together.]

I think it’s more about Belly’s own insecurities having always loved him. And then having had him, what she felt [when taking] away his love from her in season two. We also heard her say that she’d never love someone so truly before and she didn’t think she’d ever be capable of it again because it hurt so badly when it was over. She was very self-protective and scared. I think that’s more about her feelings and not really being sure of that love. I think with all people, you can think you’re being really clear in the way that you feel about somebody. The other person might not feel that and the two of them, both together, have struggled to communicate with each other and be at the same page.

Then with Jeremiah?

I don’t think that was his intention. I think that between the two brothers, things have always been competitive. That was baked into their relationship and the more it goes on, this girl they both grew up with and loved — there’s only one of her and that’s really complicated. And not just that, but losing their mom. It’s really hard, because their mom loved her so much too. So whoever they’re with in the future, that person won’t have known their mom and they won’t know what she was like or what their relationship with her was like. That’s a loss. So I don’t think it’s about Jeremiah trying to be competitive. I don’t think he had that intention and I don’t think Conrad had that intention.

Speaking of Jeremiah and Belly, we spend a lot of time with their relationship throughout the show only for her to eventually go back with Conrad. Why was it important to you to really explore Jeremiah and Belly in depth if she was always going to be with Conrad? Did you feel like it was hard trying to showcase Belly and Jeremiah also having their own genuine love story while navigating the Conrad endgame that readers know happens?

It’s really complicated. The two of them were at college together for years and Conrad took himself out of the equation, so he wasn’t this everyday presence in their lives. I think Belly and Jeremiah really built their own little bubble for the two of them, even in that way that Taylor [Rain Spencer] perceives that. College can often be its own cocoon, and then outside of that environment, is it something built to last? Or something that was really good for that time and for that season? And maybe it isn’t for all seasons.

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The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video.