Summer I Turned Pretty Recap: Jeremiah’s Proposal Follows Cheating Scandal

The season 3 premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty closely followed the events in Jenny Han’s book We’ll Always Have Summer, although there were notable changes, particularly regarding Jeremiah’s proposal to Belly after his infidelity.

In the first two episodes, which were released on Wednesday, July 16, Belly (Lola Tung) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) were still in a relationship as she approached her senior year of college. Everything seemed to be on track, with Belly planning a semester abroad in Paris, until Jeremiah discovered he was at risk of not graduating due to missing required credits.

Despite this disappointing news — and Jeremiah’s father comparing him to his brother Conrad (Christopher Briney) — the couple attempted to stay positive. While celebrating Belly’s upcoming adventure at a frat party, she overheard a girl named Lacie claiming to have hooked up with Jeremiah during a previous trip to Cabo.

This revelation led Belly to break up with Jeremiah, focusing on her path forward. However, after her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) was involved in a car accident and placed in a medically induced coma, Belly opted to reconcile with Jeremiah despite his unfaithfulness on two occasions (which is significant, as it was only once in the book!). The second episode concluded with Jeremiah proposing — and Belly accepting.

Meanwhile, viewers received updates on Conrad, who was studying at Stanford and still had feelings for Belly. He was initially supposed to return to Cousins for a dedication in memory of his and Jeremiah’s mother, but a new job caused a delay. Fortunately, the Prime Video adaptation stayed largely true to Han’s storyline, leading to Conrad being fired from his job by the end of the premiere, which would allow him to reunite with Jeremiah and Belly later this season.

Flashbacks revealed a past Christmas celebration at Cousins with Belly and Conrad, something fans of Han’s book series have eagerly awaited for the show’s concluding season. There was even a clever reference to the author when a crossword puzzle Conrad was completing included a clue related to Han’s other series: P.S. I Still Love You.

Additionally, season 3 featured a Taylor Swift song drop. Han, a self-proclaimed Swiftie, has openly shared how audience responses influenced the show’s soundtrack.

“For me, as a fan, being able to provide book fans with that moment is very meaningful because if you’re a fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty, you’re likely a fan of Taylor Swift as well,” she shared with The Wrap in June 2022. “So when we managed to include her music, I was beyond thrilled. It’s been one of the highlights of this process, especially since we have five tracks in total that I think will surprise fans during key moments.”

In season 1, Swift’s music was used for romantic moments revolving around Belly’s feelings for Conrad, with tracks such as “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” “The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version),” and “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” enhancing the emotional backdrop.

The second season elevated the stakes by featuring almost double the number of Swift songs, including “August,” “Sweet Nothing,” “Delicate (Taylor’s Version),” “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” and “Exile.”

In the season 3 trailer, fans heard “Daylight” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” alongside glimpses of what’s ahead. The premiere episode included “You’re Losing Me.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty is currently streaming on Prime Video.