One girl. Two brothers. Three seasons to wrap it all up. About 60 Gainesville fans gathered at The Swamp Restaurant to watch it happen.
Fans of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” TV series finally got their answer to the show’s central question this week: Which of the two brothers — Conrad or Jeremiah — will Belly choose?
Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling young adult trilogy, the series has remained a summertime staple on Prime Video since its 2022 premiere. Han brought her signature blend of romance, heartbreak and self-discovery to Cousins Beach, where the story follows teenager Isabel “Belly” Conklin as she navigates young love and growing up.
The show’s final season drew in 25 million viewers, and its grand finale episode sparked nationwide watch parties — including one at The Swamp.
The Swamp hosted Ladies’ Night with discounted martinis and margaritas from 6 to 8 p.m. ahead of the watch party, which started at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The restaurant’s patio was packed with clusters of friends, their chatter and laughter illuminated by the glow of the massive TV screen. Payton Richey, a 20-year-old UF business junior, arrived two hours early to secure a spot for her and her friends.
She said her love for the franchise is fueled by the authenticity of its characters, including Belly, who often drew criticism from fans throughout the show for controversial choices.
“She is still young,” Richey said. “She is like us. We’ve all made mistakes, and we’ve all grown from it.”
As the finale played out, fans at The Swamp buzzed with excitement, cheering every time Conrad appeared on screen. For 21-year-old Sante Fe hospitality and tourism student Isabel Paz, much of that energy came from how the show reimagined key characters, adding nuance that wasn’t as prominent in the novels.
“Belly is way more likable in the show than in the books,” Paz said. “And Conrad, you just fall in love with his character in the show, not in the book.”
Conrad is much more dynamic in the adaptation, Paz said. Instead of only being a “quiet, angsty boy,” viewers got to see more of his personality and complexity.
Kaitlin Douglas, a 20-year-old UF biology junior, described the finale as an emotional rollercoaster. She said she was nervous about whether the last episode would do justice to the books and the characters, but for her, it ultimately delivered.
Like many fans, Douglas connected with Belly’s coming-of-age story. Having started watching the show as a high school junior and now as a college junior, the experience brought her full circle.
“It’s really special to watch Belly grow up while I’ve grown up, too,” Douglas said.
As a reader of the book series, Douglas loved hearing dialogue lifted directly from the novels. She and her roommates would even scream when a familiar line came up.
But Douglas also embraced some of the changes that deviated from the books, including Belly’s extended time in Paris and the blooming romance between Belly’s best friend and her older brother.
“Sometimes, when they make changes from books to movies, the book readers usually aren’t happy,” Douglas said. “But this felt right.”
From bittersweet goodbyes to hopeful new beginnings, the series ended with the same spirit of summer love and heartbreak that first drew readers to Han’s books — and later, millions of viewers to Cousins Beach.
However, fans won’t have to say goodbye to “The Summer I Turned Pretty” just yet. With Amazon announcing a movie continuation, the story of Belly and the Fisher brothers will return for another chapter.
Whether viewers are Team Conrad, Team Jeremiah or Team Belly, their time at Cousins Beach is far from over.
Contact Aaliyah Evertz and Ariana Badra at aevertz@alligator.org and arianabadra@ufl.edu. Follow Evertz on X @aaliyahevertz1 and Badra @arianavbm.
Ariana is a first-year journalism major and an El Caimán reporter for the Fall of 2025. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and scouring for new songs to play on repeat to an absurd degree.
Aaliyah is a general assignment reporter for The Avenue. She's a second-year journalism student in her first semester at The Alligator. In her free time, she loves to bake, read and also write for Her Campus UFL.
