Heartbreak to Happily Ever After: Belly’s Train Station Chase in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Finale Delivers the Moment Fans Have Waited Years For

In the sun-soaked world of Cousins Beach, where first loves flicker like bonfires and heartbreak crashes like waves, The Summer I Turned Pretty has always been a story of longing. Adapted from Jenny Han’s beloved trilogy, the Prime Video series has spent three seasons teasing the ultimate question: Who does Belly Conklin choose—her childhood best friend Jeremiah Fisher, the golden boy with easy smiles, or Conrad Fisher, the brooding soulmate whose silences speak volumes? On September 17, 2025, with the release of Season 3 Episode 11, “Infinite Summers,” the wait ended in a whirlwind of Parisian romance, tear-streaked confessions, and a declaration that echoed across every universe: “I choose you.”

The episode, serving as the series finale, culminates in a scene so achingly romantic it has left fans worldwide in collective sobs and screams. Hours—nay, seasons—of unspoken love between Belly (Lola Tung) and Conrad (Christopher Briney) explode in a train station chase that feels like destiny scripted by the stars. As Belly races through the dawn-lit streets of Paris, her heart finally catches up to her head, leading her to board Conrad’s 5 a.m. train to Brussels. There, amid the rattle of rails and the blur of passing countryside, she finds him: alone, teary-eyed, clutching the weight of their fractured past. “Conrad, I choose you of my own free will,” she gasps, her voice breaking. “If there are infinite worlds, every version of me chooses you in every one of them.” It’s a line that doesn’t just resolve a love triangle; it rewrites the series’ DNA, transforming tentative glances into an eternal vow.

To understand the seismic impact of this moment, we must rewind through the summers that built it. The series, which premiered in 2022, follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin as she navigates adolescence in the idyllic beach town of Cousins, where her family vacations alongside the affluent Fisher clan. Belly’s summers are defined by the Fisher brothers: Jeremiah, the fun-loving surfer who proposes to her in Season 2’s gut-wrenching finale, and Conrad, the enigmatic older brother whose protectiveness masks a profound, unspoken passion. From their first charged dance at a debutante ball to stolen kisses under boardwalks, Conrad and Belly’s connection has always simmered beneath the surface—complicated by grief over Susannah Fisher’s (Rachel Blanchard) cancer battle, family loyalties, and Belly’s own fear of choosing wrong.

Season 1 introduced the spark: a 15-year-old Belly awakening to romance, torn between Jeremiah’s playfulness and Conrad’s intensity. By Season 2, the flames roared—Belly and Conrad’s secret relationship implodes amid Susannah’s death, pushing her toward Jeremiah in a rebound fueled by comfort rather than fire. Fans split into fervent camps: #TeamJeremiah celebrated the “safe” love, while #TeamConrad championed the soul-deep bond. Social media became a battlefield, with TikToks dissecting every lingering look and Reddit threads debating Han’s book endings (where Belly ultimately picks Conrad after years of reflection).

But Season 3, released in weekly drops starting August 2025, dared to evolve. Showrunner Jenny Han, who adapted her own novels, infused the final chapter with maturity. Now in her early 20s, Belly (Tung, now 22) has traded Cousins’ nostalgia for Paris’s electric pulse. Episode 1 flashes forward: She’s thriving as an art history student, sporting a chic bob haircut and dating Benito (a charming new character played by newcomer Diego Boneta), a fellow expat who represents the fresh start she craves. Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) is back in the States, training for culinary school and nursing old wounds, while Conrad pursues a medical fellowship in Brussels, haunted by the “what ifs” of their shared history. The season explores growth beyond romance—Belly confronts her codependency, Laurel (Jackie Chung) publishes her long-dormant novel, and Steven (Sean Kaufman) grapples with post-college aimlessness. Yet, the pull of Cousins lingers, drawing everyone back for Susannah’s memorial in Episode 8.

The buildup to Episode 11 is a masterclass in tension. In Episode 10, “Paris Lights,” Conrad surprises Belly outside her Montmartre apartment, ostensibly en route to a conference but really seeking closure—or a spark. Their day unfolds like a dream sequence: Strolling the Tuileries Gardens, ascending the Eiffel Tower at dusk, sharing croissants at a Seine-side café. Conrad, ever the poet, quips, “Paris never stood a chance,” as they overlook the city from her favorite rooftop. The chemistry crackles—Briney’s guarded eyes soften, Tung’s laughter rings freer than in years. But intimacy breeds doubt. That night, after a steamy, candlelit hookup in Belly’s apartment (a scene Han confirmed was “female-gaze intentional,” with Tung’s input on the vulnerability), reality crashes in.

Post-coital glow fades to panic. Belly voices the fears that have plagued them: Is their love real, or a ghost born from Susannah’s shadow? “We’re only so drawn because of the grief,” she whispers, echoing fans’ long-standing debates. Conrad, raw and resolute, counters that his feelings transcend loss—he loves her “brown hair, brown eyes, and all.” But Belly, terrified of repeating past cycles, insists he board the morning train. No promises. No Paris sacrifices. As he leaves at 4 a.m. with a soft “Happy Birthday, Belly,” the screen fades to black. Cue the collective gasp from living rooms worldwide.

Episode 11 picks up at dawn, Belly alone in her silk sheets, the infinity necklace Conrad gifted her seasons ago glinting on her nightstand. A voiceover—pulled straight from Han’s novel—narrates her epiphany: “I have brown hair and brown eyes, and I will always love Conrad Fisher.” It’s the click she’s waited for, the shedding of every doubt. Chaos ensues: She hails a cab through predawn Paris, dodging rain-slicked streets and her own racing thoughts. The sequence, set to Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods,” pulses with urgency—Belly’s heels clatter on cobblestones, her breath fogs the train station windows as she scans platforms, boarding the Brussels-bound car just as doors hiss shut.

The reunion is pure catharsis. Conrad, slumped in a window seat with earbuds in, looks up to see her—disheveled, necklace aglow, eyes fierce with certainty. No words at first; just a collision of hands, tears, and that kiss. A promise, not a question. The camera lingers on their intertwined fingers, the world blurring outside, symbolizing how love finally outpaces fear. As the train hurtles forward, flashbacks intercut: Their first summer gaze, the boardwalk fight, Susannah’s beachside wisdom. It’s Han’s love letter to her characters—messy, real, redemptive.

The episode doesn’t end there. Fast-forward a few years: Belly returns to the Cousins Beach house, Conrad’s hand in hers, the waves whispering approval. No wedding bells (a deliberate omission, Han told Variety in a post-finale interview, to avoid clichés), but a quiet vow to build together. Subplots wrap tenderly—Jeremiah thrives as a chef, finding love off-screen; Taylor (Rain Spencer) and Steven navigate long-distance with hope; Laurel toasts her bestseller. It’s an ending that honors the books while diverging for TV intimacy, emphasizing choice over fate.

Fans lost it. Within hours of the September 17 drop, X (formerly Twitter) erupted. “Belly running to the train station… I almost blacked out,” tweeted @harringsunton, capturing the visceral thrill. @bluwieberrie shared a clip of the confession, captioning, “Finally! She chooses him in every universe 😭.” #TheSummerITurnedPretty trended globally, amassing 2.5 million mentions. Team Conrad rejoiced—”Endgame!” screamed @oyemnassxo—while some Jere loyalists mourned, like @pedrolms20: “She settled when no one else was around.” But even skeptics conceded the emotional payoff; one viral thread dissected how the chase subverted tropes, making Belly the pursuer for once.

Critics hailed it too. People called the finale “a swoon-worthy resolution that earns every tear,” praising Tung and Briney’s chemistry as “electric.” Deadline noted the scene’s nods to rom-com classics like Before Sunrise, blending Han’s YA roots with sophisticated longing. Viewership spiked—Prime Video reported 15 million global streams in 24 hours, surpassing Season 2’s premiere. Han, in a Cosmopolitan sit-down, revealed the train sequence was filmed in one take: “Lola ran for real; Chris improvised the tears. It was magic.”

Yet, this moment transcends spoilers. It’s about the ache of young love—the “what ifs” that keep us up at night, the bravery to chase what haunts us. Belly’s declaration isn’t just to Conrad; it’s to every viewer who’s hesitated at love’s edge. In a multiverse of choices, she picks the one who sees her wholly, freckles and fears included. As the credits roll over a Cousins sunset, one truth lingers: Some summers turn pretty because we finally turn toward them.

In the end, The Summer I Turned Pretty doesn’t just answer who Belly chooses—it reminds us why we root for her to choose at all. Infinite worlds, one perfect moment. Watch it on Prime Video; your heart won’t regret the wait.