The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Episode 9 Trailer: The Torn Letter and Its Threat to Belly’s Future
The trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Episode 9, set to air on September 3, 2025, has sent fans into a tailspin with a devastating image: Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) clutching a torn letter with Conrad Fisher’s name scrawled across it. This resurfaced secret, hinted at in the emotionally charged teaser, has sparked intense speculation about whether it could unravel Belly’s engagement to Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) and alter her future entirely. With the final season of Jenny Han’s beloved series nearing its climax, this article explores the trailer’s implications, fan reactions, and the potential fallout from the letter, set against the backdrop of the Belly-Conrad-Jeremiah love triangle.
The Trailer’s Heartbreaking Reveal: A Torn Letter and Unspoken Truths
The Episode 9 trailer, released shortly after Episode 8’s dramatic wedding-day chaos, centers on a poignant moment: Belly, visibly shaken, holds pieces of a torn letter addressed to Conrad (Christopher Briney). The letter’s fragmented state suggests a secret that was meant to stay buried, possibly written during a pivotal moment in Belly’s past—perhaps her time in Spain, when she and Conrad exchanged heartfelt letters, as detailed in We’ll Always Have Summer. The trailer’s haunting soundtrack, featuring Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan” fading into “Exile,” underscores the sense of loss and betrayal, with lyrics like “I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs” aligning with Belly’s conflicted emotions.
Fans on X have latched onto this imagery, with posts like, “Belly’s holding Conrad’s letter like it’s her last lifeline—Jeremiah’s done for #TSITP” (@str6wbelly), suggesting the letter contains a confession of her lingering feelings for Conrad. Another user speculated, “That torn letter is probably Belly admitting she’s still in love with Conrad, and if Jere finds it, their wedding’s TOAST” (@Heartless_103). The trailer’s editing, cutting between Belly’s anguished expression, Jeremiah’s tense confrontation with Conrad, and a flashback of a younger Belly writing in her journal, implies that this letter could be the catalyst for the unraveling of her engagement, especially as Episode 8 left the wedding in limbo after Jeremiah’s disappearance.
Contextualizing the Letter: Belly’s Past with Conrad
To understand the letter’s significance, we must revisit Belly and Conrad’s history, particularly their correspondence during her junior year abroad in Spain, as referenced in the books and hinted at in Season 3. In We’ll Always Have Summer, Conrad writes Belly a series of letters expressing his enduring love, recalling memories like teaching her to ride a bike without training wheels and their unexpected Christmas at Cousins Beach. Initially, Belly hesitates to respond, but after Conrad begs for a reply, she begins writing back, keeping their letters as cherished mementos. One letter from Belly, which Conrad carries in his wallet, “kept him going” during their time apart, symbolizing their deep connection despite their breakup after Season 1.
The trailer’s torn letter could be one of these, perhaps a draft Belly wrote but never sent, confessing feelings she suppressed when she chose Jeremiah at the end of Season 2. The show has diverged from the books, introducing new characters like Anika and Lacie Barone, who revealed Jeremiah’s infidelity in Episode 2, and altering the wedding timeline. However, the letter’s reappearance aligns with the book’s pivotal moment where Belly’s unresolved feelings for Conrad surface before her wedding to Jeremiah. The trailer’s focus on the letter, paired with shots of Belly alone at the Cousins Beach house, suggests she’s grappling with a truth she’s avoided—potentially that her heart still belongs to Conrad.
Fan Theories: A Secret That Could Destroy Everything
The fanbase on X is spiraling over the torn letter’s implications, with many convinced it’s a game-changer for Belly’s future with Jeremiah. One post theorized, “Belly probably wrote that letter in Spain, pouring her heart out to Conrad, and tore it up to choose Jere. Now it’s back to haunt her” (@DelicateMaroon). Another user suggested a darker twist: “What if Jeremiah finds the letter and realizes Belly’s been lying about her feelings? That punch in the trailer is Jere vs. Conrad for sure” (@StarWarsSettled). These reactions align with Episode 8 predictions on Reddit, where fans speculated that Jeremiah’s absence from the wedding and a physical altercation with Conrad—hinted at in the trailer—stem from a confrontation over Belly’s true feelings.
The trailer also teases a scene where Taylor (Rain Spencer) asks Belly, “What do you think will happen?” echoing a line from the Episode 8 preview, suggesting Taylor knows about the letter and is pushing Belly to face its consequences. In the books, Belly cancels her wedding to Jeremiah after learning of his infidelity and Conrad’s confession, later marrying Conrad years later. The show’s accelerated timeline and the letter’s prominence in the trailer indicate a similar trajectory, but with added drama—perhaps Jeremiah discovers the letter, forcing Belly to confront her indecision before the altar. Fans on X, like @nev2you, have noted, “Belly’s been convincing herself Jere’s her Conrad, but that letter proves she’s never let go of the real one,” highlighting her tendency to project Conrad’s qualities onto Jeremiah.
The Letter’s Symbolism and Narrative Weight
The torn letter is a powerful symbol in The Summer I Turned Pretty, representing Belly’s suppressed emotions and the fragility of her commitment to Jeremiah. In the books, letters between Belly and Conrad are sacred, with Belly rereading them to relive their connection, even knowing them by heart. The act of tearing the letter suggests an attempt to erase those feelings, yet its reappearance in the trailer implies that the past cannot be so easily discarded. The trailer’s visuals—Belly clutching the fragments at night, with Conrad’s name barely legible—evoke a sense of regret and unfinished business, mirroring the “midnight goodbye” in Episode 10’s trailer, where Belly is seen crying at the pier with a suitcase.
This moment ties into Season 3’s broader themes of closure and self-discovery. Episode 5’s Conrad-centric POV revealed his struggle to suppress his love for Belly while helping with her wedding, and Episode 6’s near-kiss at the band-aid scene showed Belly’s own wavering resolve. The letter could be the catalyst that forces Belly to admit she’s been “in denial of her lingering feelings for Conrad,” as noted in a Collider recap, especially after Jeremiah’s dismissive attitude toward her wedding stress. If the letter contains a confession of love for Conrad, its discovery could shatter Jeremiah’s trust, especially given his insecurities about being second to his brother, as seen in his efforts to win their father Adam’s approval.
The Wedding’s Fate and Jeremiah’s Reaction
The trailer’s glimpses of Jeremiah’s tense demeanor and a physical altercation with Conrad suggest that the letter’s contents could ignite a confrontation. In Episode 8, predictions on Reddit indicated that Jeremiah leaves the wedding after learning of Belly’s doubts, possibly prompted by the letter’s discovery. The trailer shows Jeremiah storming off, with a voiceover of Belly saying, “I thought I knew what I wanted,” hinting at her realization that her engagement was a mistake. This aligns with fan sentiment on X, where users like @Heartless_103 argue, “Belly’s slip of memory about Conrad saving the dog, not Jere, shows she’s been rewriting her history to justify her choice” (@Heartless_103). If Jeremiah finds the letter, it could confirm his fears that Belly’s heart still belongs to Conrad, leading to the altercation teased in the trailer.
The show’s deviations from the books—such as Jeremiah’s cheating scandal with Lacie Barone and the introduction of new characters like Agnes, Conrad’s friend—suggest the letter might carry additional weight, perhaps revealing a moment when Belly considered leaving Jeremiah during their “break” in Season 3. Jenny Han’s comment to Entertainment Weekly that “there are surprises” and fan-favorite scenes may not play out as expected fuels speculation that the letter could lead to a mutual decision to cancel the wedding, rather than Belly leaving Jeremiah at the altar, as some fans hope.
Fan Reactions and Cultural Impact
The torn letter has dominated fan discourse, with X posts reflecting a mix of heartbreak and excitement. “Belly clutching that letter with Conrad’s name is PEAK drama—I’m not ready for Jere’s heart to break but Team Conrad forever” (@str6wbelly) captures the polarized Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah camps. Critics, like those at TechRadar, have expressed frustration with Belly’s indecision, calling her a “terrible character” for dragging both brothers into her chaos, yet acknowledge the letter’s role in pushing the narrative toward a resolution. The show’s use of Taylor Swift’s music and nostalgic Cousins Beach settings continues to resonate, amplifying the emotional stakes of the letter’s reveal.
The letter also ties into the series’ exploration of grief and growth. Belly’s struggle to move forward after Susannah’s death mirrors her inability to let go of Conrad, who represents her childhood dreams. The trailer’s focus on the letter, paired with Episode 10’s pier scene, suggests Belly may be on the verge of choosing herself, as fans on X hope, or reconciling with Conrad, as in the books. The cultural impact of The Summer I Turned Pretty lies in its ability to evoke universal feelings of first love and heartbreak, with the letter serving as a tangible reminder of choices left unmade.
Conclusion: A Secret That Could Change Everything
The torn letter in the Episode 9 trailer is a narrative bombshell, threatening to destroy Belly’s future with Jeremiah by exposing her unresolved feelings for Conrad. Whether it’s a confession from her time in Spain or a newer revelation, the letter’s reappearance signals a turning point in the love triangle, pushing Belly toward a reckoning with her heart. As fans spiral over the trailer’s implications, the final episodes, culminating on September 17, 2025, promise to deliver a resolution that could either break hearts or heal old wounds. With the wedding in jeopardy and Conrad’s name literally torn apart in Belly’s hands, the question remains: will this secret end her engagement, or will it lead her back to her first love?
