The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Episode 10: A Letter, a Silence, and Belly’s Breaking Point

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 10, streaming on Prime Video since September 10, 2025, delivers an emotional crescendo that pushes Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) to the edge of her heart’s limits. Set in the romantic haze of Paris, this episode weaves a delicate yet devastating narrative around a letter from Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney), a suffocating silence from Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), and a choice that could redefine Belly’s future. As Conrad’s confession threatens to bridge the ocean between them, the episode captures a storm of emotions that leaves viewers breathless. Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 10.

Paris: A Canvas for Belly’s Heart

The episode opens with Belly navigating her new life in Paris, a city that pulses with possibility but can’t fully shield her from her past. After the fallout of her canceled wedding to Jeremiah in Episode 9, Belly’s Parisian escape is both a rebellion and a rebirth. The cobblestone streets and glowing Eiffel Tower frame her journey, but her heart remains tethered to Cousins Beach. Without her study abroad program—lost to a clerical error, as established in Episode 9—Belly supports herself with odd jobs, from serving pastries at a café to tutoring English. These scenes, underscored by Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?,” highlight her resilience and vulnerability as she carves out a space in a foreign world.

Belly’s new friends, introduced in this episode, add vibrancy to her Parisian nights. Gemma (Corinna Brown), a painter with a sharp wit; Julien (Fernando Cattori), a soulful poet; Elise (Isaline Prevost Radeff), a pragmatic dreamer; and Leo (Jahz Armando), a musician with an infectious laugh, form a tight-knit group that feels like a lifeline. Their adventures—sipping espresso in Saint-Germain, sketching by the Louvre—offer Belly moments of joy and belonging. In a heartfelt scene, Gemma tells Belly, “You don’t have to choose who you are yet. You’re allowed to just be.” This advice, echoed in the group’s late-night talks, pushes Belly to embrace her uncertainty, even as her heart pulls her elsewhere.

Conrad’s Confession: A Letter That Shatters

The episode’s emotional core is Conrad’s letter, a narrative thread that fans, buzzing on X, have called “a love story in ink.” Delivered to Belly’s cramped Parisian apartment, the letter is a raw confession that cuts through the distance between them. “Belly, I’ve been drowning without you,” Conrad writes, his words accompanied by a flashback to a Cousins Beach moment—Belly and Conrad dancing barefoot in the sand, their laughter mingling with the waves. The letter reveals Conrad’s regret for letting her go at the airport in Episode 9 and his fear that he’s lost her forever. Christopher Briney’s voiceover, reading the letter, is haunting, amplifying the weight of his confession.

This letter, a departure from the books’ less frequent correspondence, is a bold choice by the showrunners. It anchors Conrad’s presence in Belly’s Parisian life, making him impossible to ignore. As Belly reads, Lola Tung’s performance captures a spectrum of emotions—hope, pain, and fear. She clutches the letter to her chest, standing by her apartment’s tiny window, the Parisian skyline blurring through her tears. Fans on Reddit speculate that this letter is the first of several, with some pointing to behind-the-scenes photos suggesting Briney filmed in Paris. Whether this hints at a reunion remains unclear, but the letter’s impact is undeniable: it brings Belly to her breaking point.

Jeremiah’s Silence: A Void That Speaks

In contrast to Conrad’s outpouring, Jeremiah’s absence is a deafening silence. After the wedding’s collapse, he’s back in the U.S., and his lack of communication weighs heavily on Belly. A brief scene shows her checking her phone, hoping for a message that never comes. This silence, as much as Conrad’s letter, shapes Belly’s emotional landscape. It’s a reminder of the pain she caused Jeremiah and the guilt she carries. A flashback to their engagement party, where Jeremiah’s smile masked his doubts, underscores the complexity of their bond. Gavin Casalegno’s absence in this episode, noted by fans on X, amplifies the void, making Jeremiah’s silence a character in itself.

The love triangle, a cornerstone of the series, feels both present and fractured. While Julien, the charming poet, sparks a flirtation with Belly—sharing a quiet moment at a poetry reading—her heart remains caught between the Fisher brothers. Julien’s gentle advances, like offering her his scarf on a chilly night, are sweet but fleeting. Belly’s hesitation, captured in a close-up of her conflicted expression, suggests that neither Julien nor anyone else can fill the space Conrad and Jeremiah occupy.

The Choice: Belly at Her Breaking Point

The episode’s climax is a turning point that fans have dubbed “the storm rising.” Belly sits at a café, pen in hand, drafting a response to Conrad’s letter. Her words—“I want to be free, but I don’t know how to stop loving you”—pour out, only for her to tear the page apart. This moment, set to Gracie Abrams’ “Normal Thing,” encapsulates her breaking point: the realization that love and freedom are at odds. The camera lingers on the torn paper, symbolizing her fragmented heart.

A later scene pushes this tension further. Belly walks along the Pont Alexandre III bridge, the Seine glittering below. She pulls Conrad’s letter from her pocket, reading it again as a shadowy figure approaches in the distance. The episode cuts to black before revealing who it is, leaving viewers on edge. Social media is alight with theories—some believe it’s Conrad, others hope it’s Jeremiah, while a few argue it’s a red herring, symbolizing Belly’s choice to face herself. As Cosmopolitan noted in a Season 3 overview, the show excels at “keeping you guessing while breaking your heart.”

Themes of Love and Letting Go

Episode 10 masterfully balances themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Paris is a canvas for Belly’s growth, with her new friends encouraging her to embrace the present. Yet, Conrad’s letter and Jeremiah’s silence pull her back to Cousins Beach, where Susannah’s memory lingers. A brief moment shows Belly rereading one of Susannah’s letters, which urges her to “choose the path that scares you most.” This advice, paired with the Parisian setting, underscores the episode’s exploration of courage in the face of uncertainty.

Conrad’s own arc, glimpsed in a California scene, adds depth. He confides in his father, Adam, about his fear of losing Belly forever, revealing a vulnerability that makes his confession more poignant. The episode also hints at the brothers’ strained relationship, with Conrad admitting he “broke something” in Jeremiah. This guilt mirrors Belly’s, creating a parallel that deepens the narrative.

Toward the Finale

As The Summer I Turned Pretty approaches its finale on September 17, 2025, Episode 10 sets up a storm of possibilities. Will Conrad’s confession bring him to Paris, as some fans hope? Will Jeremiah break his silence? Or will Belly choose herself, as her Parisian friends urge? The episode’s cliffhanger—Belly on the bridge, the shadow approaching—leaves these questions unanswered, amplifying anticipation. As Belly says in her voiceover, “Some choices feel like endings, but maybe they’re just beginnings.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 10 is a masterclass in emotional storytelling, blending the glow of new beginnings with the ache of unfinished love. It’s a storm worth feeling.

Stream Episode 10 on Prime Video now, and brace for the finale on September 17, 2025.