The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 5 Review: I’m Sad We’re Only Getting One Episode From Conrad’s Perspective

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, episode 5.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, episode 5, “Last Dance,” provides a refreshing change of pace as we shift from Belly’s perspective into Conrad’s point of view. For any romance book readers (and more specifically, those who have read the third book in Jenny Han’s TSITP trilogy, We’ll Always Have Summer), this episode will feel like a dream: Conrad’s (Christopher Briney) perspective is disarmingly engaging.

The shift between Belly’s (Lola Tung) and Conrad’s “chapters” isn’t subtle, either; the way Belly is filmed is especially telling. That, combined with this episode’s needle drops – The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison versus Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift – gives the audience a deeper insight into Conrad’s conflict. Conrad’s wearing his heart on his sleeve, not just about Belly but about his grief over his mother.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 5 Is A Game-Changer

Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), Taylor (Rain Spencer), and Steven’s (Sean Kaufman) stories are footnotes in this episode, and that’s probably for the best. As we hit the halfway point of the third and final season, the series needed to examine Conrad’s feelings for Belly and reawaken Belly’s feelings for Conrad in return.

The stars align to give Conrad and Belly an afternoon of fun together, without anyone else getting in the way. There are numerous sensual close-ups as Conrad takes in every detail of Belly’s profile. Although some of these shots felt like they could be inserted into a montage of an action hero dreaming of his deceased wife, we now know why Conrad kept his distance.

One scene, during which Belly eats a fresh peach, is brimming with genuine sexual tension, tension that completely undermines any chemistry Belly and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) may have showcased this season. Watching the lovebirds dance on the dock afterward feels hollow. I’m hoping that was the point, though it’s hard to tell.

One of my frustrations with this season so far has been the lack of feeling Belly has shown towards Conrad. I didn’t expect her heart to flip every time she saw him, of course, because she’s genuinely in love with Jeremiah (or at the very least, she believes she is), but the way she treated Conrad felt distant, even callous. This episode changes everything.

As they linger by a countryside peach stand, Conrad uses the bottom of his shirt to wipe fruit juice off Belly’s chin. Conrad’s yearning is palpable, but so is Belly’s physical reaction to the moment. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it’s a relief.

I was worried Belly’s renewed feelings would come out of nowhere, the same way her forgiving and agreeing to marry Jeremiah came out of nowhere. Certain parts of this season’s storytelling have felt unearned or underwhelming, especially within Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship. The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3’s time skip had a major effect on the pacing.

This brief moment between Belly and Conrad is something the show can build on, however. I’m excited to see where their story is headed.

Conrad’s Story Is About More Than Just Romance

Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 5-1

Just like The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s previous episode showed us a more complex side of Belly’s relationship with her mother, Laurel (Jackie Chung), this episode explores Conrad’s relationship with his mother, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), and how that’s affected his dynamic with both Belly and Jeremiah.

In a tender yet heartbreaking flashback in which Conrad speaks to his mother just before her death, he promises her that he’ll look after Jeremiah. The scene itself isn’t groundbreaking, narratively speaking; we know that Susannah was a loving parent. What’s interesting to watch here is Briney’s performance. Previous scenes involving Conrad’s mother, indirectly or directly, have portrayed him as being closed off.

This was purposeful, of course, but because we’re seeing things from Conrad’s perspective in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, episode 5, he’s more open and vulnerable, just as he’s learning to be with his therapist and in other aspects of his life.

Of the young cast, I’d say Briney is probably the strongest performer. His performance is often subtle, and though there are times when it feels a little too subtle, Briney conveys much with his body language and his eyes, which can sometimes depict more emotion than the average YA drama series dialogue can.

As far as we know, this will be the only episode this season to feature Conrad’s perspective, just as Jeremiah’s inner monologue has been featured in one singular episode, too. I’ll miss Conrad’s voice when we return to Belly’s point of view in The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s next episode. There’s something raw and honest about it, which is lacking in Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship at the moment.

New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 premiere weekly on Wednesdays, exclusively on Prime Video.