The Summer I Turned Pretty: Season 3, Episode 5 - Last Dance (2025)

Taylor arrives in Boston to pick up Jere for their trip to Cousins for the 4th of July weekend, but Jere has to stay later than expected to impress his father. While waiting, Taylor and Jere talk, and Jere asks Taylor how Belly is doing from her perspective as Belly's best friend. Taylor tries to be diplomatic but makes it clear that Belly is struggling with a lot right now. Steven unexpectedly appears, accompanied by his female intern Denise, who quickly leaves them alone. Taylor and Steven share an awkward conversation, and Taylor thanks Steven for helping her with her mother. Steven correctly guesses that Taylor used her New York money to save Lucinda's salon. They exchange flirty smiles before Taylor gets a call from her mother.

Lucinda informs Taylor that the salon's inspection has been moved up, so Taylor must help her and cannot go to Cousins. Taylor calls Belly to apologize and promises to make the engagement party memorable. Steven offers to attend the engagement party, which Belly appreciates.

Belly finds Pop Tarts in the cupboard for breakfast and runs into Conrad in the kitchen. Their conversation is awkward, and Belly asks Conrad when he plans to return to California. Conrad does not give a direct answer but tells Belly she can eat anything he buys, implying everything he has is hers. Conrad is visibly affected by memories of their past intimacy and is tormented by thoughts of what could have been if they had stayed together.

Jeremiah arrives and interrupts their conversation. He tells Belly that Adam is confirmed for the wedding, which makes Belly happy. Conrad leaves the room as Belly and Jeremiah become affectionate with each other. Conrad's voiceover reveals his pain at seeing them together, expressing that he would rather endure physical pain than watch them.

Conrad's perspective dominates the episode, with his voiceover narrating his inner turmoil. Flashbacks show Conrad as a child helping Belly ride a bike without training wheels, and another memory of a tender moment between them near the end of their relationship. In the latter memory, Conrad holds back the truth about how badly Susannah was suffering, revealing his guilt and regret.

Conrad tries to avoid Belly but ends up helping her with wedding preparations when Jeremiah and Taylor cancel their visit at the last minute. Belly asks Conrad for a ride to the store to buy supplies for the wedding, and they spend the entire day together. Throughout the day, Conrad struggles to suppress his feelings for Belly, haunted by flashbacks and memories of their past.

Conrad's narration reveals that he is still deeply in love with Belly and blames himself for their current situation. He admits that every time he had the chance to walk away, he chose to stay involved, making his own pain worse. The episode ends with Conrad continuing to help Belly, unable to fully distance himself despite his emotional agony.

Belly and Jeremiah choose their first dance song for their wedding, dancing together on the dock as fireworks light up the night sky. Conrad watches them from his bedroom window, heartbroken and alone, realizing this is his last chance to be close to Belly. He reflects on his promise to his mother to always look out for Jeremiah, which he now interprets as not stealing his brother's bride. Belly feels conflicted but committed to Jeremiah, while Conrad retreats further into his pain, knowing he must let Belly go.

The episode "Last Dance" ends with a quiet, emotionally charged sequence that unfolds scene by scene, each moment layered with unspoken longing and the weight of choices made. The final act begins with Belly and Jeremiah sitting together on the dock, the sky above them darkening as the first fireworks begin to burst overhead. Belly is holding a list of potential songs for their wedding first dance, and Jeremiah suggests "These Arms of Mine" by Otis Redding. Belly hesitates, her expression thoughtful, but then agrees. They stand up, and as the music plays softly from a portable speaker, they begin to dance together, swaying gently in the glow of the fireworks. Their movements are tender, intimate, and full of the promise of their future together.

Meanwhile, Conrad is alone in his bedroom, the window open, the sounds of the music and laughter drifting in from outside. He stands at the window, watching Belly and Jeremiah dance. His face is unreadable at first, but as the scene continues, his eyes linger on Belly, his expression shifting from quiet observation to deep sorrow. He does not move from the window. Instead, he allows himself to remember the day he spent with Belly earlier in the episode, when they were alone together, planning details for the wedding. He remembers the way she laughed, the way she looked at him, and the way his heart ached with every word she spoke. In his mind, he replays the moment he hugged her, the closest he has been to her in years, and he thinks, "What have I done?"

The camera cuts to a flashback. Conrad is sitting beside his mother, Susannah, in her hospital bed. She is weak but smiling, her hand resting on his. She tells him how proud she is of him, how much she loves him, and how much she trusts him to take care of Jeremiah when she's gone. Conrad promises her he will always look out for his brother. In the present, Conrad stares out the window, his thoughts returning to that promise. He interprets it now as a reason to stay away from Belly, to let her be with Jeremiah, to fulfill his duty as a brother even if it means sacrificing his own happiness.

Back on the dock, Belly and Jeremiah finish their dance. They smile at each other, and Jeremiah pulls her close, kissing her gently. Belly returns the kiss, but there is a flicker of something in her eyes--uncertainty, perhaps, or a trace of sadness. She does not speak, but her expression lingers on Jeremiah's face before she looks out at the water, the fireworks still exploding above them.

Conrad remains at his window, watching until Belly and Jeremiah walk away from the dock, their arms around each other. He does not move. The camera holds on him as the music fades, the fireworks ending, the night growing still. He is alone, his face illuminated by the dim light from his room, his eyes fixed on the empty space where Belly and Jeremiah had been.

The episode closes with Conrad's voiceover, his words soft but heavy with regret. He says, "I promised her I'd take care of him. I promised her I'd always look out for him. And I will. Even if it means letting her go."

As the credits roll, the final image is of Conrad standing at the window, the night silent around him, the summer slipping away, and the last dance over.

The fate of each main character at the end of this episode is clear: Belly is committed to Jeremiah, preparing for their wedding, but still carrying a quiet ache for what might have been. Jeremiah is happy, hopeful, and eager to build a life with Belly, unaware of the depth of Conrad's pain. Conrad is heartbroken, choosing to honor his promise to his mother by stepping back, letting Belly go, and retreating into his solitude. The episode makes no attempt to resolve the love triangle; instead, it highlights the emotional cost of loyalty, duty, and unrequited love, leaving each character suspended in their own private moment of longing and loss.

There is no postcredit scene in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3, Episode 5 titled "Last Dance." The episode concludes with the main narrative and credits rolling, focusing entirely on Conrad's emotional perspective as he watches Belly and Jeremiah prepare for their wedding. The postcredit scene referenced in some sources is specific to the series finale, Episode 11, not Episode 5. Episode 5 does not feature any additional scenes or content after the credits.

Conrad takes Belly home from the peach stand because Jeremiah bails on her, leaving her stranded and needing a ride. Conrad steps in, and during the car ride, they share a quiet, tense moment that brings up unresolved feelings between them. At the peach stand, Belly eats two peaches and gets juice on her face, which Conrad wipes off with his T-shirt, creating a brief, intimate moment that highlights their lingering connection.

After the peach stand, Conrad and Belly end up cooking dinner together and sharing a meal. The evening feels natural and comfortable, almost like a glimpse of what their life could have been if they had stayed together. Their interactions are warm and familiar, but the moment is interrupted when Jeremiah arrives late at night, disrupting the intimacy and reminding Conrad of Belly's engagement to his brother.

Conrad is deeply conflicted and heartbroken about Jeremiah and Belly's relationship. Throughout the episode, his internal monologue reveals his agony at seeing them together. When Jeremiah and Belly get handsy in front of him, Conrad leaves the room, expressing in his voiceover that he would 'rather have someone shoot me in the head with a nail gun repeatedly' than watch them be together, showing the depth of his pain and unresolved feelings for Belly.

The flashback to Conrad's conversation with his mother before her death is significant because it reveals his promise to look after Belly, which has weighed heavily on him ever since. This moment underscores Conrad's sense of responsibility and guilt, as well as his internal struggle to move on from both his mother's passing and his complicated relationship with Belly.

Taylor misses the engagement party because her mother, Lucinda, calls to inform her that the salon's inspection has been moved up, requiring Taylor to help out. She promises Belly she'll make the engagement party a blast, but she has to skip the 4th of July weekend at Cousins Beach. Steven offers to attend the party, which is a big win for both Taylor and Belly.

The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3, Episode 5 "Last Dance" is not considered fully family friendly for young children or sensitive viewers. The episode contains moderate profanity, including several uses of strong language such as the f-word and s-word, as well as other vulgarities. There are mild sexual references and scenes involving characters in undergarments together, though no explicit nudity is shown. The episode also includes mild intense scenes, such as a character slapping another, and references to topics like underage drinking, car accidents, and emotional distress. While there is no graphic violence or gore, the emotional intensity and mature themes may be unsettling for younger or sensitive audiences.