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Jenny Han Talks Filming The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han wants fans to know that there's still plenty of blank space for Taylor Swift tracks to fill in season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
While Taylor's 2022 track "You're Losing Me" played in the premiere episode when Belly found out Jeremiah had cheated on her in Mexico, there haven't been any Taylor tunes since—and fans are wondering when they can expect them, especially considering the series has been known to feature several songs from the Grammy winner.
Luckily, Jenny hinted that they may not have to wait much longer.
"I think I’ll say," she teased to Variety in an interview published August 7, "I guess… keep watching."
Fans have had plenty of theories as to why there has been a noticeable lack of Taylor Swift songs this season, with some even thinking that the "Karma" singer's tracks have historically been used to represent Belly's inner monologue—a storytelling feature that’s also been notably lacking in the season so far.
"There's a major lack of Belly's narration and flashbacks this season so far,” one user speculated on Instagram July 27, "Kind of shielding us as viewers from knowing what she's truly thinking and feeling."
Indeed, Swifties and TSITP fans have been expecting more, as "Red" and "Daylight" were prominently featured in season three's trailer, and the show even managed to get its hands on a never-before-heard re-recording of “Delicate” in season two—despite Taylor never releasing Reputation (Taylor's Version).
“It was a secret, even within Amazon,” Jenny told The Los Angeles Times in August 2023. “It was such a gift to be able to get it, and I am so appreciative and respectful of the show’s relationship with Taylor Swift.”
And she noted that she's aware that fans are paying special attention to how she chooses to use Taylor's songs—especially as until using the unreleased track, she had only used them to represent Belly and Conrad's relationship.
“Many fans feel betrayed,” she quipped of the fan reaction after using the song for a scene focused on Belly's relationship with Jeremiah. “However, I never said that Taylor was only for Belly and Conrad. ‘Delicate’ is speaking to where Belly’s head and heart are at in that moment.”
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She also noted that every song she chooses is intentional. When fans questioned why Jenny opted to use Taylor's "Snow on the Beach" in a season two flashback episode, she explained that it wasn't a decision that went without thought.
“When I use ‘Snow on the Beach’ later in the season, it’s haunting because it’s taking you back to that moment,” she explained. “It’s almost like a painful memory, in a way.”
For more on The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, read on.
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A Bigger Time Jump
While We’ll Always Have Summer begins with Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) finishing up her freshman year at Finch University, season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty actually takes place at the end of her junior year.
That means, by the time Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) cheats on Belly with Lacie Barone (Lily Donoghue), they had been dating for four years in the series, not two.
Erika Doss/Prime
No Rebrand For Belly Conklin
Before Belly opens her dorm room ahead of her freshman year—a flashback that takes place in the first five minutes of the season premiere—her brother Steven Conklin (Sean Kaufman) quickly scribbled “Belly” over her full name, “Isabel,” on the door. In subsequent scenes, her college friend Anika Johnson (Sofia Bryant) calls her Belly.
However, in the book, Belly didn’t correct anyone who called her by her government name.
“I didn’t plan to start going by Isabel. It just happened,” she said in the book. “I remember the way I fumbled with my key and how I looked up at the door and saw it. ‘Isabel,’ it was in glue-on rhinestones.”
Then, she introduced herself as Isabel to her roommate Jillian Chapel and moving forward, it’s what everyone at Finch called her.
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An Homage to Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey
Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before—the first in its own trilogy, later adapted for Netflix— might’ve been published three years after We’ll Always Have Summer, but the series was sure to pay homage with small Easter eggs.
For instance, Belly had a photo of her and Jeremiah dressed up as Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey on her dorm wall. The novel’s sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, was a hint in the crossword puzzle Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) was doing with Belly during Christmas.
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Conrad Is Looking Within
The TV series began exploring Conrad's mental health struggles, including anxiety attacks, during the first season while he tried to keep it together after learning that his and Jeremiah's mom Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard) was diagnosed with cancer again.
By the third, the Stanford University student was seen sitting with a therapist before he planned his return to Cousins Beach for a dedication in Susannah’s honor. During his session, he and his doctor explored his concerns around attending the event, although he doesn’t delve into his complicated love triangle. At least he’s there, right?
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Bonjour Paris!
In the series, Belly learns that she was taken off the waitlist to study abroad in Paris the following semester, which means she can’t room with Anika in the fall. (Jeremiah hadn’t even proposed at this point.)
However, in the book, she changes her boarding plans because of her unexpected engagement. Anika still understands as she tells Belly in the text, “I’m not mad. I mean, yeah, it sucks that we won’t be living together, but I’ll figure something out.”
Erika Doss/Prime
Steven and Taylor’s Romance
While Taylor Jewel (Rain Spencer) and Steven’s relationship isn’t explored in any of the books, their on-and-off romance becomes a secondary storyline in the latest season. Although Taylor is dating frat boy Davis and Steven is dating Mia, the pair had been having an affair since reuniting in Manhattan during spring break (the same week Jeramiah cheated on Belly).
After Steven tells Taylor, while they’re driving, that he broke up with Mia so they could try to rekindle their relationship, an overwhelmed Taylor demands that he pull over. When she gets out, Steven is T-boned by another car while making a U-turn, which puts him in a medically induced coma. Don’t worry, though, he makes a full recovery.
Although the same can’t be said for their relationship—at least at this point in the season.
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