In the world of Cousins Beach, the sun doesn’t just set; it crashes. Season 3, Episode 8 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” titled “Last Kiss,” delivered the most seismic shift in the series’ history, effectively detonating the wedding that fans had been tracking for weeks. As the series moves toward its final chapters in 2026, this episode serves as the definitive end of the “Belly and Jeremiah” era, trading bridal lace for the cold steel of an airport terminal. From a brutal rehearsal dinner to the revelation of Susannah’s switched letters, “Last Kiss” was a masterclass in the “unraveling” of a romance that was never quite stable enough to reach the altar.
The Rehearsal Dinner from Hell
The countdown to the wedding reached a fever pitch during a rehearsal dinner that felt more like a courtroom drama. While the evening began with typical Cousins charm—including Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) surprising Belly with lobster rolls—it quickly soured as the truth about their future began to leak. Belly (Lola Tung) was blindsided to learn that Jeremiah had unilaterally accepted a job in Boston, effectively ending her dream of studying abroad in Paris to be with him.
The tension finally exploded when Conrad (Christopher Briney), who had spent the previous episode confessing his love on the beach, refused to play the “silent brother” any longer. The confrontation peaked with a physical fight and a verbal evisceration, leading Jeremiah to punch his brother and uninvite him from the ceremony. In 2026, fans still cite this dinner as the moment the Fisher brothers’ relationship was “permanently fractured,” turning the family legacy into a battlefield.
The Letter and the Choice
The emotional linchpin of the episode was the “wrong letter” from Susannah. In a moment of tragic irony, Laurel delivered Susannah’s wedding day letters to the boys, only for Jeremiah to realize he had been given the one intended for Conrad. Reading his mother’s description of the “deep, destined love” between Conrad and Belly was the final blow to Jeremiah’s confidence.
Faced with the letter and Conrad’s final, heartbreaking speech—where he told Belly that loving her was “worth all the pain”—Jeremiah finally asked the question he had been avoiding: Does she love him? Belly’s tearful admission that a part of her would always love Conrad ended the engagement. “You can’t marry me to erase him,” Jeremiah told her, a line that has become the “definitive epitaph” for Team Jeremiah fans.
Predictions for Episode 9: “Last Call”
With the wedding officially off and the credits rolling on Taylor Swift’s “cardigan,” the narrative pivot to Episode 9—the penultimate chapter—promises a radical change of scenery. Based on the 2026 cultural landscape and the cliffhanger at the Cousins airport, here are the primary predictions:
- The Paris Rebrand: Having spotted Conrad at the airport, Belly chooses not to approach him. Episode 9 is predicted to skip the immediate aftermath, opening with Belly arriving in Paris alone. This “clean break” is essential for her to transition from “Belly” to “Isabel.”
- The Steven and Taylor Turn: Following their honest conversation in Episode 8, predictions suggest that Steven and Taylor will finally anchor their relationship, serving as the stable foil to the chaotic Fisher triangle.
- The “Safety Net” Phone Call: Fans predict a mid-episode phone call between Belly and Jeremiah that will serve as the “last call” of the title, where they finally agree that being apart is the only way to heal.
The Airport Cliffhanger: A Breath of Independence
The episode’s final shot—Belly standing in line for an impromptu flight to Paris while a deflated Conrad waits nearby—represents the first time Belly has chosen “the horizon” over a Fisher brother. By boarding that plane, she is reclaiming the study abroad opportunity she had sacrificed for a marriage that wasn’t meant to be.
In the eyes of 2026 critics, this airport sequence is the most important “Belly moment” of the series. It marks her evolution from a girl caught between two boys to a woman catching a flight for herself. The “Last Kiss” wasn’t between Belly and Jeremiah; it was a kiss goodbye to her childhood, as she heads toward a city where she is no longer defined by who she loves, but by who she is becoming.
