Jenny Han has a message for The Summer I Turned Pretty fans who are criticizing the final episodes of the show.
After Prime Video released a new episode on Wednesday, September 3, Han, 45, received an influx of comments on social media about the direction of the show. Some viewers weren’t thrilled with the aftermath of Belly (Lola Tung) and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) canceled wedding.
Belly was seen going to Paris hours after the nuptials were called off, but she spent most of Wednesday’s episode using an AirTag to track down her stolen backpack. Back at Cousins Beach, Jeremiah was moping around while Conrad (Chris Briney) was being punished by nearly everyone in his life for being partially responsible for the broken engagement.
In response to a comment on TikTok claiming Han “gave us NOTHING this episode,” the author and show creator replied, “I gave you the last 4 years of my life. I have given all I have to give, enjoy!” (Han’s Instagram comments have since been limited.)
What ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Cast Teased About Love Triangle Outcome
As The Summer I Turned Pretty wraps up with its third and final season, readers of Han’s books are picking up on some major differences. Han wrote three novels about a love triangle between Belly and brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. The first book in the series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, served as the inspiration for season 1 of the show, while It’s Not Summer Without You was the basis for season 2.
Viewers were expecting season 3 to rely heavily on the events in the third book, We’ll Always Have Summer. Han, however, hinted that she wouldn’t be sticking strictly to the source material for the show’s conclusion — and has even considered a possible fourth season.
“Never say never. If the story is there, then I’m there. As a storyteller, you just get hit with inspiration all the time,” she told Entertainment Weekly in June. “If I had a really great idea that I was excited by, that I wanted to keep telling the story, and if [the stars] were excited to do it, then I would be so pumped. It really depends on if I feel like there is more story to tell.”
One month later, Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon and MGM Studios, appeared to shut down the idea of expanding Han’s fictional universe despite his previous comments stating otherwise.
Biggest Differences Between ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ TV Series and Books
“That was probably wishful thinking for me at the time, and Jenny has stayed really focused on getting these seasons right,” the executive told Deadline in July. “We’re pursuing new and different things with Jenny right now. She’s presented some other things that are related to this.”
According to Sanders, the collaboration will continue when the time is right. “So once the full season is launched, we’ll get into conversations, and we’ll ask her to pick from the many things that she’s surfaced,” he said. “But we’ve moved away from those conversations.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty airs on Prime Video Wednesdays.
