What's Inside?
- Jenny Han wrote a detailed off-screen backstory to portray Taylor and Steven’s post-breakup tension with realism and emotional depth.
- Season 3 time jumps four years, showing Belly in college and exploring more mature themes like adulthood, regret, and reconciliation.
- The show balances loyalty to book fans with innovative storytelling, crafting surprises while delivering a satisfying television finale.
In The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, showrunner Jenny Han tackles more than just Belly’s love triangle—she dives deep into the evolving and emotionally complex relationship between Taylor and Steven, calling it the most challenging part of writing the season. Beyond on‑screen romance, Han and her writers crafted an extensive unseen backstory to fully justify every fault line and shared moment the couple shares on camera.
The Unseen Backstory Fueling Taylor and Steven’s Four‑year Journey
Between Seasons 2 and 3, Taylor and Steven experienced a significant breakup. Jenny Han revealed that to make their renewed tension feel real, “That might have been one of the most challenging parts of writing the season, because there are so many places they can go, and we did have that time gap,” Han told TheWrap of Taylor and Steven’s relationship ahead of the Season 3 premiere.
Han added, “We wrote a lot of story that we never even see on screen, just so that we knew what the history was, and we knew where the fault lines were … in the relationship.” This attention to detail includes an original car‑accident storyline and subtle references that enrich their bond—and spotlight how far they’ve grown and hurt.
Embracing Creative Freedom and Time Jumps to Elevate the Narrative
Season 3 pushes the timeline further than the books, leaping ahead four years and setting Belly in her junior year of university while Steven has already graduated. As Han explains, aging the characters to their actual actor ages “raises the stakes on everything because anything is possible”. This shift unlocks fresh potential: deeper college anxieties, evolving friendships, and unexpected adulthood crossroads.
Adapting a beloved book trilogy requires balancing fidelity and innovation. Han emphasizes she’s “always thinking about my book fans,” but also prioritizes solid television storytelling. With Season 3, Han aims for a “very satisfying ending … as far as a TV show goes,” even while steering slightly away from the source material. Viewers can expect surprises that feel earned yet still soulful.
Although the finale concludes this chapter—airing weekly through September—the door isn’t fully closed. Han says she’d return “if the stars were to align,” emphasizing that future projects will be grounded in creative passion rather than obligation.
By showcasing how Han built intricate emotional foundations for Taylor and Steven and embraced bold structural shifts, Season 3 is shaping up to be more than just a love‑triangle climax—it’s a layered exploration of growth and choice.
