Lemon Jelly Belly, Susannah’s Letter, Waxing Crescent Moon, Gate C83, And More

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 8 ended with a surprise final scene that made jaws drop and will keep fans in suspense for a full week. Before we entered into uncharted TSITP territory, however, “Last Kiss” featured a number of compelling Easter eggs that could mean big things for Belly (Lola Tung), Conrad (Christopher Briney), and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) futures.

Spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 8 ahead.

After Conrad and Belly had their first confrontation post-beach confession, Belly and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) rehearsal dinner go off without a hitch. The night before their wedding, however, Belly told Jere about Conrad’s feelings for her, and in the morning, he was missing. With the ceremony swiftly approaching, Conrad went to find his brother and the two finally hashed things out. Jere punched Conrad, while Conrad revealed he knew about Cabo and still loved Belly. In an effort to make things right, he gave Jere the letter Susannah wrote for his wedding day, but when that took a turn, Conrad said an emotional goodbye to Belly and apologized for hurting her.

When Jere arrived in time for the ceremony, it seemed like the wedding might still be on. But when he asked Belly if she still loved Conrad and she said yes, Jere decided he couldn’t go through with it. The two called off their wedding and tearfully parted ways. Then, in a departure from the books, Belly headed to the airport, bought a ticket to Paris, and ran into none other than Conrad Beck Fisher before she took boarded her flight! *SCREAMS*

We’ll have to wait until Episode 9 to see what Jenny Han has in store, but since The Summer I Turned Pretty is such a thoughtfully-crafted love letter to fans, each week until its September 17 finale, Decider will be taking a closer look at each episode and highlighting five moments that deserve to be put under the microscope. Whether they’re blink-and-miss-it details, brilliant Easter eggs, or major scenes that need to be talked through in greater depth, we’re here to obsess over, hypothesize, and dissect the series alongside you. We’re also shouting out a standout needle drop each episode, since the show’s soundtrack absolutely slaps.

From a meaningful moon and some curious color theory, to Susannah’s letter, Lemon Jelly Belly, glaring Bonrad endgame signs at the airport, and more, here are five things you may have missed in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 8, “Last Kiss.”

1. The Waxing Crescent

   On the long list of highly-anticipated Book 3 scenes that fans have been hoping to see on screen is Chapter 56’s Valentine’s Day flashback. Without spoiling all the delightful details of the scene, Conrad surprised Belly one Valentine’s Day when she was 16 and he was 18, and the two spent a romantic night gazing up at the moon together. The moon that night was full, which, as you can imagine, made them feel *infinite.* And in one of the book’s most memorable lines, Belly explained, “He gave me the moon and the stars. Infinity.” The night sky holds a special significance in their relationship, all of which is to say that the scenes in Episode 8, which show Belly and Conrad separately looking up at the same sky — and moon! — hit hard. There don’t appear to be any stars the night before the wedding, and as far as lunar phases go, the moon seems to be a waxing crescent, which is believed to symbolize new beginnings, manifestation, personal growth, and more meanings that could represent their paths post Belly/Jere breakup. Interesting…

2. A Hint At Jeremiah’s Endgame?

   Since Belly and Jeremiah called off their wedding and there’s a growing list of reasons to believe that Conrad and Belly will end the series together, fans are likely wondering who Jeremiah will end up with at the end of TSITP. As noted in our Book 3 ending breakdown, Jere ends We’ll Always Have Summer with an unnamed date. And even though Season 3, Episode 7 introduced Jere’s ex, Blake (Carson Blyskal), now more than ever, we suspect (and are honestly hoping!) that Jere could end up with his fraternity brother, Redbird (Tanner Zagarino). Why? They’re best buds and there have been a number of Redbird/Jere fan theories throughout Season 3 (including last week when fans spotted Redbird wearing a puka shell necklace similar to the one Jere gifted Belly after Cabo). Most recently though, Redbird is seen wearing a RED-ish (maybe it’s salmon, but work with us here!) suit to Jere’s wedding, while Jere’s ex Blake and other pal Ethan wore grey. We know Steven and Conrad were the co-best men, so Redbird was simply dressing to impress in a special statement-making suit. And as we know from weeks of obsessing over color theory, loving him is red? So could this be another subtle hint towards a future Redbird and Jeremiah romance? We don’t hate it!

3. What Did Jeremiah’s Letter From Susannah Say? And Why Was It Addressed To Conrad?

   For those confused about why Conrad’s letter was in an envelope addressed to Jeremiah, allow us to explain! A Season 2 flashback showed Susannah writing letters to Connie, Jere, and Belly before she passed, but right before she put Conrad and Jeremiah’s letters in their envelopes, she dropped them. While it wasn’t crystal clear at the time, this scene (and the book) confirmed the letters were accidentally swapped. For those looking for Susannah’s full message to her firstborn boy, here’s what the letter said:

   Dear Conrad,

   I can hardly believe my little bug is getting married today! I am bursting at the thought that my beautiful boy has found the person he wants to spend his life with.

   I only got to see you in love once, and for that I will always, always be grateful. Not just that I got to see you in love but that I got to see you be loved. Oh, the way she looked at you — it’s like you were the only boy in the world. As a mother, there is no greater gift than to see her child so dearly loved by another person. Today, if there is even a fraction of the love I saw then I am more than happy, I am overjoyed.

   Don’t be afraid to tell her every day how much she means to you. Cook for her, be a good listener, don’t try to win every argument. Jewelry is always welcome. Pay attention to if she wears gold or silver. If she’s not a jewelry girl, then chocolate.

   Love you always and forever, Mom

4. Lemon Jelly Belly

   Post-breaking up with Jere, as Belly was processing everything that unfolded in the past 24 hours, her mom knocked on the door. And when Belly saw her, she simply said: “Lemon Jelly Belly.” In response to those three words, Laurel replied, “Aw, Bean,” and gave Belly a big hug as she broke down crying. Laurel knew what Lemon Jelly Belly meant instantly. But for those who forgot, we’re here to help!

   Back in Season 1, Episode 2, Belly went to her first debutante tea at the beach club. As Laurel was dropping her off, she said, “Belly, I just want you to know that if you decide you hate it, or if the girls are mean, or even if the food is bad, you can text me. I promise, I won’t say I told you so.”

   “I’ll be fine,” Belly replied. But Laurel wasn’t satisfied. “Humor me. Use our code phrase and I’ll be right there,” she told her daughter. “You remember it from when you were little, right?” In unison, the mother-daughter duo recited, “Lemon Jelly Belly,” and Belly walked off.

   Cut to present-day, when Belly uses the code phrase to quickly communicate to her mom that she’s in a sour situation: The wedding with Jere is off and she’s utterly devastated. Those three simple words act as a touching callback to Belly’s childhood, emphasize her strong connection with Laurel, and also show what a loving mom Laurel is. She nearly missed the wedding because of how hard she disapproved. She outlined a number of potential obstacles and ran down a list of reasons why Belly and Jere shouldn’t settle down so young. Though she eventually came around to support her daughter’s special day, when everything fell apart in the final hour, she easily could have said “I told you so.” But her swift “Aw, Bean” and comforting embrace made it clear that the same terms as Season 1 applied. And without saying so, as Belly broke down in her arms, it was clear she was eternally grateful.

5. Gate C83, Friends Parallels, And More Endgame Easter Eggs

   In Season 3, Episode 7 we broke down how the clock in the glass unicorn shop pointed to Bonrad endgame, and in Episode 8, after Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding was canceled, Jenny Han gave us another incredibly reassuring sign that the series will end with Belly and Conrad back together for infinity — and no, not just because they run into each other at the airport!

   Right before Belly sees Conrad, she arrives at her flight’s gate, and the absolute millisecond that she did I freaking clocked it: Gate C83. To the healthy, untrained eye, that gate might not seem significant. (I’m genuinely SHOCKED I haven’t seen anyone else talk about it.) But to the deeply unwell, hopeless romantic obsessing over TSITP week after week like it’s my job, because it literally is, that’s Jenny telling us clear as day: Conrad and Belly for infinity. (C = Conrad, 8 = infinity sign, 3 = The number that most closely resembles a B, for Belly.) *SCREAMS*

   As it turns out, Belly’s flight to Paris and what’s presumably Conrad’s flight to San Fransisco are also leaving from the same terminal at 10:20. Ignoring the fact that that doesn’t make much sense realistically speaking, if you’re into numerology and Angel Numbers like, say, Taylor Swift, 1020 is believed to signify new beginnings, change, and trust in life’s path/your intuition. Am I digging too deep? Am I OK?! And don’t even get me started on the Friends parallels.

6. BONUS: Are Those Dirt Bombs?!

   We know, we know, it’s supposed to be five things you may have missed and a winning needle drop! But we’re just, uh, asking for a friend: Is that man returning post-fight with The Good Muffins? After Episode 305?! Protect him at all costs.

Episode 8’s Winning Needle Drop: “cardigan” by Taylor Swift

With Gracie Abrams, U2, Olivia Rodrigo, Phoebe Bridgers, more playing in 308, there were many solid needle drops to choose from, but as we’ve said before, this is The Summer I Turned Pretty, and when an episode ends with a Taylor Swift song, it’s nearly impossible to beat. When Swift’s “cardigan” hit at the end of the emotional episode, those other songs didn’t stand a chance! We went long on why the final scene and needle drop are so special here. And now? We’re counting down the SECONDS until Season 3, Episode 9.

Want more TSITP analysis to hold you over until next week? Be sure to catch up on our Easter egg recaps from Season 3, Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7.

New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Prime Video.