Thanks to the highly-anticipated peach scene from the third book in Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series, Season 3, Episode 5 was juicer than fans ever expected.
“Last Dance,” which marked Han’s directorial debut, was a supersized installment told from Conrad’s (Christopher Briney) point of view. When Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) got stuck working ahead of July 4 weekend, Conrad stepped in to help Belly (Lola Tung) run timely wedding errands around town. After the two stopped by the florist and Michael’s Craft Store, they passed a peach stand on the side of the road that made Belly’s mouth (and soon, the mouths of viewers everywhere!) water.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 5 spoilers ahead.
Those who read Book 3, It’s Not Summer Without You, likely had the peach scene high on their lists of most anticipated text-to-screen adaptations. And I’m thrilled to report the series kept the scene’s core essence and packed an equally emotional punch. While the book let us into Belly’s head, however, the series shined a greater spotlight on Conrad’s mindset and helped show how strong his feelings for her still were after four years apart.
Like the text, Conrad took the initiative to turn around and stop at the peach stand because he knew Belly was hungry, even though she didn’t want to inconvenience him. As the two exes got out of the car, the sun set behind them, drenching the scene in swoon-worthy golden light. Belly honored the sign that requested payment, placed money in the basket, grabbed a peach, and asked Conrad if he wanted one, only to learn that he’s allergic! *Gasp!*
Shocked that she didn’t know such a crucial fact about him, Belly swore she’d seen him eat a peach before —at least a slice of peach pie! He confirmed her suspicions, but admitted they make his mouth itch, so she dug into the seasonal stone fruit alone as The Rolling Stone’s dreamy song “Wild Horses” swelled and help set the emotional, sexy, warm, bittersweet mood.
While Belly bit into the fruit, Conrad laser-focused on her face as if she was the only person on the planet. As juice dribbled down her chin, sunlight reflected off her hair, and she processed the sheer concept of such a spectacularly sweet peach, Conrad marveled over her ability to see one of life’s simplest moments as special. So when she said, “That is a perfect peach. My god, I don’t want to eat another one cause there’s no way that it could be this good,” naturally, the entranced man jumped at the chance to extend the memory they were making.
“Let’s test that,” Conrad replied, handing Belly a new peach. When she chomped down and juice poured out, she chuckled and confirmed it was just as good as the first. Then, as we’ve seen several times this season, The Summer I Turned Pretty showed us Belly through Conrad’s eyes. She giggled in slow motion and glowed golden as sun flares bounced around and accentuated her beauty. After he watched her wipe her chin some more, Conrad surrendered to his impulses and took matters into his own hand. He pulled his tucked-in white t-shirt out from his pants, lifted it to Belly’s lips, and patted them dry before lingering on her chin and pulling away. Yes, really! He stained his shirt to clean her mouth in one of the most intimate non-sex scenes on teen TV! Call Me By Your Name peach scene, you have a worthy opponent! Or rather, a delightful companion.
For a moment, it felt as though Belly and Conrad might kiss; that everything that stood between them ceased to exist in this perfect moment in time. But after a few seconds passed, Belly — clearly rattled — broke the tension, the music stopped, and Conrad walked to the car. Before we unpack what came next, let’s all take a moment to praise the gorgeous execution. The music. The camera angles. The lighting. The cinematography. The bug sounds in the background. The flies. The palpable YEARNING. The heavenly Han direction. Quite simply, she ATE. And TSITP fans are pleased!
In the series, as Conrad walks away from Belly, his voiceover says, “Whatever I thought was happening here was all in my head. She and Jere, that’s the reality.” But as we know from Book 3, Belly felt sensual, spectacular (albeit complex) sparks at that peach stand, too.
For those who haven’t read, here’s a standout peach scene section from Chapter 38:
“Conrad reached out and wiped my chin with his shirt. It was maybe the most intimate thing anyone had ever done to me. I felt light-headed, unsteady on my feet. It was all in the way he looked at me, just those few seconds. Then he dropped his eyes, like the sun was too bright behind me. I sidestepped away from him and said, ‘I’m gonna buy some more, for Jere.’ ‘Good idea,’ he said, backing away. ‘I’ll go wait in the car.’ I was shaking as I piled peaches into a plastic bag. Just one look, one touch from him, and I was shaking. It was madness. I was marrying his brother. Back in the car, I didn’t speak. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. I didn’t have the words. In the quiet of the air-conditioned car, the silence between us felt blaringly loud. So I rolled down my window and fixed my eyes on all the moving objects on my side.”
Conrad is right that Belly’s with Jere, but if the book is any indication of what’s going on in Belly’s head while we’re isolated from her internal monologue, she thought something was happening in the moment, too. Her hands stay shaking even after Jere comes home, even after she washes the peaches and arranges them in a fruit bowl!
Season 3, Episode 5 also surprised fans with a flashback to Belly and Conrad having sex four years earlier, before they broke up. And though the scene was incredibly intimate, based on Book Belly’s stream of consciousness, Conrad’s gentle yet bold instinct in the peach scene topped everything that came before. Sorry, Team Jere. But the sexy scene, plus the fact that Conrad helps Belly see that the second peach (*cough* brother) can be as sweet as the first, are more signs that Conrad and Belly are endgame.
New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Prime Video.