Breaking: TSITP S3 E5 Reveals 3 Game-Changing Twists 2025
SPOILER ALERT: TSITP S3 E5 just dropped in 2025, and it's a game-changer. We break down 3 shocking twists that rewrite the future for Belly, Conrad & Jere.
Isabella Rossi
Pop culture expert and avid Jenny Han enthusiast, dissecting every moment from Cousins Beach.
Introduction: The Calm Before the Cousins Beach Storm
The wait is finally over. After what felt like an eternity, The Summer I Turned Pretty has returned to our screens for its final season in 2025, and Episode 5, titled "Infinite Eclipse," has completely shattered our expectations. We thought we knew how Belly's story would end, especially those of us who have tear-stained copies of Jenny Han's We'll Always Have Summer on our bookshelves. We were wrong. So, so wrong.
This episode didn't just move the plot forward; it detonated three narrative bombshells that have fundamentally altered the course for Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. If you thought the love triangle was complicated before, buckle up. The road to Belly's endgame just got a lot more treacherous. Warning: Major spoilers for TSITP S3 E5 ahead!
Twist #1: Conrad's Stanford Dream Crumbles
The first and perhaps most shocking twist revolves around the golden boy himself, Conrad Fisher. Throughout the series, Conrad's intelligence and ambition have been intrinsically linked to his dream of attending Stanford—a goal that also represented his escape from the emotional turmoil of home. In S3 E5, we learn that this dream is dead.
In a gut-wrenching scene with his father, it's revealed that Conrad wasn't rejected. Instead, he secretly deferred his admission for a year and enrolled at a local university near Cousins to stay close to Jeremiah. He frames it as needing to support his brother, but the subtext is screamingly clear: he can't bear to be that far from Belly. This act of quiet sacrifice is peak Conrad Fisher, a devastatingly romantic gesture masked as stoic responsibility.
What This Means for Team Conrad
This twist is a massive injection of hope for Team Conrad. It dismantles the biggest obstacle to a potential reunion: physical distance. By choosing to stay, Conrad is no longer an abstract, far-away memory but a present, tangible part of Belly's life. It forces him out of his emotional shell and into direct conflict with Jeremiah and Belly's established relationship. His presence will be a constant reminder of their shared history and his unspoken love, making it impossible for Belly to fully move on.
Twist #2: Susannah's Secret Letter to Belly
We all wept when Susannah's letters to her boys were revealed. But the writers had one more emotional ace up their sleeve. While cleaning out a box of Susannah's old art supplies, Belly discovers a hidden envelope with her name on it, written in Susannah's familiar script. This isn't just a sweet note; it's a final, poignant piece of guidance from the woman who was a second mother to her.
The letter, read by Belly in a tearful voiceover, doesn't explicitly tell her who to choose. Instead, Susannah writes about the two different kinds of love she saw for Belly in her sons' eyes. She describes Jeremiah's love as a "brilliant, warm sunrise" that makes you feel happy and seen. But she describes Conrad's love as "the stars... constant, infinite, and patient. The kind of love that guides you home in the dark." The letter ends with a haunting question: "Which light do you need to navigate the rest of your life?"
How a Mother's Words Could Reframe the Love Triangle
This changes everything. Until now, Belly's choice for Jeremiah felt like a step toward a happy, stable future. Susannah's letter posthumously validates the depth and power of Conrad's more difficult love. It gives Belly permission to reconsider what she thought was a final decision. It reframes Conrad's moodiness not as a flaw, but as a byproduct of a profound love he couldn't articulate. For a girl who has always sought Susannah's approval, these words will undoubtedly plant a powerful seed of doubt about her future with Jeremiah.
Twist #3: The Beach House Has a New, Complicated Owner
The fate of the Cousins Beach house has been the emotional anchor of the entire series. In the books, Conrad uses his inheritance to buy the house back from his aunt. The show takes a far more dramatic route. Just as the "For Sale" sign is about to go up for good, the sale is abruptly canceled. The new owner? None other than Adam Fisher, Conrad and Jeremiah's estranged father.
He claims he bought it to "keep it in the family," but his motives are clearly more complex. This act isn't one of pure generosity; it's a power play. He now holds the keys to their sanctuary, a place tied to every happy and painful memory they have. It puts both Conrad and Jeremiah in the uncomfortable position of being indebted to a man they have a deeply fractured relationship with.
More Than Just a House: The Future of Cousins
This twist introduces a new, external antagonist into the central love story. Adam's ownership creates an immediate strain on Jeremiah and Belly's relationship, especially as they plan their future. Will they feel comfortable starting a life together under his roof? It also forces Conrad into a protective role, not just for the house, but for Jeremiah and Belly, creating a complicated dynamic where he must interact with them as a unit while his heart is breaking. The beach house is no longer a safe haven; it's a gilded cage.
Book vs. Show: Season 3's Biggest Deviations
| Plot Point | In the Book (We'll Always Have Summer) | In the Show (S3 E5 Twist) |
|---|---|---|
| Conrad's University Path | Conrad is already attending a university away from home (Brown/Columbia analogue), creating distance from Belly. | Conrad secretly defers his Stanford admission to stay local, eliminating the distance barrier. |
| Susannah's Influence | Her memory influences the characters, but there are no new revelations from her. | A newly discovered, secret letter from Susannah to Belly directly addresses the nature of her sons' love. |
| The Beach House Fate | Conrad uses his trust fund to buy the beach house, securing it for the family on his own terms. | Adam Fisher, their estranged father, buys the house, creating a new power dynamic and source of conflict. |
What These Twists Mean for the TSITP Finale
These three game-changing twists have completely upended the narrative we expected from We'll Always Have Summer. The show is no longer just a question of which brother Belly will choose; it's a more mature exploration of sacrifice, legacy, and the true meaning of home.
Conrad is no longer the one who leaves; he's the one who stayed. Belly is no longer choosing between two boys, but between two profound, valid, and now equally present forms of love. And Jeremiah, who finally had the girl and the promise of a happy future, now finds that future complicated by the two men he has the most complex relationships with: his brother and his father. The stage is set for a finale that promises to be even more emotional, complicated, and unforgettable than the book. No team is safe, and for the first time, it feels like any ending is possible.