If you heard the screaming of a Swiftie last night, it could have been because the Eras Tour has hit Los Angeles, the first hints at Reputation (Taylor’s Version) dropped, or because Prime Video confirmed The Summer I Turned Pretty would be returning for a third season based on Jenny Han’s book series. A new episode six development might also mean a Reputation era is upon us too. So far, each season has featured Swift songs, many of which were Taylor’s Versions. In season one, there were five Swift songs, and in season two there will be nine. With what little information we have about season three, Swift’s songs might be the best indication of where the show is going beyond the books.
What can we expect in season three?
Fans of the books know that, if the show stays true to the books’ plots, we’re in for a season three full of pain, agony, and major life events. So far, the first two seasons have stayed very accurate to the plot of the first two books, The Summer I Turned Pretty and It’s Not Summer Without You. So it’s natural to assume that this next season, based on We’ll Always Have Summer, could be the final time we visit Cousins Beach. All we know so far is that the show is coming (per Han’s latest Instagram post), it will have ten episodes, and that production has yet to start due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Will Taylor be soundtracking it?
As long as the show has been around, Taylor has been as defining a feature as yearning and youthful indiscretions have. And no, not Taylor, Belly’s best friend, but Dr. Taylor Alison Swift. Han has talked about how she listens to Swift while writing, so it’s no surprise that she’s present in the show’s playlist. But, can we infer anything from how they’re used? Thus far Swift’s songs largely defined the Conrad (played by Christopher Briney) and Belly (played by Lola Tung) relationship exclusively.
Season one had “This Love (Taylor’s Version),†“Cruel Summer,†“Lover,†“False God,†and the life-altering moment where “The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)†became Conrad and Belly’s anthem, sending fans to scream into their pillows and throw things at their televisions. As of episode six, there have been seven Taylor Swift songs in season 2. The season’s preview used “Back to December (Taylor’s Version),†just before Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) came out. In the episodes themselves, there has been “This Love (Taylor’s Version)†(again), “Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)†(which was just psychotic), “Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version),†“Invisible String,†and “Sweet Nothing.†Episode six also had “Delicate (Taylor’s Version),†setting the stage for the rest of Belly’s emotional journey. Where Conrad is a brooding, emotional first love, largely defined by the Fearless, Speak Now, and Folklore eras, Jeremiah is the all-American boy gone vengeful represented by Reputation.
When’s the release date?
Until the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are over, the show cannot start production. For season two, production started July 2022 and wrapped filming in November 2022. Given how much of the show revolves around summer, it’s most likely that the third season will start its release in summer, but whether it will be summer 2024 or 2025 remains to be seen. So for now, all we have are our wits, a stellar playlist, and the powers of inference to predict what’s to come at Cousins Beach next summer … Ready for it?