Breaking Down TSITP S3 E7: Deep Dive into Songs, Symbolism, and the Shifting Love Triangle Revealed

Dainik Realty Bureau | By:Neeraj Ahlawat | Date: Aug 27, 2025

Breaking News: The latest episode of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Season 3, titled "The Last Harrah," has sparked intense discussion among fans, offering a complex tapestry of emotional highs and lows. This episode, a crucial turning point before the anticipated Season 8, is being dissected for its intricate narrative clues, symbolic song choices, and subtle costume details that hint at the future of Belly's tumultuous love triangle. Audiences are keen to understand the deeper meanings behind the unfolding drama.

The "Ick" Factor: Jeremiah's Controversial Scene Examined

Episode 7, described by one analyst as having both "favorite moments" and "cringiest" elements, opened with a critique of the show's choreographed wedding dances. However, a particular scene involving Belly and Jeremiah, set just before their joint Bachelor/Bachelorette night, drew significant attention for its uncomfortable dynamics. While seemingly intended to reassure "Team Jellyfish" of the romance between the two fiancés, the interaction left some viewers feeling "icky". The analyst highlighted Jeremiah's dialogue, where he insisted, "We have time this weekend's about us," despite Belly expressing her need to leave, suggesting a self-centered perspective. This portrayal led to the observation that Jeremiah's actions in this scene prioritized his desires over Belly's.

Melody of Meaning: Deciphering Episode 7's Soundtrack

The episode's song choices are lauded as one of its strongest aspects, each carrying "layered meanings" that enhance the narrative.

• Juno: This song opens the episode, playing as Belly listens to her playlist while watching Conrad fix the house. A key lyric, "I don't have to tell your hot ass acid thing you just get it," is interpreted as representing Conrad's inherent understanding of Belly, a connection repeatedly proven beyond Jeremiah's grasp.
• Robin (Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department): This track, described as deeply layered, is about performing showmanship and "playing pretend" to shield someone from the harsh realities of the world, often likened to a parent protecting a child's innocence. It plays over a scene where Conrad comforts Belly and later as she realizes he persuaded Laurel to attend the bridal shower, underscoring Conrad's consistent role in protecting and fixing things for Belly. Despite this, Conrad is seen trying to step back, wanting to support Jeremiah while also recognizing his brother's "less desirable actions".
• We Can't Be Friends: Featured during a club scene, this song accompanies Belly's profound realization of her "monstrous fire" and "massive feelings" for Conrad. She grapples with the impossibility of being merely friends or a sister-in-law to him, acknowledging her continued love despite a perceived lack of "fireworks" with Jeremiah. Her struggle to "let the story die" is central to this moment.
• When the Party's Over (James Blake cover): This repeat song, now from a male perspective, plays after Conrad's confession to Belly as she walks away. The lyrics, "I could lie and say I like it like that or I tore my shirt to stop you bleeding but nothing ever stops you leaving," are poignantly resonant. While in Season 1, these lyrics reflected Belly's perspective on her efforts for Conrad, here Belly is shown actively lying to Conrad, stating "You never meant anything to me," in an attempt to permanently push him away, even while secretly harboring feelings. Her subsequent breakdown on the sand, crying, symbolizes "grieving what can never be" with Conrad.
• Loss of My Life / Love of My Life (Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department): This song explores the duality of loving someone as the "love of your life" and simultaneously experiencing their loss. Played over Belly's attempt to knock on Jeremiah's wall, a familiar gesture from Season 1, it highlights Conrad's remembrance of Belly's significant details (like the glass unicorn and Junior Mint) versus Jeremiah's apparent lack of similar depth. The song primarily underscores Conrad as the "loss of her life," as Belly's tears signify mourning the wrong timing and the idealized future with Conrad that will forever cast a "tinge of sadness" over her life with Jeremiah.

These songs collectively illustrate a "triangle not of love anymore but of actual pain," where both Belly and Conrad recognize their deep connection, yet Belly is proceeding with her marriage to Jeremiah.

Costume Clues: Belly's Blue Bow and Conrad's Polo

The show's meticulous attention to detail extends to its costume design, particularly its consistent red and blue color theory. A notable detail from Episode 7 is Belly wearing a "pale blue bow" in her hair during the bachelor party, also reflected in her bridal bathing suit. This leads to a theory that in Episode 8, if the bow is missing and Belly is seen exclusively in white clothing, it would symbolize a "resetting of the slate"—Belly choosing herself and detaching from past emotions, potentially leading to the wedding's cancellation.

Furthermore, Conrad's polo shirt worn during his confession is identified as the same one featured in the season's official art. This deliberate choice, along with the fact that Jeremiah's significant costume moment in the art has not yet been shown, suggests that Jeremiah's corresponding outfit might appear during a moment of "potential redemption" for his character.

Cinematic Echoes: Movie References and the End Game

The show frequently references classic films, a pattern continuing in Episode 7 and its promotional material.

• Sabrina: The Season 3 poster is an explicit imitation of the Sabrina movie poster. Sabrina, seen by Belly on her first date with Cam Cameron in Season 1, features Audrey Hepburn in a love triangle with two brothers, ultimately choosing Humphrey Bogart's character. Significantly, in the TSITP poster, Conrad occupies the position of Humphrey Bogart's character, strongly hinting at his eventual pairing with Belly.
• Casablanca: Referenced earlier in Season 3, Conrad notes that Belly's character should be with "Llo" (the realistic choice), but Belly focuses on the "deep romantic love" between Ingrid Bergman's character, Elsa, and Rick (also played by Humphrey Bogart). These deliberate cinematic parallels, where the Bogart character consistently represents the romantic lead, serve as powerful "Team Conrad" indicators.

These consistent clues reinforce the belief that the show's ending, despite Jenny Han's promise of it being "better," will not deviate from Belly ultimately choosing Conrad.

Beyond the Wedding: Elopement Theories and Future Songs

A prominent theory predicts that instead of a grand wedding, Belly and Conrad will elope. This idea stems from Belly's confession in Episode 7 that she "never pictured the dress, I never pictured the flowers; I only ever pictured Conrad". It's speculated that after a period of growth, possibly in Paris, Belly will realize her desire for her life to simply begin with the right person, opting for an "understated elopement or a quiet wedding" that would surprise viewers while satisfying book readers.

Anticipated repeat songs for the season's finale include:

• This Love (Taylor Swift): With lyrics like "When you're young you just run but you come back to what you need," this song is expected to play as Belly realizes Conrad is "what she needs" and that she requires a partner who provides "fireworks".
• The Way I Loved You (Taylor Swift): A significant track from the Deb Ball in Season 1, this song is Jenny Han's stated favorite Taylor Swift song for the show and is predicted to mark the show's conclusion.

For the eventual breakup of Belly and Jeremiah, the Taylor Swift song "Peter" (from The Tortured Poets Department) is predicted. This song, about Peter Pan and a boy who "never grows up," is seen as a perfect representation of Jeremiah's perceived inability to mature at the pace Belly requires or to become the "mature partner that she deserves".

Steven & Taylor: A New Triangle's Symbolic Weight

A significant departure from the books is the development of a new love triangle involving Steven, Taylor, and Denise. This storyline is interpreted as deeply symbolic, representing the universal dilemma of "head over heart". A quote from Lucinda in the episode, "Don't let your pride get in the way of like being with the person you love," is seen as relevant to both Belly and Taylor. Taylor, initially convinced that Jeremiah and Denise are the "right" partners for Belly and Steven, respectively, is shown to be ignoring the profound love both Belly and Steven share for their non-current partners. This storyline suggests Taylor will realize the importance of following her heart, even if it leads to pain, rather than adhering to preconceived notions of what "seems right". This new triangle is considered integral to the show's overall narrative.

FAQs

1. What is the main topic of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Season 3 Episode 7, "The Last Harrah"? The episode focuses on the escalating tensions in Belly's love triangle, featuring significant character interactions, revealing song choices, and subtle visual cues that hint at future plot developments and the ultimate resolution of her romantic journey.

2. Why was the scene between Belly and Jeremiah before the Bachelor/Bachelorette night controversial? The scene was perceived as "icky" due to Jeremiah's dialogue, which was seen as self-centered. He insisted the weekend was "about us" when Belly was trying to leave, suggesting a focus on his desires rather than a mutual understanding with Belly.

3. Which Taylor Swift songs were highlighted in the episode's analysis and what do they signify? "Robin" represents Conrad's protective nature towards Belly, while "Loss of My Life / Love of My Life" underscores Conrad as the profound loss in Belly's life, despite her impending marriage. "Peter" is predicted for a future breakup.

4. How do the costume details, like Belly's blue bow, contribute to fan theories? Belly's pale blue bow is theorized to be a symbol of her current emotional state. If it disappears and she wears only white in Episode 8, it could symbolize her choosing herself and resetting her emotional slate, potentially indicating the wedding's cancellation.

5. What cinematic references in the episode or promotional art hint at Belly's final choice? The Season 3 poster's imitation of the Sabrina poster, where Conrad is in the position of the character Audrey Hepburn's character ultimately chooses (Humphrey Bogart), strongly suggests a "Team Conrad" ending. Casablanca also reinforces this dynamic.