The finale was not only mildly disappointing but also an uncomfortable watch…
When I first opened the last episode, there was a lot that I anticipated happening and expected to see, which I felt was a letdown. The initial Belly and Conrad united scenes were so painful and uncomfortable to watch. Don’t get me wrong, I am Team Conrad, but in those moments, I thought maybe we should just give it up at this point. I found the final episode long and choppy. The beginning felt as though it dragged on for what felt like forever, and then suddenly, in the last 10 minutes, things finally started to happen. Even the last-minute conflict between Taylor and Steven just seemed so forced. It felt like they were trying to make everything feel like a last-minute decision, between the possibility of Steven and Taylor breaking up, to Belly saying no to Conrad and being cold and distant with him when he flew all this way, it all felt very awkward. I also really wanted to see things play out between Belly’s parents and see their happy ending come together. Another relationship I really wanted to see was Taylor and Belly. I feel like after New Year’s, we didn’t see them together again, and it felt like they had drifted apart, which was disappointing. It felt like everything happened way too fast.
That being said, I do realize that there is a movie coming, but I hoped for more closure than a few Christmas photos and some awkward drone flying footage to insinuate that Belly and Conrad moved into the summer house in Cousins. Including the fact that the majority of the people who used to be there for them moved to San Francisco in the end, so now it is just Conrad and Belly in Cousins together, I realize that following their dreams was a big part of the story, but I wanted to feel like Belly still had people around her. I really enjoyed Belly in Paris, and the way that she was on her own, she was able to find herself and felt confident, but now it kind of feels like she is moving backward, almost. I really do hope that the movie will change my mind, but I am fearful that it is something that won’t pique my interest anymore because of the several-year gap for filming.