Recap of TATBILB and What to Expect from the Last
The final installment of Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, based on Jenny Han’s novels, is here! Lana Condor and Noah Centineo reprise their roles as Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky, bringing their love story to a conclusion in To All the Boys: Always and Forever. If you don’t remember where things left off (or anything at all), here’s a quick refresher on the first two films and what to expect from the last. Spoilers ahead!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Released in 2018, the first film introduces us to reserved high school junior Lara Jean Covey, who writes letters to boys she likes but doesn’t send them. After some of her crushes confront her about these letters, she realizes – to her horror – that they’ve been sent out somehow.
Fast forward and Peter Kavinsky, one of the recipients, and Lara Jean begin to fake date to make his ex-girlfriend (and Lara Jean’s ex-best friend) Genevieve jealous. It works, but like we expected, Peter starts to develop feelings for Lara Jean. On a school ski trip, Peter and Lara Jean admit they like each other, but later, Gen tells her that he spent the rest of that night in her room. This obviously infuriates Lara Jean, so she breaks up with him.
After Lara Jean finally pays Peter a visit, he confesses that he’s in love with her. Happy ending, right? Not so fast…just when we think the film’s ended, John Ambrose Claren, another boy who got a letter, shows up outside Lara Jean’s door with a bouquet of flowers and the aforementioned letter.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Released last February, this film focuses on John Ambrose, one of Lara Jean’s past crushes. Looks like he got his letter after all. Bad news for Lara Jean; she was hoping it’d gotten lost in the mail or something.
As part of her school’s volunteer program, Lara Jean chooses to spend her time at Belleview Retirement Home. There, she runs into John Ambrose, where they have a conversation about the letter. He reveals that he wrote her one, too. For some reason, Lara Jean can’t stop thinking about this conversation. To make matters worse, she’s insecure about her relationship with Peter, unable to stop comparing herself to Gen. Lara Jean and John Ambrose grow closer while volunteering together. He appears to be catching feelings, and Lara Jean doesn’t tell him about her relationship with Peter.
After Lara Jean’s led to (mistakenly) believe that Peter was actually planning to get back together with Gen the night they confessed their feelings for each other during the ski trip, she breaks up with him. Around this time, Lara Jean and John Ambrose decide to throw a ball for Belleview. On that night, they dance together, but Lara Jean realizes she loves Peter, so she rushes outside in her gown. Perfect timing, because Peter’s waiting for her. They kiss and make up, leading us to the beginning of Always and Forever.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever
Wondering if the final film’s worth watching? Well, here’s what to expect. Don’t worry; there aren’t any spoilers beyond this line.
The Covey clan take a trip to Seoul, South Korea, where Lara Jean’s late mother was born and raised. Expect some familiar tunes if you’re a K-pop fan, like SNSD’s “Gee,” Cherry Bullet’s “Q&A” and Blackpink’s “Pretty Savage.” The whole time, though, Lara Jean’s worried about whether or not she’s been accepted to Stanford, where Peter plans to attend. If she gets in, they won’t have to do the whole long-distance thing. She spends the majority of the film contemplating where she should go to college; as much as she wants to be with Peter, she can’t help but feel attracted to New York City.
We get to see her last high school dance, graduation and a glimpse into her future: does she choose to be close to the boy she loves or miles away in the city she loves? Does their relationship even survive that long? You’ll have to watch to find out!
View the trailer here.