‘To All the Boys’ wears its romance on its sleeve
The finale of Netflix’s popular trilogy amps up the angst and joy of young love.
Spoiler alert! The following contains specifics about the plot of Netflix’s “To All the Boys: Always and Forever.” Stop reading now if you don’t want to know.
The final installment of the “To All the Boys” trilogy is streaming on Netflix.
As Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) gear up for high school graduation, their future seems to be pulling them apart: Peter is headed for Stanford, while Lara Jean plans to join him until her application is denied. All the while, they’re looking for ways to still feel like they can go the distance.
These are Lara Jean and Peter’s most romantic moments:
1. They cozy up for movie night on the couch
Who says romantic moments always have to be huge, sweeping declarations of love? Sometimes it’s the little things, like sitting on the couch together watching one of Lara Jean’s favorite movies, “Say Anything.”
“You know what I’m looking forward to most about college?” Peter asks while they cuddle post-movie, curfew nearing. “Never having to say goodnight.”
Lara Jean reflects after they’ve said goodnight that “maybe love is actually about the moments when you think no one is watching.”
2. Peter’s (ill-timed) ‘Say Anything’ tribute
Having just watched John Cusack’s serenade, Peter swaps the boom box for an iPhone and Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” for the Stanford fight song to celebrate Lara Jean’s acceptance into Stanford.
The one problem: Lara Jean didn’t get into Stanford.
3. Lara Jean returns the favor with a ‘Big Lebowski’ reference
After his “Say Anything” tribute, Lara Jean surprises him with a special bowling date, complete with matching personalized pink bowling shirts and (a clean version of ) a line from another one of his favorite movies.
“Dude, let’s go bowling,” she says, channeling John Goodman’s character in “The Big Lebowski.”
4. Lara Jean makes a memory box
Struggling with how she could sum up their relationship into a yearbook message, Lara Jean decides instead to fill up the hatbox originally used to store letters to her crushes with mementos from her relationship with Peter.
She includes a photo from the first party they attended – back when they were only pretending to date – plus the love notes she asked him to write as a part of that ruse. Peter adds the boutonnière he wore on prom night.
It’s the perfect gift until things take a turn for the worst and Peter decides they should end their relationship.
5. Peter swoops in with an epic grand gesture
What would this rom-com trilogy be without a romantic ending? After Lara Jean’s dad (John Corbett) and his new wife Trina (Sarayu Blue) marry in a gorgeous backyard wedding, Peter surprises her with a gesture fit for one of Lara Jean’s favorite movies.
He’s signed her yearbook with a tribute to the first time they met.
Lara Jean and Peter promise to make long distance work while he’s at Stanford and she’s at NYU and the yearbook message serves as a new contract for the two – another callback to the contract they first signed agreeing to a pretend relationship, before making it real.