The love story of Lara Jean and Peter may be far from over,
but To All the Boys: Always and Forever marks the final chapter of the film series.
Yes, that does mean that the trilogy has officially come to an end. The good news,
however, is that there's still plenty more to enjoy from this epic romance, including digging
into all the little details in the film you might not have noticed the first time around. From
adorable Easter eggs from the very first film to an amazing cameo that brings it all full circle,
here's a look at the small details you might have missed in To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
A lot has changed since To All the Boys I've Loved Before first brought Lara Jean and Peter together,
but fans will notice some familiar items sprinkled throughout To All The Boys:
Always and Forever. For one thing, Lara Jean has resumed wearing her necklace from Peter,
which he returned to her after the two got back together at the end of To All the Boys:
P.S. I Still Love You. And speaking of necklaces,
Kitty is also still rocking that "feminist" necklace that took the internet by storm.
Meanwhile, the "LJ & PK" heart logo that Lara Jean put on their promise
lantern in the second film makes a triumphant return in several scenes of the third film,
including a moment when Peter paints it on their home wall in Lara Jean's dream
of their perfect future together and on the lock Lara Jean got for him at Seoul Tower.
Perhaps most adorably, Lara Jean is still using the same lock screen image
of her and Peter cuddling that we saw in the previous films. There's more to the
story of that photo than meets the eye, too. Director Susan Johnson revealed that the pic
was actually a candid shot of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo lounging between takes,
and Johnson loved it so much that she incorporated it into the movie.
Lara Jean's love of books has always been one of her defining characteristics, and in To All
The Boys: Always And Forever, her latest literary interest bears a particular amount of significance
to the story. While she's visiting Korea with her sisters over spring break, she reads Jane
Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which thematically fits with what's going on in her own life,
as it centers on the close-knit relationship of sisters and the development of a sweeping romance.
"Do you dance, Mr. Kavinsky.”
"Not if I can help it."
Lara Jean later encounters the book again at some important moments in the story,
like when she sees a woman on the subway in New York reading the novel,
and when her imagined version of Peter pays her a visit in her room.
"There's a truth universally acknowledged:
that a high school romance never lasts long distance in college."
But Pride and Prejudice isn't the only book that makes a big splash in the film.
As Lara Jean imagines what her life might be like if she and Peter both go to Stanford to
enjoy their ideal happily ever after, she pictures herself at a major book signing for her own novel,
called Whoa Whoa Whoa. That's a subtle tribute to Peter, who's no stranger to that phrase.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, hey hey hey hey. What's going on. What's going on."
Always and Forever finds Lara Jean's dad Dan taking his happy relationship with Trina to the
next level. But before that, Dan and his daughters enjoy a tender moment together honoring Lara
Jean's mom during the family's trip to Korea. The four visit the Seoul Tower's padlocks of love site
with an old photo of Eve in hopes of finding the lock she left during a previous visit with Dan.
"For the rest of my life. Well, she got her wish.”
The moment is meaningful because it gives Dan and the girls a chance to say goodbye to their mother
as they welcome a new woman into their home. And that's not the only time
Lara Jean parts with a piece of her mother's memory, either. She also gives Peter the fabric
box she got from her mother and used to hide the love letters that started this whole story.
Lara Jean has long struggled with missing her mom, but in To All The Boys: Always and Forever,
these gestures go to show that she's finally made peace with the loss of her mother.
You might have been as stunned as Lara Jean was by Peter's romantic surprise at the end of the
film. But if you listen carefully, Peter actually hints at what's going to happen
very early on. When Lara Jean first returns from her trip to Korea,
she and Peter sit down to watch another classic romantic-comedy together — this time,
Say Anything. Not only does it inspire Peter's little boombox serenade outside of Lara Jean's
window, but he also foreshadows his big move at the reception hall.
"Have you learned nothing from rom-coms?”
“Always make grand gestures...it's okay to interrupt a wedding."
While Peter doesn't exactly interrupt Dan and
Trina's wedding to deliver his new love contract to Lara Jean,
he does use their wedding venue as the backdrop for his grand gesture, so it's pretty close!
Another set of major movie references in To All the Boys: Always and Forever comes along
at a blink-and-you'd-miss-it moment, as Lara Jean contemplates how to surprise Peter during
their next big date. While brainstorming ideas for how to treat him to a themed outing that
matches Peter's favorite films, Lara Jean jots down a few cinematic titles that he loves.
Look closely enough at her list, though, and you'll see some titles that are particularly
important to the movie's cast members. Most notably, she includes the film X-Men: Apocalypse,
which featured Lana Condor in her feature film debut as the mutant Jubilee. The list also
includes Charlie's Angels, in which Noah Centineo had a role in the 2019 reboot of that film as the
tech-savvy Langston. You can also see Shazam!, a superhero smash that features actor Ross Butler,
who plays Trevor in the To All the Boys films. And yet another entry on the list, Doctor Sleep,
includes Henry Thomas, who plays Peter's estranged father in To All The Boys: Always and Forever.
Even though Lara Jean's list looks like a simple run-through of some popular flicks,
it's actually a nice little nod to some of the cast's other recent cinematic accomplishments.
You could say it really ties the room together.
"Did you just quote The Big Lebowski?"
Lara Jean's sense of fashion has always been on-point,
and that becomes particularly clear in To All The Boys: Always and Forever.
In particular, there's a subtle shoe-related moment that references the first film. After
the senior trip, where Lara Jean and Gen have bonded during their night out in New York City,
the two girls meet up again in the school hallway to talk about
NYU, and Gen pays a quick compliment to Lara Jean's shoes.
"Oh my God, cute shoes. I like those."
Ordinarily, that might just be a nice thing for someone to say off-hand, but for Gen,
it's a very big deal. As fans might recall, their feud first became apparent in To All the Boys
I've Loved Before at this exact same spot near the lockers, when Gen dissed Lara Jean's boots.
"Cute boots. Thank you so much for your service."
This time, there's no passive-aggressiveness in Gen's tone as she talks about Lara Jean's kicks,
which confirms that they really have moved on from being foes to friends.
Last but not least, fans of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before books can
find author Jenny Han prominently featured in the final act of Always and Forever.
As Peter's letter to Lara Jean describes the first time they ever met,
the scene flashes back to middle school when little Lara Jean wins an award for attendance.
Bestowing her award is Principal Cho, who is played by the one and only Jenny Han.
Han previously appeared in To All the Boys I've Loved Before as a chaperone
at Lara Jean's freshman homecoming dance, and in To All The Boys:
P.S. I Still Love You as a faculty member giving comfort to a sobbing student on Valentine's Day.
So it's only fitting that she returns for the final adaptation of her beloved books.
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