Life may not exactly be, uh…great for most of us right now, but at least we have the sweet gift of a new installment in the To All The Boys franchise on Netflix. Right before Valentine’s Day, too! It’s perfect for the lovelorn and coupled-up alike, because honestly, who doesn’t love Lana Condor? Obviously, we had to stream it ASAP; below, find everything that Vogue writers Michelle Ruiz and Emma Specter thought while watching To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
- The Song-Covey family is in Seoul. What a refreshing change to see glamorous aerial shots of a city that is not New York or Paris! —Michelle
- This is making me want to go somewhere—anywhere! But especially South Korea!—so, so badly. God, even a trip to the massive Korean spa complex in Queens would be life-changing right now. —Emma
- Clocking Kitty’s “Feminist” nameplate. —Michelle
- Lara Jean and Peter have pinned all of their hopes and dreams on going to the same college (Stanford, a switch from UVA in the book), which also happens to be one of the best colleges in the country. What could possibly go wrong? —Michelle
- The idea of Lara Jean making her college choice in any way based on Peter is making me sweaty. Does this make me officially old? Go to Margot’s cool Scottish college, pal! —Emma
- “Hey, Covey,” Peter murmurs sleepily over FaceTime, and unfortunately, my heart soars. —Emma
- The flash-forward montage in which Lara Jean pictures her graduation, wedding, and baby—all with, yes, her high school boyfriend—is too real. Did Netflix confiscate my diary from 1999? —Michelle
- I still do the montage thing every time I go on a good first date. Oops. —Emma
- I can’t believe the size of Lara Jean’s hotel room! Her dad seems like the type to make the girls share a room (relatable), but I guess not. —Emma
- Not Kitty meeting a cute boy on a bridge in Seoul! Love this for her. —Emma
- Oh my God, Peter wants tips on “how to braid Lara Jean’s hair.” —Emma
- “Remember the olden days when college acceptances were sent in the mail?” Burn! Indeed, it was sweet agony. Then again, we Olds didn’t engage in the promposals. Or have to watch other people’s Instagram reaction videos of getting into the schools we didn’t. Some things were better in the olden days. —Michelle
- God, I’m so glad I went to high school before the Promposal Era, because…let’s just say I would not have received one. It’s fine! I’m happy and well-adjusted now! —Emma
- Levain cookie shoutout! I want one right now. —Emma
- Lara Jean’s room continues to be real cute/resemble the lower floor of an Anthropologie. Who did that mural behind the bed? Looks like the teen version of de Gournay wallpaper. —Michelle
- Oh God, Lara Jean not getting into Stanford brings up some very real “my life is going to be irrevocably different now that I didn’t get into Wesleyan” memories for me. (Reader, it wasn’t.) —Emma
- Lara Jean is wearing a tie-dye matching set before the pandemic. Rather prescient. —Michelle
- It’s true! L.J. invented fashion. —Emma
- Okay, are Lara Jean and Peter the cutest, cuddliest not-horniest teens ever? They are admirably, almost strangely wholesome. —Michelle
- I might be a gay adult woman, but I still kind of want Noah Centineo to prompose to me over pancakes. —Emma
- Of course they’re staying at the Midtown Sheraton on the class trip to New York. Plus 1000 accuracy points. —Michelle
- Okay, Michelle, back to your point…is it realistic that this teen couple would have been together so long and not yet had sex? Not necessarily, but it’s still sweet, if abstinence is your jam! —Emma
- Why yes, that is Elliott from E.T. as Peter Kavinsky’s estranged dad…. —Michelle
- Oh my God, it is. My youth! —Emma
- Bustling, pre-pandemic, maskless New York; what a beautiful, and soul-crushing, sight. —Michelle
- What I wouldn’t give to be on a busy downtown street, getting pissed off about NYU’s relentless urban sprawl. —Emma
- Okay, I don’t have a lot to say about a large swath of this movie, because all of it (Photo booths! Bowling alleys! Crowded hallways!) just breaks my year-two-of-the-pandemic heart. —Emma
- Prom time! The navy tux is very much working for Peter. —Michelle
- Lara Jean’s dress is gorgeous, if a little formal, but her hair is legitimately perfect. —Emma
- No teen movie would be complete without a prom dance circle—second only to a choreographed routine in a V-formation a la She’s All That. —Michelle
- This looks so fun! If slightly nausea-inducing, considering the intoxication level of the average prom attendee. —Emma
- Peter is capable of driving himself home from the senior prom? Like, he didn’t smuggle airplane bottles of Smirnoff in his blue tux jacket? Someone raised these kids right. —Michelle
- Seriously! —Emma
- Collecting memories in novelty boxes is so exquisitely, sweetly high school. My heart hurts. —Michelle
- I know! And Lara Jean’s BFF consoling her with ice cream after her big fight with Peter? That’s one of the few good things about high school that actually lasts (female friendship, that is. But ice cream, too). —Emma
- Good to know that Peter and Lara Jean are hormonal teens after all. —Michelle
- I feel like their somewhat-inevitable sex scene was handled beautifully. It didn’t have the residue of “Ew” that they so often do. Hats off! Next movie, please! —Emma
Discussion about this post