Review: ‘Every Year After Season 1, Episode 1 “Every Summer After”

The series opens up with a beautiful young woman giving a toast at an engagement party. She explains that she is shy, but for her dear friends Chantal and Drew, she would do just about anything. While she gives her toast, she has multiple flashbacks of herself and a young man going on adventures in a place with lots of greenery and beautiful lakes. She sheds tears as she ends her toast.

During the engagement party, a man approaches her at a bar. We learn that her name is Percy and that she’s a writer. This man is the future groom’s half brother and they decide to go home together. Chantal does not approve of this, but Percy decides to leave with him anyway as she needs to feel something. Her and Jake drink their whole walk home. While in Percy’s apartment, she gets a call from an unknown number from British Columbia. She answers anyway. The man on the other line is Charlie, and he tells Percy that it’s been ten years since they’ve spoken, and that his mother has died. He invites Percy to the memorial. She has a panic attack.

The next morning, Percy is at Chantal and Drew’s for morning coffee. She explains to Chantal that it’s been years since she’s been back at that little town, and that she knows that she broke Sam’s heart. Percy still feels the need to be there for Sam and Charlie’s mom, Sue, because she was like a family member to her. Chantal offers to drive her and they set off on their long journey from Seattle to Barry’s Bay, British Columbia. We’re taken back to Summer 2011. A young Percy is with  her parents carrying boxes into a nice little house. Percy then sees two boys around her age playing in the lake. She waves to them, but then goes back home. 

Later in the day, the two boys show up at her door: Charlie and Sam. They ask to hang out and she agrees. Sam tells Percy about his upbringing, and they bond over their similarities as they are both quite introverted. Percy explains how her parents are teachers doing their sabbatical in the town. She  also bonds with Sam and Charlie’s mom, Sue, who basically takes her in as her own. 

Back in the present, Percy and Chantal arrive at Barry’s Bay, and they can tell something is up. Percy runs  into people from her past, but  they pretend to not know her, or talk behind her back. The same people resent Charlie for  inviting her. This clearly means she did something to Sam. The news that Percy is there obviously gets back to Sam, who  is furious at Charlie. Now a doctor, Sam reveals that he was the one taking care of Sue when she was sick, and Charlie was never around. Their dad passed when they were very young, so they really only had one another.   

After a run with Chantal and avoiding Sam, Percy sucks up her courage and goes to the restaurant that Sue owned. She sees Sam. They embrace each other with a hug and tears. Then, another girl walks in and kisses Sam. The episode ends with Percy’s jealousy going through the roof over Sam’s  girlfriend, Taylor. 

This is a series that seems like it will be both heartwarming and heartbreaking. There is clearly a full story to unravel as the episodes go on. The choice of going back and forth between the timelines is very interesting, as it shows the dynamics between the two love interests. While the back and forth became very repetitive, it flowed  together nicely. And we know that there is  potential to have a very strong buildup as our timeline is 10 years. The leads are very well-acted and have good chemistry. This seems like it will be a fun watch.  

7/10