Every Year After Recap Season 1 Episode 1: ‘Every Summer After’

After the successful release of Off Campus (we recapped the entire first season here), Prime Video is offering another book-based romance, this time, from Carley Fortune’s book Every Summer After. My verdict after having seen just the first episode? Every Year After will find an audience, and now that the table setting is mostly done, I am hopeful the succeeding episodes will get better – but it did not really grab me as I thought it would.

Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall) is an obituary writer who has been struggling with panic attacks and running from something she did that has yet to be revealed back in her childhood hometown of Barry’s Bay. When she received a call from someone she has not heard from in a decade, Charlie Florek (Michael Bradway), and was told that his mother Sue had died, Percy was forced to return home and face the love of her life, and Charlie’s younger brother, Sam (Matt Cornett).

A character with a secret in a small town and being forced to face it is a time honoured hook, I just don’t think it was executed well here. The flashbacks to the summer of 2011 were sweet, but the cuts to them could have been done more smoothly. It felt like they were meant to wring emotion; when the narrative is done well, even if you see the emotional punch coming, you’d still feel it. 

In the before days, Percy was the new kid, and she first saw the brothers who happened to be her neighbours at the lake. It was Charlie who took his younger brother Sam to the Fraser house and practically arranged for him and Percy to hang out, because Charlie had friends who were coming over and he wanted to get rid of his baby bro. Percy and Sam hit it off, and they became best friends, and eventually, the friendship turned into romance. Percy also had a sweet relationship with Sue, who ran the local spot The Tavern. 

Percy’s friend Chantal (Aurora Perrineau) was talked into the trip by her fiance Drew, so Percy at least had one friendly face in town. When they arrived – and though Percy spoke of wanting to put on her armour and looking perfect before she inevitably ran into the brothers – her first stop was the lake which happened to be just in front of the Florek house and where of course Sam stood as he spoke to someone on the phone. Percy fled, and so Sam only caught a glimpse of her. 

The next person she ran into was Delilah (Abigal Cowen), who gave mean girl vibes and who was probably the last person Percy wanted to see whilst she was holding two packs of princess underwear she just bought at a local store. Then, Charlie himself came up from behind her, and the two shared a quick hug. 

So far, awkward but not bad. The next encounter was with Jordie (Joseph Chiu) at the Bay Breeze Motel; Percy explained to Chantal that Jordie was Sam’s best friend. Jordie not only pretended not to recognise Percy, he also only gave the girls one room instead of two. It was Jordie who went to The Tavern to sound Sam out, and eventually, tell him that Percy was indeed back in town. 

Sam was furious at his brother not only for inviting Percy to their mother’s memorial, but also for not discussing it with him beforehand. Sam, a doctor, put off his residency so he could personally care for Sue. Charlie, a hedge fund manager, mostly stayed away and only offered to pay for someone to look after Sue. There already was tension between the brothers. Charlie explained that he did not tell Sam because he did not know if Percy would come. Sam said he went off the rails when Percy left. Was this related to the big secret, the one that gave Percy panic attacks? Chantal mentioned that in the ten years she has known Percy, she spent the first five having panic attacks and the last five hooking up with jerks. I haven’t read the book, I’m just hopeful the secret will be worth the buildup. 

When Percy and Sam finally reunited, it was because Percy went to The Tavern, where Sam was doing the dishes. Perhaps it was because Sam was already forewarned and had already processed Percy’s presence, so that when he saw her, he murmured, ‘You came home’, and they hugged. Given all the allusions to their rocky history, it was a sweet reunion. All that talk of love earlier in the episode, and what worked the best for me was the shot of Percy and Sam doing the dishes together. Only, it was interrupted by the arrival of Sam’s girlfriend Taylor.  

The first episode of Prime Video’s latest romance offering did not start off on the strongest foot, but there is enough here to continue watching. If I were to pick the character that popped the most, it would be Charlie, which is saying something since he did not have much to do here. Some characters just have it, so let’s see where the story takes us.

Rating: B-

Strays

🚤Whilst Chantal and Percy were out for a run, Percy saw Sam coming up the path, and immediately took off into the bushes. She ended up in front of her childhood summer home, which was set to be demolished. She went to the lake, took off her clothes, and dove into the water, where she had a panic attack. Charlie, who often swam in the lake, rescued her. 

🚤Chantal noted a vibe between Charlie and Delilah, like they were secret lovers; it could be that Delilah was buying The Tavern, and Sam did not yet know.

Episode Title: Every Summer After

Episode Writers: Amy B. Harris and Leila Gerstein

Episode Director: Gillian Robespierre

Release Date: June 10, 2026

Home