'Every Year After' Ending Explained: Will There Be A Season 2?

Amazon Prime’s latest romance drama series, Every Year After, revolves around childhood sweethearts Percy and Sam, who thought they were soulmates, but for some reason they just couldn’t be together! Percy had spent every summer at her family’s lake house in Canada since she was a tween. The first friends she made in Barry’s Bay were Charlie and his younger brother, Sam. She and Sam were the same age, so they bonded really well over a short span of time. Both Sam and Percy looked forward to being reunited in the summer and making the most of the limited time they got to spend together. Sam and Percy grew up together, they were the best of friends and knew pretty much everything about each other. Soon, they started to grow attracted to each other, but they were afraid that if their relationship didn’t work out, they would also lose out on their beautiful friendship. But falling in love is not something one can control, so even though Percy and Sam were afraid, they figured they simply couldn’t picture themselves with anyone else, and it was time that they gave their relationship a chance. If Sam and Percy were so perfect for each other, what led to their breakup? And why was Percy so afraid of going back to Barry’s Bay?

Spoiler Alert

Why was Percy afraid of returning to Barry’s Bay?

From the very first episode we are told that there is a reason why Percy had chosen to stay away from Barry’s Bay for the last ten years. She loved the lake and her teenage years that revolved around it, yet she just couldn’t go back there, but that was before she received a phone call from Charlie stating that his mother, Sue, had passed away. Sue and Percy shared a special bond, and she’d told her son that she would want Percy to be at her funeral, and even though Charlie wasn’t completely on board with the idea, he thought he must honor his mother’s wish. Percy couldn’t make up her mind at first; she had chosen to distance herself from Charlie and Sam, but at the same time she genuinely wanted to attend the funeral. Her best friend, Chantal, accompanies her to Barry’s Bay, in case Percy has a breakdown since the place holds a lot of painful memories. As expected, Percy, Charlie, and Sam reunite but obviously it is awkward at first. Sam is in a relationship, and while he tries to convince himself that Taylor is the one he wants to marry, when he sees Percy, he struggles to control his emotions and he finds himself gravitating towards her. Percy feels envious when she sees Sam with another woman, but she repeatedly tries to remind herself that they can’t be together. 

But what is stopping Percy? The show gradually reveals that Percy and Charlie had a one-night stand, and they regret it even to this day. Sam had abruptly broken up with Percy over email; even though they were happy together, Sam didn’t think he could continue being in a relationship with her because he sensed disappointment in Percy’s voice when they were apart. He was busy with his medical studies and the distance between them troubled him deeply so he broke up with her. Percy was in a state of shock when she received the email; yes, she was also unhappy because of the distance between them but she didn’t expect him to break up over email! She called him, and when a girl responded stating that he was out to grab some beer, she lost her cool. She was in disbelief, they’d had trouble lately in finding time to talk to each other, but she never stopped feeling for him, and she couldn’t understand why he chose to take such a drastic step instead of resolving the issue. During their time apart, Percy and Charlie had grown close to each other. They’d always been friends, but they never really saw each other as a potential romantic match, but the day Sam broke up with Percy and they were drinking together in the garage, something happened. Percy was frustrated, heartbroken and depressed, while Charlie was possibly envious of the perfect relationship his brother had, and in that moment they both chose to let loose and ended up sleeping together. 

They regretted it, Charlie left his hometown the very next day, and he focused on building a career in finance. He felt too guilty to face Sam, so he supported his family financially but continued to maintain a physical distance from them. Percy didn’t immediately run away, she continued working at Sue’s tavern. But things changed when Sam showed up unannounced. He couldn’t bear staying away from Percy (a heads up would’ve been nice!), and he wanted to get back together, but for Percy, the situation was extremely confusing. She felt guilty for what had happened between her and Charlie, and she hated herself for betraying Sam and found it impossible to stay at Barry’s Bay anymore. So, when Percy returns after 10 years, Sam has no idea why she walked away from him in the first place, and Percy can’t gather the courage to tell him what had happened because it will not just ruin their friendship but also have a devastating effect on his relationship with his brother. 

Why did Percy confess?

When Sam realizes that he still feels deeply for Percy, he figures he can’t make the same mistake again. Their relationship has always been quite messy, and in a way that affected their friendship, and he isn’t ready to go through the same uncertainty again. So, he decides to propose to Taylor; he wants to believe that they are a perfect match, they are both doctors and have a similar lifestyle, so theoretically they should be good together. His best friend, Jordie, thinks that his urgency to propose to Taylor during the week of his mother’s funeral is a bit extreme, but he chooses to support him nonetheless. Sam plans a romantic lunch to pop the question, and just when he arrives at why they are a perfect match, he realizes that he is attached to Percy and he has to deal with his feelings before taking such a drastic step. So, instead of proposing to Taylor, he ends up breaking up with her! 

Sam decides it is time to finally come clean about his feelings to Percy, and when he suggests that they give their relationship another chance, she figures she has to tell him the truth. Although it’s a lot, I think Percy made the right call; you can’t begin a new relationship with such a life-altering secret locked up in your closet. She had to come clean if they wanted to start afresh even if it meant breaking his heart and possibly never getting back together again. Percy finally confesses the truth, and as expected, Sam is enraged, devastated and miserable. He can’t believe that the two people he loved and trusted the most stabbed him in the back. Percy tries to explain how it meant nothing, but Sam can’t just let it go. 

Did Sam forgive Percy?

Every time Sam imagines Percy with his brother, he feels disgusted. They were the two people in his life that he trusted with all his heart, and while forgiving them didn’t even seem like an option, he also struggled to think of his life without them. Charlie tries to be there for Sam, he knows an apology won’t really cut it, but he hopes that one day his brother will be ready to talk to him again. Sam establishes that Charlie is dead to him, and after their mother’s funeral he has no intention of ever seeing him again. Charlie blames Percy for the situation he is in, and while she’d spent the last ten years blaming herself for whatever happened, she eventually came to terms with the fact that she wasn’t the only one at fault. So when Charlie confronts Percy, she tells him that he is equally responsible for what happened that night, and she shouldn’t be the only one blamed for it. Charlie realizes that he should’ve been more considerate of Percy’s feelings, he knows what it feels like to live with the weight of the guilt and he, for one, shouldn’t make her life any more difficult than it already is. When Percy confronts Charlie, they end up locked in a chamber in the garage with a faulty door, and while it is a little awkward at first, they finally get a chance to be honest with each other. Charlie feels terrible when he finds out that Percy often had panic attacks because of that one mistake and its aftermath. Both Charlie and Percy have paid the price for their mistake in different ways, and there is one thing common between them: they both love Sam. 

Unfortunately, Sam finds them locked in the chamber and assumes the worst. Instead of drowning in guilt, Percy focuses on organizing the perfect funeral for Sue, who has been her support system since day 1. After the funeral reception, Sam and Percy spend some time alone by the lake. Percy confesses that she has always loved Sam, and nothing in the world can ever change that. Although there was a lot of confusion, hate, guilt and disappointment between them, they loved each other, and in that moment they got carried away and got physically intimate. It wasn’t as if the other emotions had disappeared, but love triumphed and they physically, emotionally, and mentally craved to be together, even if it was for a brief moment. Sam earnestly states that he loved her and she broke his heart, and Percy admits that she knows. He really wants to forgive her but he isn’t sure if he can do it, and instead of begging or pleading, Percy empathetically states that she knows. 

The short whirlwind trip to Barry’s Bay had reminded Percy of the passionate writer she once used to be, and she figured it was time to do what her heart desired. She realizes that she is stronger than she allows herself to believe, and while she’s lived her life in the shadows for the last ten years, it is time for her to incorporate all the life lessons she has learned into something meaningful. She focuses on creative writing, and eventually lands a book deal for a horror novel. To her surprise, Sam sends her the keys to the tavern that his mother had left for Percy. She decides to head back to Barry’s Bay and focus on revamping the tavern with her childhood best friend, Delilah. On the reopening night of the tavern, Percy is taken by surprise when Sam shows up. She is glad that he came, perhaps she has been secretly hoping that he’d drop by. They don’t say much, but their teary eyes suggest that they haven’t gotten over each other, and perhaps after some introspection, Sam has decided to finally forgive Percy and give their relationship another chance. 

Will There Be A Season 2?

Every Year After has the potential to be renewed for another season. We don’t yet know if Sam is ready to get back with Percy. His random appearance on the reopening night of the tavern is definitely a positive sign, but considering what they’ve been through, Sam and Percy might choose to take things slow. They will probably go back to being friends, catch up on everything that they’ve missed out on in the last decade and gradually explore the possibility of getting back together. Sam evidently has forgiven Percy, since she is the love of his life, he had to get over the past so that they could build a future together. They have a lot to unwind, and while they do know that they have feelings for each other, they clearly need to work on their communication skills to make the relationship work this time! According to the ending of Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After (the novel the series is based on), a year after Sue’s funeral, Percy and Sam were living together, and Percy eventually proposed to Sam! It’s very likely that we will get to see this development in the upcoming season, but I don’t think Sam and Percy are going to be the central characters in season 2. 

What To Expect From Season 2?

In Every Year After’s ending, Charlie walks into his boss’ cabin to take a look at a photograph of him, Sam, and Percy. That evening, to his surprise, he discovered that his boss had bought a photograph of the three of them that was sold at an auction. He didn’t notice Charlie in the photograph, he mentioned that his wife bought it at a gallery because she wanted to be reminded of the little joys that life is all about. The photograph brings back a lot of memories for Charlie, he is reminded of everything he’d left back home, and the constant unsettling feeling of having lost his brother’s trust starts to get to him. While looking at the photograph, Charlie experiences a panic attack, and the series abruptly comes to an end. The ending is shocking and a bit scary, but it surely hints at the coming of Every Year After season 2. Charlie, hopefully, will survive the panic attack and decide to head back to Barry’s Bay. He has unsettled business there, and he has to make amends if he wants to move on in life. He has chased success and wealth to keep himself distracted, but he likely will come to realize that he will never be happy unless he faces his brother again and works on fixing their relationship. 

The second season of the show will most likely follow the events of Carley Fortune’s rom-com novel, One Golden Summer. Just like the novel, Charlie will be the central character, and it looks like the forever flirt might finally settle down! Remember the photograph that moved Charlie and reminded him of his happy days back home? It was taken by Alice, who had spent one summer at a cottage near the lake with her nan, and that was when she took the picture. It looks like Alice will return to Barry’s Bay to look after her nan, and in the course she will run into the ‘shameless’ flirt sailing the yellow boat she’d seen as a teenager before. A whirlwind romance is definitely on the cards! I’m also looking forward to witnessing the future of Chantal and Jordie’s relationship, considering they come from different walks of life it will be interesting to see if they can make their relationship work. After the messy divorce, hopefully Delilah will find love, someone who would crave her attention and not treat her as a second option. 

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