Breaking Down the Dramatic Ending of Romance Series Every Year After

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Every Year After

Every Year After is the latest TV show to mine drama from a sleepy cottage town. 

The Prime series, based on the bestselling novel Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, takes us to idyllic Canada in the fictional Barry’s Bay, where gorgeous lakes and charming homes are the springboard for an unforgettable romance ten years in the making. 

Percy (Sadie Soverall) hasn’t been back to Barry’s Bay in over a decade. As a teenager, she spent her summers there, falling in love with Sam (Matt Cornett) as they passed the hours watching horror movies. But after a mysterious incident, she leaves for good, only returning after the death of Sam’s mother Sue (Elisha Cuthbert). 

Percy had a close bond with Sue, who owned the local tavern, and hopes to reconnect with Sam after so many years away. As the series reveals over 8 episodes, that’s easier said than done.

The finale’s big answers 

At the start of Every Year After’s finale, Sam has discovered why Percy left Barry’s Bay when she was 17: she slept with Sam’s older brother Charlie (Michael Bradway). Sam hasn’t been processing the news well, refusing to speak to both Charlie and Percy.

On the day of Sue’s funeral, Sam gives a heartfelt eulogy, discussing his mother’s love for his father. “Some people are lucky like that. They meet their best friend, the love of their life, and they’re wise enough to never let go,” he says. But Sam isn’t just talking about his mother; he’s heartbroken over losing his relationship with Percy all those years ago, and devastated over the fact that Percy slept with Charlie. Sam feels as if he’s lost his chance at the very thing that made his mother’s life so special. He’s overcome with emotion, and Charlie swoops in to help him, delivering a touching eulogy of his own.

At the wake, the two reconnect after their recent feud, and understand that they need each other to get through the loss of their mother. And with the loss of their father many years earlier, all they really have is each other. “We’re orphans,” Sam realizes. Charlie puts his hand on his shoulder, but Sam isn’t ready to forgive him. “Now I don’t even have you,” Sam says, walking away from a visibly distressed Charlie.

The wake turns into a celebration, with everyone dancing, exactly what Sue—who covered the tavern with disco balls and loved to dance—would have wanted. Percy dances the day away, flashing back to when she used to dance in the evenings with Sue, just the two of them. The tavern was a place for them to connect on a deeper level. Percy’s mother was always busy with work, so Sue was like a surrogate mother to her, and Percy was the daughter she never had. Though we never get the actual answer as to why Sue left Percy the tavern in her will, these flashbacks highlight their powerful bond. In the present, Sam watches her and a smile appears on his face, and the two see each other from across the room. 

Later that evening, Percy leaves the wake and finds Sam in the parking lot. He asks her why she really came back to Barry’s Bay. Unable to hold back her feelings, Percy tells him everything. “I love you Sam. And even though I did something unforgivable, I’ll never stop loving you,” Percy confesses. “I lie awake, wondering where you are, what you’re doing. Hoping you’re happy. Imagining your life and wishing I was in it.”

Every Year After flashes back to when they were seventeen, when Sam confessed his love to her after being away for a while. It was just after Percy slept with Sam’s brother Charlie. Though she was unable to tell Sam the truth at the time, she tearfully rejected his desire to rekindle their relationship, saying she had to leave, and didn’t return for a decade. 
“We have quite a history of messy goodbyes,” reflects Percy in the present. This time the pair have a far more joyous resolution. Finally, after a decade of longing, Percy and Sam have sex for the first time. It’s a beautiful moment, but it’s not built to last. As they lie together in the car, Sam says “I want so much to forgive you, but I don’t think I can do this.” “I know,” Percy responds, her voice heavy with heartbreak.

How Every Year After ends

Nearly a year later, Percy decides to keep ownership of the tavern, and is deep in renovations with her friend Delilah (Abigail Cowen), who’s designing the new interior. She’s also accomplishing her dreams of writing a horror novel, complete with a publishing deal. Her best friend Chantal (Aurora Perrineau), who came to Barry’s Bay with her as moral support, has returned to spend more time with Jordie (Joseph Chiu), signalling their new romance. 

After the successful re-opening of the tavern, Percy is alone in the kitchen washing dishes. She hears a familiar voice: Sam is standing behind her, surprising her. “You came home,” she says joyously.