Official Trailer
Rating: 7/10 | Genre: Drama | Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8 | Status: Returning Series
Starring: Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett, Aurora Perrineau, Abigail Cowen, Michael Bradway
I went into “Every Year After” expecting a typical Netflix romantic drama, and honestly? It’s way better than I thought it would be. This is the kind of show that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t try too hard, it doesn’t oversell itself, and by the end of the eight episodes, you’re actually invested in whether these people end up together.
The premise is pretty straightforward. Percy comes home after her mom dies, and she reconnects with this guy she had a thing with years ago. But instead of just being a simple rekindling story, the show jumps back and forth in time to show you six summers of their relationship before everything fell apart. It’s a neat structure that actually works.
Season 1
So the first episode kicks off with Percy returning to this beach town for her mom’s funeral. She’s clearly been gone for a while and there’s this whole weight to her coming back. The town feels like a character itself, which I appreciated. Not in a cheesy way, just in the way that small towns where everyone knows your business actually feel.
The flashbacks start right away, and that’s where the show finds its rhythm. We see Percy and this guy named Delilah’s brother (or wait, I’m getting my characters mixed up, but the point is there’s this romantic history) meeting and falling for each other over multiple summers. Each episode peels back another layer of how their relationship developed and what went wrong.
Sadie Soverall carries a lot of this show, and she’s genuinely great. She has this ability to make you feel her regret and longing without it being overdramatic. Matt Cornett is solid too, though honestly his character is written pretty straightforward. He’s the guy who still has feelings. He does the job.
What actually works best is the supporting cast. Aurora Perrineau as Chantal gets some really fun moments, and there’s good chemistry between the friend group. The tension between the brothers feels real, and it’s not just manufactured drama for the sake of it.
The eight-episode length is perfect for this story. There’s no filler, which is refreshing. Each episode moves the timeline forward and gives you something new to learn about why they broke up. By the end, you actually understand what happened and why it mattered.
My only real complaint is that sometimes the emotional beats feel a little too neat. Like, the show wants you to feel sad, so it hits the sad notes hard and fast. It works, but it can feel a bit manipulative if you’re watching with a critical eye. There’s also a moment in the middle where the pacing stumbles slightly. Episode 4 or 5 drags a little, and I found myself checking my phone, which doesn’t happen often.
But here’s the thing about “Every Year After”: it knows what it is. It’s not trying to be prestige drama. It’s a romantic story about whether first love can actually be your person, and it tells that story in a way that’s entertaining and emotional without being pretentious.
If you’re tired of grimdark prestige TV and just want something that feels good to watch, this is worth your time. It’s also apparently getting renewed, so there’s going to be more, which makes sense because the ending leaves you wanting answers.
Have you watched it yet, or is this one still on your list? I’m curious if the time-jumping structure works for other people the way it worked for me, or if it feels gimmicky.
Episode Guide
Season 1 (8 Episodes)
Episode 1: Every Summer After
The death of Sue Florek, a beloved mother figure, brings Percy Fraser back to a place that has haunted her for a decade: Barry's Bay. As she faces all the people and secrets she ran from years ago, she wonders if returning was a mistake. Honoring Sue and seeing Sam Florek-the great love of her life-brings back beautiful memories of her first summer at the lake, but also the pain of all she's lost.
Episode 2: Young Blood
The Tavern raises tensions between the brothers. Jordie introduces Chantal to lake life, and catches Delilah in a lie. Meanwhile, Percy starts to realize she came here for more than just Sue. Reconnecting with Sam makes her remember her second summer in Barry's Bay, when a game of Truth or Dare changed everything.
Episode 3: Playing with Fire
Delilah tells Jordie her secret, Chantal enlists Charlie's help with a crisis, and Percy and Sam spend more time together-which quickly feels like playing with fire. It's almost like high school all over again… like that summer of the power outage and the bonfire party, where hormones were raging and emotions were high.
Episode 4: Anatomy of a Romance
Sue's will reading leaves everybody in shock. While Sam and Charlie are furious, Percy is utterly lost. She, Delilah, and Chantal admit some hard truths to both each other and themselves, and Percy wonders whatever happened to the girl she once was… the girl who wrote scary stories, swam across the lake, and wasn't afraid to go after what-and who-she wanted.
Episode 5: I Choose You
Drew shows up with an unexpected guest. Meanwhile, Delilah and Charlie reach a crossroads, and Sam makes a life-changing decision-prompting Percy to do whatever she can to distract from her own feelings. Yearning and jealousy are in the air-just like at that New Year's Eve Party in 2015, when Percy's plus one caused a stir, and an unlikely pair shared a midnight kiss.
Episode 6: Plan B
Percy's shocking secret is out, and everyone's caught in the fallout. An unlikely trio forms a search party, while Percy puts her own drama aside to be there for Delilah and make up for past wrongs. As Percy and Sam fall apart in the present, we see how they fell head over heels in love for the first time as teenagers.
Episode 7: The Boathouse
Grudges simmer, a love triangle heats up, and Charlie and Percy are forced to reckon with their past mistakes. As Percy struggles under the weight of yet another shameful secret, she thinks about what led to all of this in the first place-that last summer, when they fixed up the boat, and one moment that ruined everything.
Episode 8: Goodbye…
The day of the memorial has finally arrived, and emotions are high. Charlie tries to make amends, Delilah has an epiphany, Chantal gets stuck choosing between her head and her heart-while Percy and Sam don't quite know where they stand. As everyone struggles to reconcile the past with the present, our Barry's Bay crew wonders what's worth holding onto, and what's important to let go.
Where to Watch
Streaming availability varies by region. Check your favorite streaming platform to see if this title is available in your country.