From the second Every Year After Season 1 opens, and the first needle drop pulls us into the scene, it’s effortless to tell this show is about to be special. If I hadn’t read Carley Fortune‘s Barry’s Bay duology ahead of time, I would’ve been locked in within minutes, and that’s not something that can be said about every show. There’s magic here, and it flickers to life right from the beginning.
But here’s the thing: from the moment the initial stills dropped, and we later got the stunning trailer, the care put into bringing these stories to life was obvious. The actors felt like their characters, and within an instant of seeing each of them on-screen, there’s no doubt about the casting. They each shine with such unique mannerisms that the way their performances add nuances without the exposition is no small feat. Book readers will be able to catch endless layers, while first-time viewers will be floored by how many minute details come to fruition throughout the season.
It’s worth noting, however, that Sadie Soverall is the season’s MVP, and how she brings to life Percy Fraser allows her to be a character who’s going to stay with people. Bright, complex, and remarkably layered, she’s the exact kind of leading heroine we could always use more of, and her performance wrecked me throughout. In each of the moments that had me in tears, Soverall is there, bringing to life rich emotions that I’m going to be thinking about for a long, long time.
The same can also be said about all the women in the show, and how we get more of Abigail Cowen’s Delilah, Aurora Perrineau’s Chantal, and Elisha Cuthbert’s Sue is tremendous. We could always use more narratives surrounding strong, complex women, and we get it all throughout in Every Year After Season 1.
And of course, we have the Florek brothers. Matt Cornett and Michael Bradway are so good as Sam and Charlie, respectively, that everything you loved about the characters in the book, you’ll love even more on the show. The depth by which they not only understand their characters, but also how they bring their brotherhood to life, is so compelling that it makes the whole mistake come to life with more nuance. The angst is already palpable, but it’s made all the more captivating because of the love that’s between them. The history, the trauma, the heartaches.
This is also to say that if you’re someone who generally steers clear of the love triangle trope out of the fear that it can result in an arduous back and forth, fear not. The show honors the book, making it abundantly clear that the mistake isn’t one that’ll ever be repeated. And because of this reassurance, how we get to the ending makes everything all the more incredible.
Friends-to-lovers typically isn’t everyone’s favorite trope, and this one generally hits a bit too close to home for me, but still, everything about Sam and Percy is stunning. The chemistry between Cornett and Soverall is gorgeous in every timeline, giving us a memorable love story that’s sure to enthrall even those who are typically hesitant about the trope. The softness we get as we watch their love unfold, shake, and survive against all odds is staggering, making their entire story feel earned in a wholly comforting way.
There’s a lot of story to be told still—and a specific casting I’m eagerly waiting for—but everything we get in Every Year After Season 1 is promising. It’s unclear at this point exactly how many seasons we’ll get for the two books and how the rest of the stories will pan out, so only time will tell in that regard.
More than anything, the directing in every episode and the cinematography deserve endless flowers. The show is so picturesque, so beautifully glittering with every scene that I want it playing on an endless loop in the background. The first shot of the lake is one of the most gorgeous moments in a TV show we’ve gotten this year, and every scene is made twice as compelling because of the setting.
Alice Everly’s Nan says it best in the book, One Golden Summer: “good things happen at the lake,” and Season 1 delivers on this statement with so much attention to detail that my heart was in my throat numerous times. It’s dazzlingly slow in a manner that nudges you to sit with the quiet emotions for a little bit, and it pushes you to feel everything with the kind of pacing that feels incredibly perfect for an adaptation like this. There’s a warmth scattered throughout every frame, even when certain plot points aren’t easy to swallow.
Rarely does a show release during such a perfect season, and everything about Every Year After Season 1 is going to hit twice as hard as the summer show. It’s the perfect escape, in more ways than one, with every decision making sense to service the characters in a manner that makes it admirable. Barry’s Bay is a gorgeous place to be, and we’re going to stick around for a while.
Every Year After releases exclusively on Prime Video on June 10.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Justine Yeung/Prime Video