Every Year After, Amazon's latest YA drama, attempts to recapture the magic of The Summer I Turned Pretty, but instead finds itself drowning in a sea of romantic misery. The show, based on Carley Fortune's novel, follows Percy Fraser, a 28-year-old obituary writer who hasn't returned to her hometown since a painful breakup a decade ago. The series cuts between Percy's week in town, where she tries to avoid her ex-boyfriend, Sam, and the summers she spent there as a teenager, when she and Sam were inseparable.
What makes Every Year After particularly fascinating is the way it explores the toxic nature of adolescent love. The show doesn't shy away from the self-involvement and narcissism that can come with young love, and it's refreshing to see a portrayal of teen romance that is both relatable and unflinching. However, the series struggles to sell the romantic fantasy that would make it worthwhile, and the result is a dull and dour experience.
One of the show's biggest flaws is the lack of compelling personalities. Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett, who play Percy and Sam, respectively, are unable to muster up any convincing semblance of a personality, much less any sparks compelling enough to make us yearn right alongside them. The show is leaps and bounds more likable when it's focused on other characters, such as best friend Chantal and motel owner Jordy.
In my opinion, Every Year After fails to live up to the magic of The Summer I Turned Pretty because it doesn't have the same heart and soul. The show is too self-aware of its own misery, and the result is a series that is exhausting rather than moving. What many people don't realize is that the show's melancholy pop soundtrack and longing gazes suggest we're meant to find all of this terribly moving, rather than exhausting. If you take a step back and think about it, the show's flaws become even more apparent. The undercooked details and half-baked clichés are just excuses to bring the would-be lovers together or pull them back apart, and then get discarded when they're no longer needed for that purpose.
In conclusion, Every Year After is a disappointment. While it attempts to explore the toxic nature of adolescent love, it fails to sell the romantic fantasy that would make it worthwhile. The show is too self-aware of its own misery, and the result is a series that is exhausting rather than moving. Personally, I think that Amazon should have taken a step back and rethought its approach to this YA drama. What this really suggests is that the show needs a fresh perspective and a more compelling narrative to recapture the magic of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
