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I understand the preference of keeping a book storyline the same when it’s adapted into a TV series, but some changes are necessary for the format of telling the story. That was the case for that major change at the end of Every Year After.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune* captured our hearts with a love story that was told over the course of six years and a week. One of the big moments was finding out that Sam already knew that Percy and Charlie had slept together.
He’d spent time working through those feelings, and so, they didn’t cause a problem between the two characters later on in the story.
That wasn’t the case in Every Year After, and it was necessary for the format of storytelling. Instead, Sam is finding out from Percy in real-time, and that creates conflict at the end of the first season.
Why the Change in Every Year After was Necessary
And I get that people are angry that the show changed the story, but it had to change for TV storytelling.
With a book, you can relive Sam’s experience through his own words. It’s possible to feel the emotion as it’s described. With a TV series, it doesn’t work that way.
Going back to find out that Sam already knew would interrupt the pacing of the story. On top of that, it removes an important bit of conflict that creates drama and tension.
By Sam finding out in the present day, he now needs to work through those emotions. There’s shock, betrayal, confusion, and so much more. We get an opportunity to see how he reacts to both Percy and Charlie as he’s found out the truth.
This is a great way to keep Every Year After going for a second season. That conflict is something that we can see the characters work through, and it gives us the opportunity to see another side, another layer.
In a way, the book took that from us by Fortune not writing it in this way.
Some Changes Don’t Make a Lot of Sense
With all that being said, there are changes from Every Summer After* that don’t make a lot of sense. They don’t service the story at all, and they definitely don’t service the characters.
Let’s talk about how Percy’s job completely changed for no reason! What’s the point in her writing obituaries when in the book she is a successful magazine editor? It almost feels like the show was scared that Percy’s shiny job could hurt the egos of Sam, Charlie, and others at Barry’s Bay.
This could have offered something much bigger in terms of character development for Percy. She isn’t happy with her life, stuck in a place, and almost scared to move forward. This could have given us a look at how adults don’t have it all figured out.
There was the opportunity to delve into mental health, as there is an element of depression in the narrative with how stuck and down Percy is about every aspect of her life. I thought that was the way the series would go, and I do think it’s something to consider for Every Year After Season 2.
At the heart of it, the major change was necessary for the TV’s way of telling a story. That doesn’t mean the series got everything right.
Every Year After* is available to stream on Prime Video.
