Showrunner Amy B.

Harris has shed light on the creative decisions behind the Prime Video adaptation of Carley Fortune’s novel, now titled *Every Year After*.

Harris confirmed that certain pivotal moments from the book, *Every Summer After*, were non-negotiable for the series, including the pilot's ending with the line "You came home," the anatomy textbook scene, and the truck sex sequence where Sam Florek tells Persephone Fraser, "You broke my heart."

The series, which follows the rekindled romance between childhood friends Percy (Sadie Soverall) and Sam (Matt Cornett) in the lake town of Barry’s Bay, Ontario, introduces several significant deviations from its source material.

These changes aim to deepen character arcs and expand the narrative beyond the novel's scope.

One of the most notable alterations involves Sam's discovery of Percy's past one-night stand with his brother, Charlie (Michael Bradway).

In the book, Sam is already aware of this event, but the show presents it as a reveal to the audience, occurring between episodes five and six.

Harris explained that this change was crucial to allow viewers to experience Sam's heartbreak directly.

Author Carley Fortune supported this decision, emphasizing the importance of understanding the characters before such a revelation.

## Character Development and Narrative Shifts

Another key change concerns Percy's first intimate experiences.

Harris intentionally ensured that Sam was Percy's first kiss and first sexual partner in the series, diverging from the book where Charlie was involved in both.

This decision was made to emphasize the unique intimacy between Sam and Percy.

Harris also noted that the age difference between the young actors playing Percy and Charlie in flashback scenes influenced the decision to avoid a kiss between them.

The showrunner also clarified that *Every Year After* is not intended to be a love triangle involving Percy, Sam, and Charlie.

While Charlie has his own storyline, which is explored further in Fortune's sequel novel, *One Golden Summer*, Harris stated that Charlie's feelings for Percy were never meant to be romantic longing.

The series also expands the roles of supporting characters like Percy's best friend Chantal (Aurora Perrineau) and Delilah (Abigail Cowen), weaving them into more complex storylines that were not present in the original novel.

Looking ahead, Harris confirmed that Sam and Percy's journey is far from over, despite their reunion at the end of the first season.

The show aims to explore the challenges of their renewed relationship after a decade apart, suggesting that a happy ending is merely the beginning of their story.

The series also hints at future developments for Charlie, with an Easter egg in the finale pointing towards his eventual love interest from the books, Alice Everly, setting the stage for potential storylines in a prospective second season.