Every Year After Season 1 Episode 3 takes viewers to the summer of 2013, when “Sam got hot.”
Sam and Percy are both being encouraged to just make a move on each other, as it’s finally evident that they both have feelings for each other. But while a foundation of friendship makes for a promising relationship, it’s not always easy to ruin the friendship, especially if you don’t know if the other person feels the same way.
Getting to see Sam and Percy’s storyline play out in the past helps us understand who they are in the present—and why they keep getting drawn into each other’s orbit. Charlie warns Sam that “some things are left better in the past for everyone’s sake,” which again hints at the mistake Percy made that hurt Sam, yet never reveals it directly.
As I mentioned in previous reviews, we know from the books that Percy sleeps with Charlie in a moment of insecurity, which is definitely the kind of mistake that takes its toll on you, though it seems like no one knows it happened, which makes it all the more dangerous.
But back in 2013, things were much simpler, as a summer storm knocked the power out while Percy was watching The Blair Witch Project, forcing her to seek out Sam’s place for safety.
And there was something so pure and innocent about the sleepover scene, as they both debated whether or not to make a move, fully feeling the weight of the emotions, but chose not to instead. It gave me butterflies just watching it, as you could feel things changing in the relationship even without a big kiss or proclamation of love. The foundation shifted just a little that night.
When Charlie saw them in the morning, he immediately assumed they had hooked up, which prompted Sam to say, “I’d never, it’s Percy,” which is not something any girl wants to hear about herself, especially from the guy she’s not-so-secretly in love with.
That led to some reckless decisions at the final summer bonfire, as Percy kissed a random guy to make Sam feel jealous after learning he took a girl to a dance. This is the year the jealousy fully kicked into high gear, though they both later agreed to prioritize the friendship and not do anything to mess up and damage all the years of trust they had built up.
Meanwhile, in the present day, Sam invites Percy to make pierogi with him at the tavern, which, naturally, is not a safe choice for either of them as they can’t be in the same room together without getting caught up in the memories and the emotions.
However, I want to thank the series for using the correct form of pierogi and not leaning into the plural “pierogies” that I often hear. As a Polish person, it’s not only nice to see this done right, but genuinely comforting to see a show’s signature food be something I grew up eating, and something that also keeps the Florek brothers connected to their roots.
Delilah walks into the tavern and stops what would’ve inevitably been a long-overdue reunion kiss between Percy and Sam, which would’ve meant that he cheated on his girlfriend, Taylor, physically, as he’s clearly already doing some emotional cheating.
“What were you thinking?” Delilah asks Sam in the aftermath, as he expresses that when he’s with Percy, he doesn’t think at all. I feel like this almost-kiss when he’s already in a committed relationship could be something that helps him when he inevitably learns the truth about Percy and Charlie’s mistake.
Percy rushes back to the motel and calls Chantal, shaken, confessing she almost made a huge mistake. She says if they stay any longer, she won’t be able to stop herself, adding that she’s already ruined his life once and refuses to do it again.
And that’s when she’s stopped by the estate lawyer for Sue Florek, who wants her present at the will reading in the morning, which catches Percy completely off guard. Sue was like a second mother to her, but she made a grave mistake and hurt her son before disappearing for a decade. Why would she leave her anything?
Elsewhere in the episode, Delilah confesses to Jordie that her marriage with Whit is on the rocks, and there seems to be a vibe between them, as he informs her that she deserves someone who knows how amazing she really is. Does Jordie just have a vibe with everyone? I swear there was something between him and Chantal, but now I’m wondering if I read too much into it.
The past, however, reveals that he was smitten with Delilah the minute he met her at that summer barbecue, while her mission was always the hot older brother, who was a womanizer and kept stringing her along and toying with her feelings.
In the present, Delilah is trying to put an end to the random hookups with Charlie, but he keeps her hooked, explaining that he’s been waiting 15 years for this moment, just like she has. They are interrupted by Chantal’s arrival at the tavern, as she needs help contacting the consulate to figure out her expired passport situation, as she’s now stuck in Canada indefinitely. Barry’s Bay doesn’t seem like a bad place to be trapped in for the summer, especially if you’re not entirely convinced you want to get married to a man who can’t even order his own Postmates—a fact Charlie pointed out during their road trip to the consulate, during which his car broke down.
I didn’t really get the point of this scene, if I’m being honest. Why did we need to see this moment between Chantal and Charlie? Will it lead to something down the line? They could’ve found other ways to keep her in town.
Maybe Chantal will choose to slow down on the work aspect of her life and start noticing the beauty around her?
Do you think there’s something between her and Jordie, or are you rooting for Jordie and Delilah?