What Did Percy Do to Sam in ‘Every Year After’? The Betrayal Is Oddly Familiar...

Is this not just The Summer I Turned Pretty 2.0?

It’s clear from the very beginning of Every Year After that something major went down between Percy (Sadie Soverall) and her teenage sweetheart Sam (Matt Cornett). Her mom tells her to stay away from them, because they’re toxic. Other characters allude to something she did. So what, exactly, did Percy do to Sam on Every Year After?

Spoilers ahead for Every Year After season 1!

In Episode 6, we learn that ten years before Percy returned to Barry’s Bay, she and Charlie, her then ex-boyfriend’s brother, slept together. They only did it the one time, and they’ve both regretted it since…but they kept that secret hidden from Sam for a decade. When Percy finally tells Sam, it’s enough to send him running from both of them.

It isn’t until Episode 7, however, that we actually learn the circumstances of said brotherly betrayal. After helping Charlie fix his family’s boat, the two feel bonded in a way that haven’t really before. Then, Sam breaks up with Percy over email…the nerve! It also didn’t help that she called his dorm room and a girl answered. Percy is upset, drinking, and finds solace in the Florek brother who is there.

The next morning, however, Percy’s grief from the breakup and the hookup settles. Percy goes home and nearly overdoses on painkillers. That’s rightfully why her parents think the Florek boys are bad for her. It also explains why Percy drew away from Barry’s Bay and everyone there for the majority of her young adult life. (For what it’s worth, Percy’s estranged bestie Delilah assures her that she wouldn’t have judged her if she’d told her!)

While this is comparable to another Prime Video series on paper, the situation between Percy and the Florek brothers is not really anything like Belly and the Fisher boys. It’s not a traditional love triangle. Charlie flirted with Percy a bit before The Incident, but never seriously. He was trying to set Percy up with Sam from day one, when they were still kids! Percy doesn’t need to choose between them. It’s always gonna be Sam.

What’s interesting is that despite the fact that Percy and Charlie’s sexual encounter was emotionally meaningless, the fallout is much worse than The Summer I Turned Pretty. Sam is extremely angry. While he starts to forgive Percy by the end of the show, he’s still not talking to his brother. Maybe it would have been better if they actually dated.

It’s also, unfortunately, a pattern of behavior for Percy. Charlie is not the first person she turned to when her relationship, or lack thereof, with Sam was rocky. Throughout their youths, Percy would habitually make Sam jealous with other guys. She brought boyfriends back to Barry’s Bay. She got back together with an ex when she heard that Sam was dating his coworker. The thing with Charlie was just the most extreme example of her worst instinct. Nobody’s perfect! They’re all a little bit toxic.

The one thing she didn’t do to Sam was take away The Tavern from him. His mother left it to Percy in her will of her own volition. It gave Percy the kick in the pants she needed to go back to Barry’s Bay, make amends with the Florek boys, and start writing again. They can hopefully all start working towards a healthier future together.