Every Year Series Finale After brings years of heartbreak, guilt and unresolved feelings to a head as Percy returns to Barry’s Bay for one last goodbye. The episode tries to tie up some of the loose ends of some of the major relationships, but it also leaves the door open for future stories, especially with Sam, Percy and Charlie.# Friction Between Charlie and Sam Reaches the Boiling Point
The episode opens with Charlie and Sam in increased tension. While preparations are being made for Sue’s funeral, Charlie asks his brother to pick up Sue’s relatives from the airport. What starts as a simple request quickly escalates into another fight.
The confrontation is yet another reminder of the damage Charlie’s past continues to cause. Charlie is adamant that nothing of note happened between him and Percy at the boathouse, but the friction between the brothers is evident.# Percy finds consolation in Sue during the summer of 2016
Percy meets Charlie and decides to quit her job at The Tavern. Sue says that Charlie has already left Barry’s Bay and might never come back.
Sue deals with her break-up with Sam and tries to persuade Percy to stay. The two women form a close and meaningful friendship throughout the summer, then we get one of the episode’s most important flashbacks.
Sue speaks about her own experience of grief when she lost her husband. She tells personal stories, admits that she secretly hates pierogies even though she’s been serving them for years, and discusses how she learned to live with loss instead of letting it define her life.
Her advice to Percy is simple, but powerful: believe in yourself enough to confront your pain, not to run from it.
When Sam finally returns from his training program he admits he misses Percy, and wants another chance. But wracked with guilt and regret, Percy deems their relationship beyond repair, and calls it quits for good.# Percy Fixes a Friendship with Delilah
Back in the present timeline, Percy begins to address old wounds outside of her relationship with Sam.
She reaches out to Delilah and apologizes for the years of silence and distance. Percy finally admits that shame over her history with Charlie drove her away from the people who cared about her.
The reconciliation is a huge step for Percy, who helps to prepare for Sue’s memorial service in tribute to the woman who was there for her when she needed her most.# Chantal and Jordie Are Done Hiding Their Feelings
Another story line that is gaining momentum is Chantal and Jordie.
Weeks go by without talking about it and then Chantal brings up their near-kiss. She insists that despite her mistakes she doesn’t want to be seen as someone who cheats on her partner.
Jordie comforts her and tells her to stop being so hard on herself. During their conversation, Chantal confesses that she can no longer ignore her feelings for him.
Meanwhile Jordie talks to Sam about what’s going on and admits he can’t stop thinking about Chantal. Their growing connection suggests that a new romance might be on the horizon. ## Sam Learns a Different Side of his Mother
One of the most emotional moments of the episode comes when Sam unexpectedly runs into Percy at the restaurant.
Percy, in a tutu and tiara, explains that the outfit is special because Sue used to wear the same tiara. As they talk, Percy reveals several personal details about Sue, including that she hates pierogies and loves breakfast foods.
Sam is stunned by the conversation.
For the first time he realizes that Percy may have known parts of his mother that he never really knew. This revelation shifts his perspective, finally allowing him to understand why Sue loved Percy so much.
Sam asks her to stay for the memorial, thinking it is what his mother would have wanted.# Memorial for Sue Brings All Together
The memorial service is the emotional crux of the finale.
Percy prepares Sue’s favorite breakfast foods, and remembers the summer they had together. The memories bring to mind the advice and care Sue gave during one of the hardest times of her life.
At the gathering, Sam can hardly speak, crushed by grief. Charlie and Jordie are there for him, ready to help him when he needs it most.
Later, Charlie delivers his own moving tribute to the woman who held their family together through all their trials.# Percy has finally said goodbye
As the evening draws to a close, Sam and Percy have one last honest conversation.
Sam asks her what brought her back to Barry’s Bay after all these years. Percy finally reveals the truth: she never stopped loving him.
She knew they could never go back to the way things were, but she still wanted to be connected to his life in some way.
The pair spend the night together, bringing a sense of closure to their complicated relationship. But when morning comes, Sam admits that while he wants to forgive her, he still cannot entirely release the pain.
It’s a bittersweet farewell, echoing the emotional depth that has defined their story since the start.# After Barry’s Bay, Life Moves On
Percy leaves town and returns to Seattle to begin rebuilding her life.
She repairs the closet door that’s been broken for years, a symbolic sign that she’s moving on. She continues to write, and eventually receives life-changing news when one of her stories is accepted by a publisher.
Sam is throwing himself into his medical residency, and Charlie is focused on his high-powered finance career.
Sam reads Percy’s published work and it deeply affects him. He realizes how much she meant to Sue and, believing that his mother would have wanted her to inherit the responsibility, sends Percy the keys to The Tavern.## A New Future For The Tavern
Percy (with some help from Delilah) renovates and re-opens The Tavern.
More than a business, the restaurant is a tribute to Sue’s memory and the community she built.
Elsewhere, Chantal and Jordie elevate their relationship to the next level. After weeks of uncertainty Jordie says he wants to date her and she happily agrees.The Shocking Ending of The Finale Explained
Charlie gets the last moments of the episode.
Charlie is talking to his boss Greg when he sees a photo on the office wall. The photo shows Sam and Percy and him from better days spent together.
Greg says his wife bought the photograph from a gallery, but for Charlie it is much more than that.
The picture forces him to confront all he has lost through years of mistakes and avoidance.
At the same time, Sam makes it to The Tavern to see Percy, which means there’s a chance their story isn’t over yet.
But the finale throws up one last surprise. Charlie drives again to Greg’s cabin to see the photograph, and suddenly has a heart attack.
The season ends without telling us what happened to him, which is a huge cliffhanger and could be the premise for a future season.## Review
The finale of Every Year After has some emotional moments, particularly ones that involve Sue’s memory and Percy’s road to healing. But the episode doesn’t entirely earn some of its biggest emotional beats.
Sue and Percy’s connection becomes key to the finale, but the early episodes didn’t do much to build that relationship. As a result, the flashbacks designed to highlight their relationship feel rushed in comparison with the romance between Percy and Sam.
The finale also leaves its biggest question unanswered: has Sam really forgiven Percy? He does come back to The Tavern, which is promising, but the series is careful not to tie things up neatly.
The biggest cliffhanger of the episode is Charlie’s sudden heart attack, which seems to be a way to set up future storylines. With the photo subplot added in, it seems like the series is setting up stories that go beyond the original novel.
In the end, the finale provides closure in some regards and introduces new mysteries in others. Fans of these characters may find emotional catharsis, but those looking for concrete answers may be frustrated by the ambiguous ending.