Every Year After, Amazon's latest YA drama, attempts to recapture the magic of The Summer I Turned Pretty, but it ends up drowning in its own romantic misery. The show follows Percy Fraser, a 28-year-old obituary writer who hasn't been back to her hometown since a painful breakup a decade ago. The premise is intriguing, but the execution falls flat. The series fails to sell the romantic fantasy that would make it worthwhile, and instead, it becomes a tedious watch. The creators, Amy Harris and Leila Gerstein, have based the series on Carley Fortune's novel, but the plot reads like a patchwork of well-worn elements from other recent romances. The show's attempt to portray teen love as all-consuming and narcissistic is less forgivable when the two leads carry on this behavior into adulthood. The self-involvement becomes exhausting, and the melancholy pop soundtrack and longing gazes suggest we're meant to find it terribly moving, rather than exhausting. The show is leaps and bounds more likable when it's focused on anyone but its two stars. The cast, including Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett, and Elisha Cuthbert, fails to muster up any convincing semblance of a personality, much less any sparks compelling enough to make us yearn right alongside them. Every Year After is a dull and dour addition to Amazon's YA-ish drama catalogue, and it serves as a reminder that recapturing the magic of The Summer I Turned Pretty is easier said than done.
