Spoilers ahead for the book Depois Daquele Verão and the series Depois Daquele Ano.
Depois Daquele Ano follows Sam and Percy, played by Matt Cornett and Sadie Soverall, in a story inspired by Carley Fortune’s novel Depois Daquele Verão. Set in the fictional town of Barry’s Bay, the plot spans six years and one week, tracing a relationship that begins in childhood when the two meet during summers at the lake. As they grow older, their friendship deepens into romance, but one defining summer changes everything and leaves them apart for years.
The biggest difference between the adaptation and the book involves the event that drives the breakup. In both versions, Sam leaves for a university summer program while Percy spends weeks with Charlie, played by Michael Bradway. However, the original novel handles the separation differently. In the book, Sam does not officially end the relationship the way he does in the series. Instead, he becomes insecure about the changes in their lives and sends Percy an email saying he needs to focus on school. He asks for them to speak only once a week and says he will call the next day, suggesting Sunday as their regular time to talk.
Percy does not accept that arrangement. She calls Sam immediately, but before he can speak to her, another girl answers the phone and he confesses that he is drunk. Heartbroken, Percy spends the night crying and meets Charlie the next day, which leads to the same “betrayal” moment shown in the series.
Another major change appears when Sam returns at the end of the summer. In the series, he says he wants to reconcile, but Percy ends the relationship with little explanation. In the book, the moment is more dramatic: Sam proposes with a family ring, and Percy refuses. Devastated, he spirals into destructive behavior, drinks heavily at parties, hooks up with many girls in an attempt to forget Percy, and even flirts with Delilah at one point.
Concerned about his brother’s condition, Charlie eventually tells Sam the truth about the night he spent with Percy, explaining why she rejected the proposal. When Sam and Percy meet again years later, he already knows what happened in their teenage years, but she does not know that he has learned the truth. The misunderstanding is only revealed later, when they reconnect and she explains the affair.
The series changes this structure as well. Charlie does not reveal the involvement with Percy, leaving the major confession to the heroine. That choice increases the emotional impact on Sam, who pulls away and only returns about a year later. In the book, by contrast, the couple reunites without such a long time jump, since Sam has already had years to process the past.
The first season of Depois Daquele Ano is available on Prime Video.
