on DVD.
I've never read the book Anne of Green Gables, nor have I seen any other filmed version (that I can remember, anyway), so I went into this series not really knowing what to expect. Prior to getting the first season on DVD, I had watched the trailer...though it didn't exactly 'wow' me. I'd had my reservations after watching it, as Anne came off as rather melodramatic and her dialogue sounded a bit 'forced'. However, since I'd seen some glowing reviews for the show and I was still interested in checking it out, I decided to get it anyway, as I thought maybe the trailers just weren't a good indication of the series as a whole. This more or less turned out to be the case.
{Spoiler}I did find at the start of the first episode that the actress playing Anne
did sound like her delivery of dialogue was forced (which was how I felt when watching the trailer), but then it seemed like she quickly became comfortable with it...which was just as well, as she had a LOT of it. That's not an exaggeration. Anne talks SO MUCH, it felt like the whole beginning of the episode was just Anne talking nonstop. The actor who played Matthew, who'd come to fetch the boy he was expecting to pick up (but found Anne instead), was amusing with his silent reactions to Anne's seemingly never-ending talking. She certainly used a lot of words (and BIG ones at that). It seemed like she'd use ten words in place of one and it took a while for me to get used to it. I hadn't known that her character was going to be such a chatterbox, but the young actress (Amybeth McNulty, who is an exceptional find) managed to keep Anne more on the side of 'endearing'/'charming' than 'annoying'. Still, I wondered if she would ever stop to take a breath. I imagined that was pages and pages of dialogue she had to learn. It was pretty impressive how she managed to make it sound 'natural' (especially given my first impressions of her dialogue from the trailers). I can't remember the last time I heard one character have so much dialogue in a row. If this is how she talks in the book, I imagine it must be as thick as the Bible.
On top of Matthew’s expressions on the ride home, I was also amused by Anne's obsession with puff sleeves on dresses, how she seemed to 'love' everything, said goodbye to trees and named horses/trees/lakes with names she thought suited them. Literally pinching herself (causing bruises) was a bit weird, though. Like with her outpouring of dialogue, the fact that she was so emotional about
everything took me a little while to get used to. When watching the trailer, I'd found Anne collapsing to the ground (in response to hearing Marilla say she'd have to go back) rather 'melodramatic', but that just shows the difference seeing things in context can make. After learning that Anne was quite dramatic about everything, it made perfect sense for her to act that way (especially considering the hell she'd been through previously that we were treated to brief glimpses of via flashbacks). Consequently, this action of her falling to the ground now seemed perfectly 'normal' for her character and no more dramatic than anything else she did or said.
On the one hand, I could understand Marilla being a bit frustrated with Anne at times, but I loved the fact that Anne had such an imagination and it was upsetting when anyone would shoot down her lofty dreams (such as Marilla burning the flowers she'd picked from the tree outside her bedroom window). By the time that woman, Rachel Lynde, was insulting Anne's appearance/hair, I'd already decided I would immediately dislike anyone who attacked Anne, be it verbally or physically (or both). I was actually cheering Anne on in my mind when she was giving Rachel a taste of her own medicine/dropping some truth bombs on her in retaliation for being insulted. I could totally understand her refusing to apologise later, but the show managed to make it into a somewhat amusing moment with how over-dramatic Anne's apology was (plus, she did say that what she'd told Rachel was actually true, but that probably got lost in amongst the rest of what Anne said).
I knew as soon as Anne started playing with Marilla's precious brooch that something was going to happen to it, but that didn't make the scene where she accused Anne of stealing it any easier to watch. After they'd finally sort of come to an 'understanding', it was sad to see it all go to hell in no time. What made the scene more 'complex' than just simply being someone accusing an innocent person of a crime was the fact that at first Anne insisted she didn't take it, but then when Marilla made the threat of sending her away if she didn't admit to taking it, Anne changed her tune and concocted some story for how she
did take it (which was actually the lie), and after 'admitting' to it, Marilla told her to pack her things anyway. Anne was so desperate to stay, she was willing to admit to a crime she didn't commit in the hope of staying, but still 'lost', and thus I felt worse for her than I already did.
It was rather a depressing end to the first episode, but it showed this series wasn't just 'one' thing. It certainly wasn't 'all happy', nor was it 'all sad' (though Anne did do a lot of crying, but it was understandable). Thankfully, there was some 'relief' in between all the sad/depressing parts. I was glad Anne found a friend in Diana Barry (though to me it kept sounding like they were pronouncing her last name as 'Berry'). And Matthew seemed pretty decent also. The rest? Not so much.
Considering I'd had some reservations about the series after watching the trailer, I was somewhat surprised to find that I was pretty much 'hooked' after the first episode. Just goes to show you can't judge a series by its trailer. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the show's opening credits sequence. I don't even mind that the song is 'modern-sounding'. The lyrics fit perfectly ('ahead by a century'? Anne is indeed
that). The opening credits themselves are like a work of art. Every shot is gorgeous. I always appreciate opening credits sequences that look like they've had some actual thought/effort put into them.
The second episode began with a lot of Matthew searching for Anne. I read some comments saying they found all of that 'boring', but I actually appreciated the fact that it showed tracking her down wasn't just a simple/easy task. It also illustrated how far they have to travel to get from 'Point A' to 'Point B' in this show. So many series tend to have characters travel long distances in no time and have people wondering if the characters possess some sort of ability to teleport. So although it may have felt a bit 'tedious' to see him going from place to place in search of her, it felt more 'realistic' than if he'd just managed to track her down in no time. His reaction to hearing she was quiet/didn’t say a word really spoke volumes (since he was already well aware that she loved to talk). The actor who played Matthew sold that moment very well and made me buy that he'd go to so much effort to find her. Having said that, for a guy his age...he managed surprisingly well with all the horse riding and travel. I thought for sure he’d have a heart attack just as he found her or something overly dramatic. Thankfully, that didn't happen. He did get injured, though, by a passing horse and wagon...but seemed to operate okay with a head injury. He's pretty spry for an old guy.
It was nice to see another character in the show who was a decent person to Anne in the form of the milkman who gave her a ride in return for her helping him deliver milk bottles. He even shared food with her and didn't mind her chattiness. I was glad to see him actually engage her in conversation, whereas Matthew hardly said two words to her in response to everything she had to say to him on the ride home to Green Gables in the first episode.
Once again I felt sorry for Anne when she was having to trade poems for money at the train station (the show wasn't afraid to go 'there' with the creepy guy who tried to entice her with sweets and when she got away from him he went after two other kids). It was sad seeing her enthusiasm to recite poems for people dismissed by most of them. Though there was at least a couple of ladies who thought it sounded delightful. I wish we could've seen her finish her poem and how much they would've praised her had they not been interrupted, but thankfully it was Matthew who caused the interruption and not some other dodgy type. The fact that Anne was even willing to give the ladies their money back after Matthew's interruption said a lot about Anne as a person. I felt a bit bad for Matthew and thought Anne should've reserved her anger for Marilla (since she was the one who'd falsely accused her of stealing and then basically forced her to admit to something she'd hadn't done), but then we never did hear what Matthew had to say in relation to the whole 'stealing' incident. I'd have thought he would've spoken up for Anne and defended her against Marilla's accusations, but the show seemed to avoid showing any of that in the previous episode. Anyway, I thought Anne was kind of mean to him.
It was interesting to see some guy step in to help out Anne when he thought Matthew was causing her trouble. Maybe he was yet another decent person (or maybe he was secretly a creep like that earlier person. Who knows? Can't fully trust anybody in this show, it seems). What turned things around was Matthew saying “She’s my daughter”. Anne's reaction to that was a really great moment. Super emotional. Kudos to Amybeth McNulty for making it completely believable that Anne's animosity/resentment towards Matthew would completely melt away after hearing that statement from him.
It was nice to see Anne happy again and being her usually chatty self on the way home...that was until Marilla neglected to apologise or act like she did when she thought she’d lost Anne and Matthew. It took
forever for Anne to get an apology from her, and it only occurred after poor Anne was subjected to people making rude comments about her (loudly) at a picnic - the worst being the jerk who referred to her as a 'dog' and made barking sounds. Even Diana’s family members were cruel towards Anne. Naturally, kids are generally jerks to others, but hearing the adults be just as bad as them caught me a bit off guard (though I guess it probably shouldn't have. Snooty parents breed snooty kids). Eventually, Marilla tracked Anne down and apologised, which was good (and what Anne was sorely in need of after having been insulted so terribly by the young and old alike).
It was also nice that Matthew and Marilla wanted Anne to sign their book, thereby making her being a part of their family 'official'. Anne was, naturally, over the moon (it's hard to hate her enthusiasm for such things after having just witnessed such cruelty towards her from others). She was, of course, talking a lot (as she does) and was also amusing with her wishing to add to her name in the book, constantly making alterations (I can only imagine what a mess it must've looked like with all those add-ons). The episode ended with Marilla saying “Anne...” as she kept adding to her name, which was funny.
The third episode involved Anne going to school. Unlike most, she was excited by the prospect -
so excited, in fact, that it led to her breaking a cup. I thought for sure this would get her in strife, but Marilla already seemed to be slightly more accustomed to Anne's over-enthusiasm for things and wasn't as harsh with her as she would've been had this happened in the first episode.
I liked seeing Anne talking to the horse that she'd named Belle in the first episode. Anne's dynamic with the farm boy, Jerry, was an interesting one, as she wasn't overly fond of him because she thought he would be doing things on the farm that she herself could do and that might have led to the Cuthberts not 'needing' her. They snarked at each other, but it was generally fun/lighthearted digs. He also learned the word 'eavesdrop' (which he misheard as 'e-drop').
Naturally, the kids who were a-holes to Anne at the picnic in the last episode were just as bad here. The girls were bitchy towards her, while the guys were complete jerks. Diana seemed to be the only decent one. I found it slightly amusing how she informed Anne of all the 'rules' regarding lunch etiquette and such (I think I would've thought it daunting at that age to have to remember all that stuff, but for Anne it was no problem, I'm sure. She's got a wealth of knowledge due to all the things she'd read and seems to have an almost photographic memory). The teacher was obviously not only a jerk to Anne, but also a perve/creeper as well. As if his mustache wasn't a clear enough indicator of that, his hooking up with a student made it abundantly clear.
At first I was amused by Anne's ‘pet mouse’ talk and it being the thing she called what was down the front of a male's trousers, but then it got to the point where the other girls who'd been mean to her wanted to hear all about it and Anne being Anne couldn't help herself from going on and on about what she had come to know about the 'making of babies'. It was one of those situations where you wished you could've told Anne to take it down a notch, as she seemed to get carried away. Since it was the first time the other girls had given her the time of day, you could at least understand Anne wanting to keep them engaged with what she was talking about. I figured that once she'd found that topic that had the others interested, she wanted to stick with it for fear of losing their attention if she'd changed the subject. Unfortunately for Anne, it eventually reached the point where she got so enthusiastic about sharing this stuff that the mean girls suddenly thought it had gone 'too far' and became repelled by what Anne was saying. It was a weird/abrupt 'turn', and they quickly became nasty towards her once more. Although I wished she'd shown some restraint, I still felt sorry for her. She was so eager to make friends and it sadly cost her big time. They now regarded her as 'trashy' and wanted nothing to do with her.
I would've been interested in seeing how Diana went about her attempts to 'smooth things over' with the other girls, as she had to do that a few times. I was glad Diana didn't end up being one of those types of people who'd just dump Anne because others didn't like her. Still, they didn't have Diana go too far the other way (with her attacking her other so-called 'friends' and defending Anne to the point of giving them up). It kept her from being too 'perfect'. I was angry on Anne's behalf that everyone (except for Diana) was so horrible to her, including the teacher, when she should've been the star pupil in class with how much she knew.
As if everyone hating Anne now wasn't bad enough, that head jerk (Billy Andrews) with his 'dog' insults/barking at Anne accosted her in the woods. I would've LOVED to have seen her sock him in the jaw or kick him in the nads or something, but instead this served as our introduction to the character of Gilbert Blythe (kudos to the casting people for not only managing to find a brilliant young actress to play Anne, but a young actor who could match her in seeming far more mature than his age). It didn't take long for Gilbert to make it clear he was a decent sort, since he got rid of the jerk. It was odd seeing Anne not be very nice to him, given all the meanness that had been directed towards
her by others. Thankfully, she apologised for how she was. Unfortunately, one of the mean girls liked Gilbert and his escorting Anne to class was taken the wrong way (Anne could've really used Gilbert's explaining to the girl who liked him that it wasn't Anne's idea that he escort her...though I doubt the girl, Ruby Gillis, would've listened. She clearly thought the boy she liked coming to class with the girl she and her friends now hated was the 'worst. thing. ever!').
It was interesting seeing all the guys reacting to Gilbert's arrival like he was a local hero. Clearly he was very popular with not just the girls, but his friends as well (including that jerk, Billy Andrews). He'd already scored some points for helping Anne out with Billy, but then scored some more when he enjoyed hearing her reading. While everyone else was not great at reading (Diana had some trouble), Anne was almost
too good at it. As she does with everything, she read with such enthusiasm that it caused others to laugh, but she was putting so much passion into it that Gilbert had an appreciation for her. Sadly, no one else did and the teacher and his stupid mustache told Anne to sit down, instead getting the head mean girl (Josie Pye) to take over. Of course, she was like most kids when reading aloud in class and was painfully dull/boring/monotone with her reading.
I was amused later on when Gilbert approached Anne while she was outside (by herself, sadly) and the other girls were watching through the window of the classroom, as Anne was telling him to leave her alone...but while keeping her lips closed. Obviously the girls inside the room couldn't hear what she was saying to him, they just saw him talking to her (even though she was trying to do 'right' by Ruby and not engage him in conversation). Once they were back in class, he kept trying to get her attention, throwing things at her, but still she refused to acknowledge him until finally he went over to her and pulled her by hair/braid. I got a laugh out of her whacking him with her slate.
On the one hand, that seemed a bit harsh, but on the other...she'd told him repeatedly (through clenched teeth) she wasn't talking to him/to leave her alone and he refused to listen, so a good whack may have gotten the message through to him that 'no' means 'no'. This got her in trouble and she was forced to stand in front of the blackboard for the rest of the afternoon by the teacher (who had scrawled on it that Anne had a 'very bad temper').
While all this^ was going on, Marilla was asked to join the PMSC (all I could think when hearing that was just as well they added that 'C' on the end). I liked hearing her telling off the mother for the way she talked about Anne because it wasn’t Anne’s fault what she was subjected to (though, admittedly, she really shouldn't have
shared with others what she'd seen/heard...but she didn't know that). Matthew was the first one to feel sorry for Anne, as prior to that Marilla was as horrified as the girl’s mother after hearing what Anne had said about her and the teacher. Still, any decent parent would've totally gone investigating that teacher instead of attacking the girl who outed him.
I could totally understand Anne eventually having had enough of all the crap everyone was giving her at school and walking out of class, running off crying (she does that a lot in this show) and into Marilla's arms at home, saying she’d never go back school. Marilla understood being judged. It's at this point I should mention I was getting pretty tired of everyone insulting Anne's hair, her freckles, her hat with flowers she'd added to it in the hope of making it stand out (again, she succeeded *too* well with that) and just generally calling her 'ugly'/putting her down. Firstly...this show probably wouldn't do wonders for your self-esteem if you are a redhead, as it's not just others who regarded red hair as something to be ashamed of, but
Anne herself did as well. Secondly, Anne was far from 'ugly'. There were other kids in that class who should've really learned the phrase 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones', as some of them were far worse off in the looks department than Anne. And thirdly, it was sad hearing Anne putting herself down in regards to her looks. While it's believable behaviour (especially for young people, but older people are just as susceptible to self-critique), it was a bit shocking to hear how harsh the things she said about herself (and others said about her) were. I just wanted to speak to her though the screen and say "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Anne! Embrace your looks! There are others far worse-looking than you!"...or something to that effect. She had so much to be proud of, and it was frustrating seeing her be negative about herself.
The fourth episode began with Anne, of course, not going to school (can't say I blame her after the way she was treated). Unfortunately, this led to Anne being idle, acting a bit 'loony' and letting pies burn as she was easily distracted by her imagination. I also wondered if she'd developed multiple personality disorder when she was talking to someone who clearly wasn't there called Katie as she looked at her own reflection in the glass of a grandfather clock. Apparently it was just an imaginary friend she'd created after being in isolation.
Although it was 'wrong' of her to do so, I could understand her telling Marilla she was going to school (after Marilla had a talk with Rachel Lynde about how Anne had been acting) when in fact she was doing her own thing and reading/learning by herself (in between her imagining princesses and whatnot). Given how dodgy that teacher at the school was, Anne probably was better off teaching herself, I thought. Of course, she was 'outed' when Diana and Ruby came over to check on Anne and bring her books to her (though Ruby clearly wasn't the caring friend Diana was and had to be forced into it), as they'd wondered where she'd been.
Once Marilla realised what had been going on, she got a narrow-minded minister out to talk to Anne about lying and how she should focus on becoming a wife. Obviously Anne was not satisfied with that (neither was Marilla, judging by her reaction to the things the minister was saying). However, a fire then broke out at Ruby's house and although everyone was out of the house, Anne ran into it to cut off the oxygen to the fire so it wouldn't spread (which shows just how much smarter Anne is than me, as I couldn't figure out what she was up to at first). It was great seeing Anne be a hero and people treating her as such...except for Ruby, who
still wasn't nice to her and it was especially horrible the way she reacted to hearing she'd be staying with Anne as her house was being fixed. She outright said she didn't want to live with Anne and was moaning about her reputation being 'ruined' or whatever - all of this after she just saved your house from being completely destroyed, you ungrateful little --!
There was some stuff with Anne and Jerry in this episode...though I can't remember
what exactly. What I *do* remember was Ruby slowly starting to 'like' Anne after her tale of princesses (complete with puff-sleeved dresses - can
never forget those). It showed what a good person Anne was - the fact that she didn't let what Ruby had said affect the way she treated her. She was still friendly to her, and was even happy to loan Ruby a dress because she had TWO (Anne was so proud of having TWO dresses, it was quite endearing). The two of them, plus Diana, had a clubhouse (I must've forgotten how Anne acquired that place) for writing stories. It was good to see them all getting along, though Ruby didn't know what to make of the things Anne said half the time (I could sympathise with her there) and Diana remarked that she had a way with words (does she
ever). It was nice/considerate of Anne to help Ruby get started with her story, since she was having trouble, by suggesting a romance. It would've been very easy for her to get carried away and practically tell/write the whole story herself, but she was just giving Ruby an idea. When they were making 'cookies for the boys', I was immediately reminded of the talking Malibu Stacy doll from
The Simpsons.
Which was unfortunate, as Anne was so much better than that. Once they took them to the guys who were helping to fix up Ruby's house, Billy was yet again his supremely jerky self towards Anne. Ruby fell down, Gilbert helped her up, some dialogue that I can't remember was exchanged, and as they walked away Ruby commented to Anne about how Gilbert was so chivalrous. Anne responding with a very dry, "Well, he's
something alright." felt slightly 'modern' (as did the dialogue here and there throughout the season), but was still amusing.
After Anne eventually returned to school, I was fully expecting Ruby to change her tune after having said on their last night together that she’d miss Anne when going back to her own house. I thought for sure she'd return to being her mean girl self, but it was a nice surprise to see her openly welcoming Anne back and seemingly not caring what anyone else thought. In fact, it appeared as if others were glad to see Anne return as well, which was a happy moment to end on (unlike last episode's ending).
The fifth episode was the one where Anne ‘became a woman’ (there's really no need to get further into it than that). Once again, it was easy to feel sorry for Anne given how little she knew about what was happening to her. It also reminded me of Carrie's reaction in the 1976 film
Carrie. However, this one had a slight 'humourous' touch to it as 'womanly flowering time' was explained to Anne by Marilla. Even funnier was Matthew's reaction to seeing the bloody sheets and his "Don't know and don't
want to know" reaction as he hightailed it out of there. Marilla was good about it all and even looked slightly amused. Of course, Anne had her usual over-the-top reaction (but in this instance, it was kind of understandable). Anne was also quite rude to Marilla, but she just took it.
It was good to see Anne kicking butt at spelling in class as creepo teacher continued his student prowling. She then discussed what was going on with her with the other girls. Of course, Josie Pye couldn't help but brag, though Ruby hadn't had it happen to her yet. I found the way Anne said she'd gladly give Ruby hers if she could to be morbidly amusing.
It was nice of Matthew to go get a dress made for Anne, though I felt a bit bad for the store girl who greeted him, asked if she could help him, but he could barely form a coherent sentence and left to go buy other stuff. Eventually, he returned and we learned that he had a history with the woman in charge of the store.
Anne wanted to invite Diana over for tea, had a nice table setting, they were both attempting to act 'maturely'...but then Anne picked up the wrong bottle, getting wine instead of the cordial she'd intended to get. Consequently, they both wound up drunk. It was funny, but it sadly led to Diana's mum doing what Milhouse's mum did in
The Simpsons when she thought Bart was being a bad influence on her son. This time Anne was the one accused of being a 'bad influence' and Diana's mum forbade them from associating at all. This was another instance where I felt Anne's reaction was justified with how emotional she got. Anne had made a true friend and to lose that was, understandably, one of the worst things ever as far as she was concerned. Growing up sucks!
When Anne was forced to take Gilbert's books to him by creepo teacher, she instead met Gilbert's sick father and it was so nice to finally hear someone actually
complimenting her red hair. He seemed friendly...but given how sick he was, I knew he wasn't long for this world.
Creepo teacher made a show of separating Anne and Diana in class, obviously at the behest of Diana's mum. Everyone gasping really illustrated how 'major' a thing this was. Anne was missing Diana, Diana was missing Anne (judging by the looking back at her in sadness) and Ruby just looked uncomfortable to be made to sit next to Diana in Anne's place. Of course, Josie Pye was her usual bitchy self by moving away from Anne who was now forced to sit next to her. Later, Anne and Diana met in secret and I was somewhat amused by the 'thou’s and 'thee’s in their promises they made to remember each other. Once again Amybeth McNulty killed it when she conveyed Anne's reaction to learning that Diana loved her (as a friend, of course). The melodramatic goodbye/swearing to be BFFs was a nice scene.
Meanwhile, Matthew was clutching his heart after ordering Anne's dress (he was so awkward with describing it/the puff sleeves, complete with saying how they had 'air') and I thought for sure he'd cark it just as he got the dress or possibly before that and it'd arrive after his death. Luckily, that's not what happened. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't realised Marilla and Matthew were
siblings, rather than husband and wife, for an embarrassingly long time and we learned there was a mysterious third sibling. He got Jerry to go get the dress once it was ready and he returned a button to the store owner woman that had been a 'thing' between her and Matthew when they were younger.
I really liked the scene of Anne receiving her present and how, once she opened it and saw what it was, she didn't take the dress out of the box first or try it on, but instead immediately went over and hugged Matthew - that was such as heartwarming moment. This show would really lose something special if it didn't have the Anne/Matthew dynamic/relationship, I think. They're just so good together. Both actors did a splendid job of conveying so much with just looks. I was amused when she was pulling out the sleeves to make them be their puffiest after making her grand entrance down the stairs, and then when she asked Marilla if they could arrive late to church so everyone could see her walking in. FINALLY Anne got her dress with the puff sleeves that she just hadn't shut up about since the beginning of the show! Hallelujah!
It was evident from the beginning of the sixth episode that winter had arrived (snow always adds so much to shows. You've got the the visuals, the atmosphere and everything). At first I didn't realise it was Diana running through the snow, but it became clear once she ran inside the house to go wake up Anne because her little sister was coughing. Only Matthew was home with Anne and only Diana's great aunt Josephine was at Diana's house. She started off acting like Diana's mother towards Anne, who knew what to do in this situation and was asking her (politely as possible) to keep out of the way as she rushed to save Diana's sister. It was good that Josephine slowly came to respect Anne after witnessing her quick thinking firsthand as she helped Diana’s sister.
I figured that Anne saving the girl would get Diana’s mother on board with the two being friends again. When she came to the house, and asked Marilla "May I please see your wonderful, remarkable Anne?", I was disappointed Anne wasn't awake to hear the praise and get her much-owed apology from Diana's mum. I liked the funny moment where Marilla was ensuring Anne ate first before she told her that Diana's mum was happy for her daughter and Anne to be friends again. Marilla knew that once she told Anne, things like eating would be long forgotten (and she was proven right - not just about eating, but cleaning dishes too). Anne and Diana reuniting was a very nice moment. I really appreciate the friendship between these two characters.
Meanwhile, Gilbert’s dad died. Apparently Marilla had a thing for him (the actor and actress playing the young versions didn’t look anything like the older actors, but young Marilla at least got the voice right). He'd given her the blue ribbon Anne now wore in her hair.
Anne stuck her foot in her mouth when she tried to comfort Gilbert by saying he was 'luckier' than her. Anne, Diana and Ruby made a pie for Gilbert while Diana’s little sister, who Anne had saved, made remarks. Anne also learned about 'spoilers' and not spoiling a book for Josephine, as she hadn’t read all of it. It was weird seeing her later visit Anne at her clubhouse. I guess Anne saving her great niece had won her over. It was good of her to tell Anne that she didn't
have to get married. I liked seeing them have a nice chat. She seemed one of the few who was close to being on Anne's 'level' and being someone Anne could have a good proper conversation with and not get confused by her 'big words', etc.
Gilbert’s ‘friend’ who constantly bullied Anne, Billy, was acting like an old-timey version of a 'dude-bro' and his dialogue felt a bit too 'modern'. He really was dumber than a box of rocks, not taking Gilbert's hints to leave him alone and pushing him to the point where he FINALLY punched the a-hole and started beating him up (he should've kept going).
Anne realised, after talking to Josephine, not to miss an opportunity and went to Gilbert’s house to (presumably) tell him that she liked him...but everything had sheets over it as she peered in through a window and he appeared to have left.
Other things that happened in this episode - Matthew discovering that he and his family would be having financial trouble after a boat went down (I forgot to mention towards the beginning of the episode when Marilla first came home she looked over and saw Matthew seemingly asleep in a chair, called out to him and he didn't respond. For a second I was having flashbacks to Buffy finding her mum...but, thankfully, Matthew was yet again spared. I'm not sure how many more of these almost-dying moments are going to occur, though).
The seventh episode/season final (which came far too soon! WHY such a short amount of episodes?! It's criminal!) began with Anne talking to a boy at school who I don't know the name of, but he seemed friendly enough to Anne. Too bad that bitch Josie Pye had to ruin things by loudly declaring Anne's family poor and just generally being her usual horrible self. Her and Gilbert's friend, Billy, would be perfect for each other. They're both heinous people. I noticed one of the four girls who'd hung out with Anne (not including Diana) was missing now.
When Anne ran home after hearing this^ news and then overheard Marilla and Matthew talking about their financial problems, I thought for sure what was going to happen was Anne would just hear the parts that made it sound like they were no longer going to 'keep' her (Anne had always had this concern, and Josie Pye just added fuel to the fire by wondering aloud whether they would 'keep' Anne). I was fully expecting Anne would misinterpret things as them giving her back, but instead Matthew raised his voice to Marilla (something that was quite a shock/surprise, as he'd always remained so softly spoken), then she yelled back at him and he suffered a heart attack (it was only a matter of time).
After Anne and Marilla tried to go sort out their financial problems and discovered they were in deep financial doo-doo, I thought there’d be a bigger deal made out of Anne thinking they were giving her up and Marilla reassuring her that wouldn't be happening and she was their family now. Too bad Marilla was too proud to accept charity from others, as they were in desperate need of it. Especially sad was seeing Anne having to give away her dress Matthew had only just bought her. Marilla had already let Jerry go, informing him they could no longer keep him on at the farm, then she was sending him off with Anne to sell their stuff. Clearly Anne didn't much fancy being accompanied by him.
Diana showed she was a good friend, bringing stuff for Anne to sell (but being smart enough to not let on to Marilla what she was really doing there). I thought to myself that Anne now knew how Matthew felt that first day he brought her to Green Gables, as she was being subjected to Jerry's singing in French as they journeyed. It was then sad seeing Anne say goodbye to the horse that Jerry was sent off to sell (not Belle, but a black horse whose name I didn't quite catch). I liked that she talked to the horse like he was a person and reassured him. I hate seeing sad goodbyes between people and animals.
Also sad was her giving her dress back, though at least she reassured the woman who had it made that she loved it and treasured it more than anything else she owned. It was funny hearing Anne spinning stories to the pawn shop owner about all the stuff she was trying to sell so she could convince him to pay more for the items. After Jerry sold the horse, he (unwisely) walked down an alley with two shady-looking characters who beat the crap out of him, kicked him when he was down and stole the money he'd just gotten in exchange for the horse. It was a bit of a shock to see Jerry beaten up so severely, but I appreciated the show not shying away from it. I was sorry about Jerry, but also about the fact the horse was sold for what ended up being
nothing (since the money got stolen).
This episode was like a roller coaster of emotions. One minute it could have some humour, the next it would get quite 'dark' and depressing. Another somewhat amusing part was Anne's reaction to seeing Gilbert again and needing to sit down. It was a bit of a coincidence that the two scumbags who'd mugged Jerry just happened to walk into the same place that Anne and Gilbert were in at the same time they were there. Even more of a coincidence that Jerry arrived and one of the thieves caught sight of him through the window, telling his partner not to turn around. And then, to top things off, they just happened to read the ad in the newspaper Marilla had put out for people to stay at Green Gables so she could earn money from tenants. A bit too 'convenient'.
Jerry was showing how much he'd come to care about Anne (despite how she treated him) when he saw Gilbert as a threat at first and stepped in to defend her, but that was quickly forgotten and he greeted Gilbert politely enough.
It got quite 'dark' when Matthew became convinced that Anne and Marilla would be better off with him dead because at least then they'd get the life-insurance. When he went so far as to grab a gun and attempted to load it with bullets, I thought for sure we were going to hear the shot go off just as Anne arrived back home. Thankfully, that didn't occur (but just how many times is he going to come so close to dying before it actually happens?). Instead, the dress store woman found him and helped Marilla take him back to bed (though not before she caught sight of the gun and bullets. I was glad she gave Matthew a talking to about that).
Anne had gone to Josephine, who gave Jerry money/a job (after Anne insisted that, since Cuthberts didn't accept charity, she couldn't either as she was now one of them). Jerry finally got to sleep in a bed, though got frightened and slept in bed with Anne. Once they returned home, Anne convinced Marilla to take Josephine's charity. Also, helping out was Rachel Lynde who convinced others to donate (despite them claiming to not really 'know' the Cuthberts well). She started off as not a very nice woman, but showed over the course of the season she wasn't without a heart after all. Anne helped some more by offering her cleaning services to raise money.
I hadn't expected the season to end with the Cuthberts' new tenants arriving and being the thieves who'd beaten up Jerry. Disturbingly, it appeared as if Anne may have had the hots for one of them (eep!
). That was certainly a cliffhanger, as I'm now wondering how long it'll be before Jerry spots them and works out they're the ones who kicked his arse (since they were all dolled up now/looking much fancier than they were before, obviously having used that money they'd stolen). How I wish Anne would kick THEIR arses. I noticed this episode was directed by Amanda Tapping from
Stargate SG-1 (I've spotted her name as director in a few shows I've watched lately).
Well, it's safe to say this show was certainly a 'winner' in my book. It was very charming, had a lot to love about it (only a few hissable characters), and what a find Amybeth McNulty is as Anne. The casting people should be patting themselves on the back for finding the perfect young actress to take on this role. A lot of kid actors/actresses would've probably been annoying in the part of Anne, but she avoided that. For me, this is right up there alongside
as being one of the best shows I've watched in the last year or so. That show was very different (and quite a bit 'darker'), but this show wasn't all 'sunshine' either. It had its pretty 'dark' moments as well and I appreciate shows that seem at first like they might be intended for younger viewers, but are in fact for all ages. They explore some fairly 'mature' themes and I'm sure a lot of younger viewers appreciate not being talked down to/condescended to (though I imagine some will need translations for half the stuff Anne comes out with). This is a gem of a series and I'm flabbergasted to have read that it was cancelled (OF COURSE quality programs such as this get cancelled while the same old dreck continues to go for years and years. It's always the best stuff that goes underappreciated). I'm glad that I'll at least have two more seasons of it to watch (though I imagine it'll be quite some time before Season 2 is released on DVD here). If you have the chance, I'd highly recommend checking it out. They just don't make many shows like this nowadays. I really can't praise this series enough. It's a treasure.
If nothing else, at least watch the opening credits. They're simply stunning.