There are just some shows that are full of all the magic and warmth needed to fill the cold winter period, and Anne with an E is one of them. Based on the Anne of Green Gables books by L. M. Montgomery, the story details the journey of Anne Shirley, an orphan who quickly becomes infamous in the town of Avonlea where she has come to stay with Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert and work on their farm.
Anne is a spirited and wistful youngster who sees beauty and poetry in everything she does, and instantly wins the hearts and the loyalty of all who meet her with her incredible outlook on life despite the traumas of her past. It is a story about acceptance of difference, from race to sexuality to hair color, and Anne (played by Amybeth McNultyfromStranger Things) is the constant light of the show who guides the way for others to become more caring and open-minded people.
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The first series details Anne’s assimilation into Avonlea, from her rocky start at the Cuthbert’s household to her lifelong friendship with Diana Barry. She starts out the series as an outsider, both due to her bright Auburn hair which quickly gets her bullied, and to her outlandish and unusual way of approaching things, but with the help of Diana and her good friend Gilbert Blyth, she eventually earns her place among her friends at school by saving lives, during a terrible house fire that destroys Ruby’s family home, and during an illness that nearly takes the youngest Barry daughter Minny.
Anne turns from a temporary house guest who is constantly scared that the Cuthberts will get rid of her, to a valued member of the family when she helps to save the farm after Mathew falls ill, and by the end of the series she has created allies that will loyally stay by her side through the rest of her days. The first season is a great start to what will ultimately become aNetflix original seriesthat is a heart-warming and tender place in anyone who watches it.
The second series of the show follows 2 separate journeys, that of Anne and her life back in Avonlea, and that of Gilbert who sails the seas across to Trinidad where he meets Bash. This is a very different storyline from the books, and one that beautifully encapsulates the modern need for representation and diversity, as Bash and Blythe’s relationship shows that friendship can come from remarkable places, regardless of differences, and that together they can overcome some of the worst adversity of their lives.
Meanwhile back in Canada, Anne and her friends are saving the reputation of the new school teacher, who is immediately disliked by the conservative group of mothers because of her modern ways. Miss Stacey is a wonderful addition to the cast, and confirms all of the beliefs that Anne holds dear, truths about freedom to decide one’s fate, and expression and wonder and possibilities beyond the future of marrying well and having children, as were the expectations of women at the time.
This is a season of self-discovery for all of the characters, including the parallels between Cole and Mrs. Barry, Diana’s aunt, whobecomes heralded a queer iconto Anne and her friends because she is brave enough to live her life courageously and boldly, despite her love of Gertrude going against the law and the society of the time. She opens her house to the children for a night of music and dancing that shows there will always be a safe place where the queer community can be at home and find their tribe, no matter what the outside world thinks.
The third season takes Anne on a journey to discover her past, as she takes the scary step into her future. With the characters turning 16, Anne and her friends must face the prospect of leaving home to go to college and to study their chosen pathways. But with this next chapter in store, Anne feels that she needs to know where she came from, who her parents were and if they loved her as deeply as she has always clung to in the darkest moments of her life. It is a journey that takes her and all who care about her on an adventure that fills in all of the pieces of herself that she has been missing.
There are moments of this season that viewers will return to over and over again, because they are some of the most genuine and profound moments of any Netflix series, in which the love pours through the screen and uplifts even the coldest wintery days. They areworth a revisitwhenever fans need a pick-me-up, but they are so much more than that too. This show is the perfect addition to aNetflix Christmas watch-list, because it has all the messages that Christmas brings about kindness and generosity and loving one’s neighbors and oneself, and it will leave viewers full of hope for a brighter world in our own futures.
