Ahead by a Century: Five Years Since Anne With An E

It’s been five bleak years since Netflix canceled its brilliantly whimsical and enchanting show, Anne With An E. Adapted from the first novel in L.M Montgomery’s eight-book series Anne of Green Gables, Anne With An E was the first adaptation of Anne’s story that was told in a streaming show format. Before it, mostly in the 20th century, her story had been made into numerous films and miniseries, some of which were extremely successful, enshrining Anna Shirley Cuthbert as a household name. But the lovable character of Anne and her coming of age story has been popular with audiences since Montgomery first published it in 1908, after which it became an American classic. This show, unlike previous adaptations, strays quite far from the books and incorporates diversity and modern social issues into Anne’s storyline without altering her infectiously kind and curious personality or deviating from her classic tale. For this, millions of fans watched the series on Netflix, where it was one of the topmost watched shows for years. Alas, much to many fans’ dismay, it was canceled after only three seasons that, in all, only covered the content of the first book. To this day, fans around the world remain outraged at its abrupt cancellation and still petition Netflix for a fourth season that is honestly as likely to be made as Mr. Lesch is to come out of retirement.

Anne With An E is set in the late 19th century and tells the story of Anne Shirley Cuthbert, an orphan who is mistakenly adopted by two elderly siblings who own a farm called Green Gables, which is located in Avonlea, a fictional town in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The series follows Anne’s troublesome yet heart-warming coming of age in the town that she finds her home in. We see her grow from a talkative, imaginative, yet melancholic young girl to a still opinionated and idealistic young adult. She is clever, eloquently spoken, and well-read– a veritable hero for every bookish teen. Anne is also adventurous, or as she says it: “the bride of adventure.” Her spirit is frequently seized by imagination and adventure, and she often finds herself in sticky situations because of it. Most importantly, however, she is able to find a friend in everyone and always stands up for what she believes in, making her such a beloved and unforgettable character in our hearts.

Anne With An E, Netflix.

This show could not have chosen a better actor to play Anne. Amybeth McNulty, an Irish actor, was simply born to play the lively red headed orphan. At sixteen, she was cast as Anne, her breakout role after only doing small appearances in TV and theater productions. It’s no surprise that she landed this role, for she and Anne have a lot in common in terms of personality. Like Anne, Amybeth is unfalteringly kind and unafraid to speak her mind in the face of injustice, which she does so through social media and protests. And, of course, Amybeth has the characteristic long red hair and abundant freckles of Anne, as well as the flawless ability to deliver her fiery and dramatic lines. In 2019, she won the ACTRA Toronto Award for Outstanding Performance and the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Anne with an E. Moreover, since the show’s termination in 2019, she has tried to break out of her persona as Anne, expressing herself in new ways on social media and taking on many new acting roles, most notably her role as Vickie on Stranger Things. However, loyal fans still flood her comment section with questions about when the next season will be released and lamentations about its cancellation. Anne or not, we love her in whatever she pursues.

Amybeth Mcnulty – 2019 Canadian Screen Awards Broadcast Gala in Toronto 03/31/2019

Vickie. Stranger Things, Netflix.

Back to the show– Anne With An E adopted a loose interpretation of the book, showing key scenes and characters but adding many new plotlines to the story to connect to a modern audience. Some of the show’s themes that would not have been explored at the time of L.M Montgomery’s writing include homophobia, women’s rights, sexual assault, racism, colonialism, and even freedom of the press and the tribulations of puberty. Though the show handles so many topics at once, it does so tastefully, weaving them seamlessly into the characters of Avonlea and the time period. One of my favorite character stories that is unique to the show is Sebastian Lacroix’s. Bash, as we come to know him, is a Black man and trimmer who meets Gilbert Blythe, working as a trimmer at the time, on the first episode of Season 2 on a steamship headed to his home country of Trinidad. I absolutely love their friendship and how Bash evolves, paving his way in Avonlea despite the challenges he faces in a racist society. He is exactly the friend and wingman Gilbert needed but did not really have in the books, and the two veritably make each other better and more open-minded people. Reading the books, I have to remember that he isn’t a character in them– but I always imagine him with Gilbert at times when the latter is apart from Anne.

Gilbert (left) and Bash (right). Anne With An E, Netflix.

It’s nearly impossible to think of Anne With An E without the thought of Anne and Gilbert. Following the classic enemies to lovers trope, Anne and Gilbert’s relationship storyline may just be our favorite of all. It begins when Gilbert joins Anne’s school in Avonlea. At first, the two hate one another. At school, their interactions are characterized by Gilbert teasing Anne and Anne retaliating. The two despise one another so much that you would hardly ever guess that they’d end up as friends, and then lovers. But we, as devoted readers and romantics, knew it from the very first moment of tension with underlying tones of something more. We won’t spoil, but it’s the slowest of slowburns. And we only really see Anne and Gilbert together in a romantic relationship for one episode in the third season (which adds more to the tragedy of the lack of a fourth season), but don’t let that deter you from watching. Their story is indubitably worth your time. Anne and Gilbert’s love is like a breath of fresh air: it’s kind, lasting, and ever so deep.

Anne and Gilbert. Anne With An E, Netflix.

Aside from Anne’s romantic relationship in the show, her friendships play a part in shaping the person she becomes. Her friendship with Diana Barry, a neighbor and student at the Avonlea school, is truly special. When Anne is first introduced to Diana as a newly adopted orphan, Diana accepts her as she is – a sign of true friendship from the start. Over the course of a few months, the two become incredibly close. They create a writing club and are supportive of each other no matter what. Anne coins a term for her best friend that we absolutely love: a ‘kindred spirit’, or someone who she trusts with all her heart. Anne shows us that if you’ve found your Diana Barry – your kindred spirit – you should never let them go.

Diana (left) and Anne (right) . Anne With An E, Netflix.

Despite its popularity, Netflix ended up cancelling Anne With An E just two years after the release of its first season, for reasons largely unknown. Some skepticize that it has to do with low ratings but most just agree Netflix loves to cancel its best shows and prolong their worst ones. Looks like we’ll just have to accept the premature end of our favorite show and rewatch the three seasons we have until the cows come home…