I have never read the books and not really going to. While I did see for a short summary and one details in it made me certain in my determination.
SEASON 1
I think this one is truly the most depressing. From initial problems to being not accepted at school or in general. The prejudice. The difficulties of their situation and how they overcame it. Interspersed with Anne's flashbacks of her life in orphanage, which was far from ideal. Even the current interest of Gilbert serves her poorly because so far it's a girl's code if one liked the boy earlier than others keep their hands of him. And Anne is scared to lose the friendship once again.
But the show does not allow you to sink in too deep (though I admit I weeped a lot) it still gives you the feeling of hope and you are touched by the feelings of this family.
Again, I'm happy they did not follow the book.
SEASON 2
The golden rush scam was something. It actually was a very real thing, but also allowed many scams to happen. It's a good lesson on greed, because Green Gables is the only place that did not invest, they only overcame their previous financial crisis and were content with what they have now.
Although Anne tried to inform others of the possible scam, but she is just a little girl who nobody listened to, before it became too late.
Because Gilbert's dad passed away in season 1, Gilbert decided to follow his heart and travel for now, where he befriends Bash. They follow to Trinidad and in a while they decide to go back to Avonlea, Gilbert takes Bash with him.
Unlike the first season this one is more tame on drama (the tormenting emotional one).
The ones that happened involved Cole, who is an aspiring artist at heart. He does not belong to Avonlea and you are happy for him to find home at aunt Josephine house.
Aunt Josephine is a remarkable character actually, she appears for the first time when Minny May is sick and Anne saves her. Anne finds Josephine as confidante and a friend later on. Jospehine is now alone and finds solace in helping young people.
I think this is one of the few examples where I didn't mind the topics of sexuality or race brought up.
Like the party that Josephine holds in the memory of her beloved, for young people it was a window to peek at the whole new world that is outside of Avonlea, which opened doors to possibilities for Cole and Anne and even Diane, who was shocked to figure out the truth about her aunt, but later accepted it and looked closer at her own life and future goals. After all her family is one of those who truly suffered in the gold rush scheme.
What was very satisfying is that their teacher and his ugly mustache disappeared from their school after he was left at the altar by Priscilla. Who I think saved herself from hellhole, as we know that teacher is the closet gay who denies himself. And also he acted so inappropriately with his own student that it was gross.
He is replaced with a female teacher who is a complete opposite, she strives to make her students more knowledgable and better. But she is also unconventional.
Their small team that thinks of a way to help her stay after an accident reminds me of another team of kids, a story was how they helped others.
SEASON 3
The final season starts when Anne approaches her 16th birthday. But now she has a family, yet she is mature enough to long for knowledge about her parents, which becomes one of the major plotlines. For that she asks Matthew and Marilla to help. Marilla is conflicted, because she is afraid of what the effect of this trip and knowledge might be, because Anne became so dear to her and she is afraid. This is why she acts more agressively, which pushes Anne away.
Anne fears stem from the meeting with the matron and witnessing two young kids being dropped at an orphanage because parents can't feed them, but in case kids grow up and ask where are the parents the orphanage can use an excuse that they died, it deeply hurt Anne to think her parents could have done the same, before she found proof of the opposite. She eventually was brought a book found by Marilla and Matthew which contained Anne's mother's writing. With that she had her own closure.
Gilbert has his own troubles, because of what happened in Trinidad he decided to become a doctor, he tried to study and visit the doctor for apprenticeship where he meets a young woman he feels attracted to, he is oblivious to his feelings for Anne (one of the tropes I dont like) and Anne and him follow a path of misunderstanding later on. Because she keeps up making her mind and later seeing him in the company of another young woman hits her hard. Anne really is prone to dramatics. Her love for him grows stronger, but her confidence is not.
But the actor playing Gilbert and his eyebrows, after all they went through it's a touching moment to see how he was enlightened in that exact second and looked so smitten.
But again Anne managed to spoil the moment and in the end it dragged their small misunderstanding for some time before being finally resolved. It's not like they would never see each other, but the idea of time separating them again was frightening.
While I started the season with a phrase "Gilbert, you're disappointing me" since he chose a woman who resembled Anne in her nature. But then I ended the season with "Gilbert, you've been redeemed" because he did not choose a "good for him" path of convenience, instead he stayed true to his heart. They would have united earlier is.. Anne was not prone to dramatics (tearing his letter in response to her letter being unanswered, which he never saw actually).
Actually many of the characters had their own storylines which brought up many topics for discussion. You could see many of them meeting with different obstacles and their own way of overcoming them.
One of the main was and stayed the friendship between Diane and Anne, which was so nice.
The only line which stayed a mystery to me was the story of Ka'kwet. The way her line ended was more foreboding than hopeful. Maybe it was intentional, since you can't expect Anne to be some kind of superhero to free all the children from that fearful establishment. How could she know what that place would be when it was first brought up. The more I thought about it the more I thought it was meant to be intentional. Even the fact that Ka'kwet escaped and was returned.
But the overall ending I think was done great, it is not the usuall "and they lived happily ever after", but it gave me the feeling of - they are happy now and they have so many possibilities ahead of them.
It's hopeful.
