Anne with an E is a Netflix and Canadian Broadcasting Channel series based on the Anne of Green Gables telling the story of Anne Shirley, a bright young girl who was taken in by the Cuthbert siblings who needed extra help on their farm, Green Gables. Anne brings life to Green Gables with her active imagination and intelligence. Throughout the series, Anne navigates friendships, school, hardships and more. What makes the show so beloved is its raw approach to retelling the classic story. It tells the story as it’s meant to be told without glamorizing anything.
On November 25th, Netflix and the Canadian Broadcast Channel announced that Anne with an E would end after its third season airs in January. The announcement was met with an uproar from the fan community of the show. The hashtag #renewanne started trending on Twitter. As a huge supporter of the show, I was devastated that such a beautiful show was coming to an end and I joined the movement to push for the show’s renewal. Here is why Anne with an E should be renewed for a fourth season. Spoilers for the series are to follow.
The show realistically portrays growing up as a young girl on the brink of womanhood. We see Anne and her friends growing up in an unfiltered way. We see the girls on the show deal with getting their first periods, learning about their bodies, experiencing drinking alcohol and facing the consequences of doing so, and having crushes in a realistic way. Even though the show is set in the late 19th century, it’s easy to relate to the struggles and challenges faced by the girls on screen.
What makes the show so good and respected, is how it addresses issues of the time. The second and third seasons bring up racism and homophobia through the introduction of new characters. The second season introduced two LGBTQ+ characters on the show, a boy named Cole and, Aunt Jo, the Aunt of Anne’s friend Diana. Cole is introduced as a new student to student to Anne’s class He is a gifted artist and doesn’t fit in among the boys in the class. He later confesses that he feels that he doesn’t belong in his home or in Avonlea where people won’t accept him for who he is. Cole is taken in by Aunt Jo whose family has never accepted her relationship with her partner. While the two characters are small roles, it’s rare to see a period piece recognize that the LGBTQ+ Community has existed all throughout history. The third season is set to highlight the horrors of the forced assimilation of North America’s Native American Tribes. This is a piece of history that is too often brushed under the rug.
The show also has a collection of amazing supporting characters who have stories that still haven’t been fully explored. For example, Anne’s best friend Diana fights to see eye to eye with her old fashioned parents. Then there’s Miss Stacy, the progressive school teacher in Avonlea who struggles with being accepted in town for her ways of teaching. And then of course, there’s Gilbert, Anne’s love interest who has to adjust to living on his own after his father’s passing, while balancing duty with dreams for the future.
At its core, what makes the show so loved is the title character herself. She’s unafraid to be herself no matter what anyone thinks. She’s a free spirit who sees the world with open eyes. Anne is an amazing protagonist, showing constant resilience and never backing down when she thinks someone is being wronged. Anne is an amazing role model for young girls. She values learning, will do anything for the people she loves and most of all, looks for the beauty in all aspects of life. We could all learn something from Anne Shirley Cuthbert.
It would be a shame to see a show that means so much to so many people be canceled. There is so much potential for storytelling left through Anne’s journey. It feels as though it’s only just begun. All that fans can do for now is to keep supporting the show and hope for the best. If you’ve yet to watch Anne with an E, it’s not too late to indulge in this beautiful story!