Let me start off with, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was certainly caught off-guard with how much Anne changed from one episode to the next. Especially after following up from when Matthew had collapsed. It was quite jarring in-fact, especially since it went from talking about Matthew’s condition, assuring the audience he’s fine– to suddenly Anne freaking out about not passing the exams, only to reveal it was all a nightmare. I think most if not all of as can agree, that was sloppily done.
Poorly presented start as aside, thankfully Matthew is alright. The doctor has told him he needs to take it easy, and not let his heart get too excitable these days. So he and Marilla had hired a boy named Jerry Bhuote to help him with the heavy-work around the property. This is also important for them to do since Anne was going to be away in preparations for Queen’s entrance exams.
At the same time, while Anne was studying intensely for Queens’ entrance exams, we did see how Marilla was already struggling about missing her company the following winter. It proved Matthew to be right when he said earlier on that Anne would make good company for her so she wouldn’t be lonely. Furthermore, it just goes to show how much Anne means to them, the time they get to share with her feels so short with how quickly she’s growing up. Interestingly it was Matthew who was reassuring Marilla that with the new branch railroad completed, Anne would be able to come home and visit them often.
But Marilla wasn’t the only one feeling a lot of emotions this week. It was quite a transition to see an excitable Anne to one completely overwhelmed by anxiety about the upcoming exams. She’s been studying hard, almost too hard at times for having woken up by nightmares of failure, and then unable to go back to sleep she’d study some more. It’s also the quietest we’ve ever seen of her. It just goes to show how stressed out she was about the whole thing. And then when the exams were done, Anne had to wake three weeks before finding out the results. What did help lift her spirits though was Matthew’s unwavering doubt that she would absolutely pass– which meant the absolute world to Anne. There’s something about the weight of Matthew’s words that gives Anne’s assurance that nobody else could, not even Diana- and we all know just how faithful Diana is as a friend. She’d eagerly awaited Anne’s letters, cheering her on and even secured the paper a day early with the results in it!
Sure enough, Matthew was right on the money. Anne secured first place, alongside Gilbert whom she had tied with. (It’s actually hilarious how regardless whether they like it or not, these two are constantly tied together). But she was the one who got the edge because it was her name was that was placed above his. And that itself is a win for her.
That wasn’t the only time Anne was riddled by anxiety though. She found herself feeling incredibly overwhelmed by her peers when she was invited by White Sands Hotel who had invited her to recite for their concert. It didn’t help that some of the obnoxious ladies around her were mocking her for ‘smelling like a country bumpkin’, and then seeing the professionals just blow her mind in how good they were. Honestly I thought Anne was going to be sick with how much it was eating her up, but thankfully and yet ironically, the one that helped ground herself again was none-other than Gilbert (and Josie, because we all know Anne will never hear the end of it). He didn’t say anything like Matthew had during her school concert, nor did he actually do anything either. He was simply just there, and that was enough to fire up Anne’s rivalry to make sure she didn’t make a fool of herself.
That said, following up from last week’s blunder on Anne’s part of refusing the olive branch Gilbert had extended to her, we’re now seeing their roles reversed. Previously it was Gilbert who was cautiously walking on egg-shells around her, and now it’s Anne’s turn. It’s certainly an awkward situation on her end because everyone around her can normally interact with the guy, and yet because of her pride, she dug her own grave and she knows it.
Yet despite that, while Gilbert has more or less moved on by accepting Anne’s not interested in being friends with him, he’s not so petty enough not to still show a bit of concern when she’s not acting like herself (dozing off in class only to loudly interrupt it after waking from a nightmare), and will still cheer for her when she performs well. So perhaps hope it not all lost as Anne believes it to be, but admitting to the error of her ways has always been something she’s struggled with because of her pride.
And last but not least, we got to see where Anne’s values lies. It was sweet how she said they are already rich, with fifteen years of credit, all the imaginations and the likes. Sure to be dressed in diamonds might be nice, but at the end of the day, Anne is most content with just being herself, she doesn’t want to be anyone else, just Anne of Green Gables with her string of pearl beads and has a dear bosom friend by her side.
