Oof, this episode had me feeling terribly uneasy from start to finish. I didn’t know whether it was going to be this week or next week when shit hits the fan. They were definitely foreshadowing it in a way you can liken it to a ticking time bomb. Frankly it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read/watched this part, it always hurts.
Over the past year since Anne has began her studies at Queen’s and successfully won the Avery Scholarship, both Matthew’s and Marilla’s health have been in a concerning decline. And if that’s not bad enough, Marilla spoke up an ominous warning Rachel had brought up– the Abbey Bank, that holds every penny of their life savings seems to be in trouble. Marilla has been trying not to dwell on the thought too much, and tries to reassure herself that Matthew’s always right, how ‘any bank with Mr. Abbey at the head is good enough for anybody’. But while both Marilla and Matthew are trying not to worry Anne and let these things cast a shadow on her achievement, Anne knows better than that, and doesn’t let it slide and they know better than to fight admitting these things to her.
That being said, Matthew had made a point to Anne that he’s getting old, his memory isn’t as good as it used to be, but he’d much rather drop in the harness than anything else. For him, that’s just part of his way of life, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s why, despite his deteriorating condition, he presses on with his routine.
It’s an understatement to say it’s a very difficult situation. They are so proud of Anne and want to set her up for success as the bright girl she is. They consider her to be a gift from God himself, with how much joy she has brought to both of them. When Anne had wondered if it had been better if she were a boy (to better help Matthew), he had told her she’s irreplaceable. It wouldn’t matter if they had a dozen boys, there’s only one Anne. And we saw how much her absence at Green Gables had affected them. Both of them missed her terribly, and it appeared it was actually Marilla who felt the void of her absence the most.
…Which only makes foreboding development even more gut-wrenching. Matthew’s health has not been good… The clock of the inevitable is ticking, and based on how the episode ended, it looks like next episode will be the start of, if not the episode of the inevitable heartbreak we’ve all been bracing for.
Apart from that, Marilla and Matthew weren’t the only ones feeling lonely of Anne’s absence. Having finally moved to Queen’s dorms for full time studies, and even though she gets to visit home on the weekend (except for during exams season), we saw how Anne was very homesick. It was initially difficult for her to adjust to the new group of her classes, but she was lucky enough that Gilbert happened to be in her class, and having a familiar face among strangers was a great comfort to her. Although the two have not “become friends” yet, at the very least both are mature enough at this point to appreciate each other’s company when away from home. But we did see Gilbert quietly step up this week, with the way he had subtly comforted Anne when he saw he saw she was at the verge of tears after seeing Matthew off. He did the one thing that’d help take her mind off things, reminding her of both of their resolve at Queen’s, and their mutual but otherwise friendly rivalry, and Anne appreciated it.
But now the exams are over… and while everyone had passed, Anne’s the only one who’s set to carrying with her education at Redmond in September. Jane (has already gotten an offer at Newbridge), Ruby and Gilbert are all going into teaching. This came as a surprise to Anne since she had actually expected Gilbert (who won the Gold Medal) to continue alongside her. But it’s because his father can’t afford to help pay for further education. So he must make some of his own income first before continuing on if he decides to do so, and is expected to be teaching in Avonlea.
Before I wrap things up, there is one last thing I’d like to touch on! It’s really to give some appreciation to Jane’s character since she’s definitely the one that doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. While she and Anne aren’t in the same classes, we have seen her countless times really stepping up to the plate of supporting Anne in a way that’s usually fulfilled by Diana. She was the one to press Anne about being impossibly stubborn with Gilbert (though she doesn’t know the full story of their ‘mutual agreement’ so to speak), and also helped comfort her nervousness when it came to the scholarship results. So shout-out to Jane!
So with that, we really just gotta brace ourselves for next week.
