What TV show did you last watch a season of on DVD/Blu-ray?

In the first episode of the season, I found it a bit odd that their best weapons were big rocks they used to bash zombie skulls in with. They didn’t have guns or any other weapons at all? I also don’t know how they have managed to avoid getting bitten thus far (plot armour, I guess).

Bringing Liza’s corpse with them when the island was bombed and they got onto boat didn’t seem like such a great idea. I was over Chris being mad at his dad last season. Nothing changed regarding that in this episode. After Alicia found a ‘friend’ over the communicator and Strand got mad at her, I was annoyed. He’d already annoyed me with him stating his ‘three rules’ which were just him saying it was his boat three times – that’s not three rules. That’s one rule. He's as bad as Wesley was in Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.



Nick, meanwhile, wondered what he contributed after Strand said everyone had to...and he never actually gave Nick an answer. Of course the answer is Nick contributes next to nothing...yet somehow everyone, including Strand, seems to think he’s in some way ‘special’. Nice to see swimming zombies in the water after Chris and Nick dived in...though how Nick didn’t get bit, I don’t know (I guess that’s what makes him ‘special’).

In the second episode, I was worried we were going to get saddled with children/more characters. The first time I liked Strand was him saying children were the very definition of dead weight. When the daughter, Willa, saw Nick getting pills out of the globe, I thought he should’ve taken them with him, but of course she got into them and consequently died as a result. When Madison warned the mum not to hold her zombiefied daughter, the husband said she knew that...yet she did it anyway and naturally got bitten. Then the Clarks waved bye to the remaining kid and his older brother on the pier as he shot the zombie mum. I was so glad to be rid of them all just after this one episode spent with them.

The third episode contained “So. Much. Stupid!”, I thought. Daniel didn’t want Ofelia asking Madison for meds for her wound, saying she’d choose her own daughter over Ofelia...but since when was there a need for that choice to be made? Alicia wasn't needing any meds, so how'd it become a choice between her and Ofelia? I'm sure Madison would've spared some for someone who actually needed them at that point in time. Chris, the dumbarse, wandered off after not bothering to do any supply searching like the others, but instead killed a passenger on a crashed plane who was still alive (furthering his descent into future serial killer material). Meanwhile, Nick found the plane captain's shirt/jacket that managed to fit him, but it was stained with god-knows-what and yet he still wore it. He then got blood all over his face and stood on the edge of a small cliff looking down at a zombie...then promptly fell onto the zombie with crabs (how’d they not pinch him?), miraculously managed to kill that zombie (yet again avoiding getting bitten) and then another fell on top of him. He should've been dead several times over. Also, how’d he not get blood in his mouth?

Daniel decided standing still and shooting at zombies instead of heading straight for the boat was a wise idea, which then led to them all somehow getting backed into a corner...on a beach...somehow. It was good to see Alicia killing some zombies for the first time. As if Nick doesn’t already look oily enough most of the time, he didn't even bother to wash once he got back onto the boat. The episode ended with Alicia arguing to bring Alex and the guy she was with whose name I can't recall onto the boat, then them reaching a 'compromise' to tug the two along behind their boat...but Strand cut the rope. I might've cared a bit more (though doubtful) if I'd watched the 'Flight 462' extra on my Blu-rays prior to this, since it explained the origin of Alex and the kid she was with coming to be in their predicament. Instead, I didn't see it until after I'd finished the season.

In the fourth episode, it was the first sighting of the butterfly knife, mszanadu ! . Alicia's 'friend' she'd been communicating with, Jack, and the guys he was with showed up on the boat. Naturally, they weren't quite what Alicia had been led to believe they would be. 

By the fifth episode, Chris was full-on psycho, just simply standing by and watching as Madison was getting attacked by a zombie. Thankfully Alicia saw it and rescued her mum, then later called Chris out on his crappy behaviour. Unfortunately, he then threatened her and later on he was going to (presumably) knife Madison (and possibly Alicia) before they heard the gunshot.

I still couldn't get over everyone thinking Nick was 'special' - Strand, the newly introduced character of Celia (she only just met him! Then again, Strand quickly formed the opinion of Nick having a 'specialness' about him not long after meeting him at the end of Season 1, so...I guess Nick is just SO SPECIAL that everyone sees his 'specialness' straight away  ). Celia immediately raised red flags when it was revealed she kept zombies locked up somewhere (Maggie's family did that on the farm in Season 2 of The Walking Dead and it didn't work out so well for them). It was upsetting to see the kid feeding a dog down the chute to the zombies. Kill all the humans you want, show, but leave the animals alone! 

My memory of the sixth and seventh episodes kind of blends together. We found out about Strand's b/f and he wound up shooting him, Celia got angry and wanted them all gone, but liked Nick (of course  ) and let them stay because of him. I was glad Madison realised Celia had brainwashed Nick (then again it's Nick) and didn't really mind that she trapped her in with her own zombies (revenge for the dogs!). 

Chris Psycho Watch update: he's in full-on nutso mode now, taking a kid hostage and threatening with death, attacking Travis, etc. 

Everyone yelled out to Nick to come with them a million times but he chose to stay as the place burned down. They shouldn't have wasted their time on him. Daniel 'may' be dead. Can't say I'm overly broken up over the possibility (though I highly doubt he actually is). I liked Alicia waving to Strand as he was being kicked out.

I noticed the eighth episode's was titled 'Grotesque’ - was that a reference to Nick's hair (and Nick's general appearance/hygiene)? And a whole episode focused on Nick? Who thought that was a good idea??

Also, this show hates dogs! Those two poor dogs who were probably starving just as much as Nick was attacked him (he whacked one in the head with a rock), then attacked many zombies and got killed as a result. While this 'tracks' with what happened in one of the first few episodes of Season 1 (dogs not running for the hills instead of staying put when zombies are going to attack them), it still seems pretty stupid to write them that way. I'd think dogs would be hightailing it out of there ASAP. Why are they being written as more stupid than the humans when in fact they would probably have more sense? Quit killing dogs, show! 

Nick must have no sense of smell or taste, since he ate the dogs' guts and is constantly covering himself in zombie blood. I remember when Rick and Glenn covered themselves in zombie guts for the first time on TWD. Back then it was a 'new' thing, here it's like 'no big' and something Nick does quite often (if the zombies don't eventually get him, hopefully all the diseases he should've caught from this will). Oddly, though, he grimaces/barfs after drinking his own pee and eating a cactus. I guess they're worse than zombie blood/dog guts?

I had no problem with guys who killed the still-alive people trapped in cars getting killed themselves (they deserved it). 

Nick was once again regarded as 'special' by Luciana (it's his super power, I tell you!) and was brought into a new community. The only other 'main' castmember who appeared in this episode was Madison via flashback. For a second I thought the zombie girl that Nick hallucinated was speaking to him was a zombiefied Alicia. 



Yay! We got the return of Gloria, Nick's fellow druggie, from the opening of the show's first episode (I'll always think of 'Gloria' by Van Morrison whenever I see her or hear her name mentioned). How'd Nick ever manage to score her?



Best-looking zombie ever (yes, even when she was eating some dude's face).



One other 'plus' about this episode was at least the show finally decided to increase the size of its subtitles font, which made it easier to read (previously it was tricky to do so, since it was not only smaller, but also white and often placed over bright white backgrounds). 

I couldn't help but groan when the ninth episode started off on Nick after having just been subjected to a whole episode focused on him. He should've said "Nope!" and left as soon as he saw that the set-up in his new community involved people being sacrificed to the zombies through the bus stuck in middle of the fence. When I saw a random dog wandering around, I thought it could've used some of the water Nick was drinking/wasting (seriously, why is it whenever someone is desperately thirsty they waste half their water by just letting it run everywhere?). When Nick nearly lost an arm over bringing a snack back for the girl who’s dad was sacrificed and she didn't seem interested in it, I imagined Nick thinking "I nearly lost an arm for that!". 

Madison and Strand were useless this episode, as they just spent it getting sloshed (is it ever a good idea to dull your senses when there are zombies around?). Madison seemed to be suggesting she regretted having kids (I felt bad for Alicia...not so much Nick). She also revealed that their father offed himself and didn't die in a 'car accident' like she'd told them. Alicia was the only useful one who did anything this episode. I felt bad for her again when she offered to count Ofelia as part of her 'family', but she was having none of that (ungrateful!). Ofelia ticked me off further by going missing and not having Alicia’s back as she showered.

When we saw the first zombie that dropped from the hotel, I expected it to fly straight back up again (been watching too many superhero shows, evidently). Madison and Strand only had themselves to blame for being drunk when they had zombies swarming in on them. Apparently Nick was involved in some sort of cult now (classic Nick!). 

When the tenth episode started, I immediately knew the happy wedding wasn’t going to remain happy. I even predicted that the bride who gave her dad CPR was going to get her face chewed on. I felt bad for her. Meanwhile, the bitch who locked everyone in and sentenced them to death (Elena) could've easily let out the ones who hadn't been turned into zombies. 

I groaned again when it seemed like this was going to be an episode of just Travis and Chris (more because of Chris, as I don't particularly have a problem with Travis...just his 'blindness' when it comes to his psycho son). Chris, delinquent that he is, stole from some guys who he and Travis ended up running into again later. When they said that they called the infected 'wasted', I immediately thought, "Oh no you don't! It's bad enough everyone else calls them anything BUT 'zombies'. We don't need anymore of that crap!". Yes, the jerks were immediately giving off 'creeper' vibes (no wonder Chis was so drawn to them). Once they found a farm, Chris told Travis they needed a group/people, Travis said they had that (referring to Madison, Alicia and Nick), which Chris dismissed because he reckoned they they looked at him 'different' (yeah, because you tried to kill them, you little psycho!), and then him and his new 'friends' proceeded to go kill chickens, the owner of the farm caught them in his barn and the stand-off between them ended with Chris shooting the guy dead (sucks to be a farmer in the zombiepocalypse). Travis was so worried about others being a bad influence on his son, when what he should've been worried about was his son being the real psycho.

The opposite of all that^ was Alicia showing her badass proficiency with the butterfly knife.




As well as trapping zombies in rooms, climbing out on a balcony and swinging to the one next door. I liked the hotel setting, as it made for a visually interesting locale. It was just unfortunate they teamed her with Elena (who at least admitted to Alicia she'd locked all the people at the wedding in the room with zombie father of the bride). I wasn't happy that Alicia was willing to defend her (sure, she helped Alicia, but she also sentenced many innocent people to death).

I recognised Brenda Strong (from Desperate Housewives and several others things I've seen her in) as the mother of the bride. I didn’t blame her for being mad at Elena (though wasn't sure how she managed to survive since she was stuck in the room with the zombiefied father of the bride). Alicia met up with Madison and Strand who weren’t dead like they probably should've been (plot armour!). I guess they were quick-recovery drunks. Where was Ofelia all this time? She just abandoned Alicia who had reached out to her and didn't deserve such shoddy treatment in return for her kindness. 

I was glad the eleventh episode started by showing us what happened with Madison and Strand leading up to them meeting up with Alicia. Luckily all that zombie blood flying everywhere didn't infect them (on The Strain it would have). At least Madison and Strand reacted reasonably/like normal people when smearing zombie blood all over themselves (unlike Nick who doesn't react at all to it). Why was Madison so gung-ho about finding Ofelia who abandoned her daughter? Yes, she'd promised Daniel...but eh. Alicia was again the most useful, coming up with a quick/efficient way of getting rid of the zombies along the pier and into the riptide. Madison also proved herself as having pretty good nerves, being the 'bait' to attract them into the water like lemmings going over a cliff. 

Didn’t care what was going on with Nick and his drug-making. Or his getting together with Luciana. Why is she interested in his oily arse?

The twelfth episode started with a man, woman and child leaving the place Nick was at (now even children are using the covering-themselves-with-zombie-blood trick and able to go without complaining about the smell or vomiting? Stretches credibility just a tad). I didn't care about what was going on with Ofelia after she abandoned Alicia, as I find her to be just as boring as Nick (though not quite as bad as Chris). 

Alicia proved herself more reasonable/level-headed than Madison this episode. I also liked her scene with Strand, who was wounded, and him telling her to make her mum 'see' her after asking what she meant by raising herself. Considering he hand't liked Alicia at first, this was some 'growth' for his character. 

I had to laugh when the family from the start of the episode referred to Nick as an American with 'ratty hair'. Yes, he is quite rodent-like in appearance. 

Madison turning on the hotel light, thereby attracting those she'd wanted to keep away, was a boneheaded move as Alicia pointed out. Sadly, Madison seemed to care more about Nick than Alicia who also rightly pointed out she stayed and never changed her mind like Nick did. 

When the episode ended with beardo Travis seeing the hotel light and there was no sign of Chris, I held out hope that meant he'd finally put him down. 

At the start of the thirteenth episode, I couldn't help but think, "Good one, Madison, attracting all those people you didn’t want to let in.", but then Travis turned up and I wondered how they managed to let him inside the gate without letting any of the others in (I would've thought they'd have grabbed him and prevented him from entering until they were let in also). 

We ended up seeing what Travis got up to while he was absent for episodes after Chris killed the farmer (he and his a-hole ‘friends’ ate all the chickens after not listening to Travis about eating the eggs instead). Chris, the psycho, clearly felt no remorse, blamed his being bullied at school for how he turned out and whined about Travis looking at him differently (gee, I wonder why). All the jerks wanted to leave their 'friend', James (who'd been wounded), and Travis was the only one who helped him. 

I could tell Chris was talking BS when he was telling Travis everything he wanted to hear, then his 'friends' busted in, with him holding Travis as they shot James (I didn't realise until rather late that the actor playing James was from the Happy Death Day films. I knew I recognised him from somewhere). Travis went to the trouble of burying the farmer (he should’ve made Chris do it, but since Chris is so lame, he probably would've only been capable of digging a shallow grave), finding out his name, carving it into a cross, then later burying James and doing the same for him. Then Chris drove off with the jerks. It was crazy that Travis told Madison he felt guilty for 'leaving' Chris when it was in fact the opposite. 

At least Madison finally told Alicia that her father had offed himself, leaving a note that simply read ‘I love you all, but enough is enough’. She then claimed that she never loved Alicia any less than Nick (despite all evidence to the contrary, including her still going on and on about how 'great' he was).

The episode ended with the two jerks showing up at gate sans Chris. 

The fourteenth episode began with Ofelia, who was still boring and wasn't keeping a proper lookout after her car broke down, nearly winding up zombie food as a result.

I was glad to see Travis apologise to Alicia for not believing her in regards to Chris and his psycho behaviour and failing to protect her from him. After Madison kept telling Travis he did everything he could for Chris, she learned that the two jerks were there, they said their driver was killed (she figured out they meant Chris) and Madison asked Strand whether she should tell Travis. When he asked her what gets her up in the morning and she said her kids, she still listed Nick before Alicia. At least Strand recognised Alicia's awesomeness. Madison and Strand, like Alicia and Strand, have come quite a ways from where they began, back when they were not getting along. I remember in an earlier episode this season Strand had suggested Madison join him on the boat. Obviously he'd grown to tolerate her more than he did at first (though still maintaining they were not 'friends'). 

At the Nick camp, a zombie caught him unawares, bit off a guy’s nose as well as a woman’s finger, and then got its eyes gouged out by Nick (that part I didn't watch ). I was glad to see the guy at the community Nick was at, who'd maintained he was 'immune' to zombie bites, revealed as the fraud he was. When Luciana leaned her face against Nick's shirt that was covered in zombie blood, all I thought was "ew". 

The jerks told Madison that they were in the back of the truck Chris was driving and he fell asleep at the wheel, sending them crashing. Firstly, how the hell did they survive if they were in the back of the truck? I would've thought for sure that would've meant instant death for them (I guess they were 'thrown' from it and miraculously somehow survived?), while Chris was supposedly sent through the windshield and didn't make it. And secondly, I was glad to see Travis catch them in their lie about pulling Chris free after saying he'd been thrown. We then got to see how Chris had died for real - he was severely injured, but still alive...that was until his 'friends' shot him in the head. Can't say I felt too bad for him. He was a psycho who trusted other psychos, witnessed their psycho behaviour towards their 'friend' and then was surprised they did the same thing to him.

Admittedly, I hadn't been expecting that this was the way he was going to be killed off (I thought maybe Travis would have to 'put him down' after he eventually witnessed Chris committing one too many psychotic acts of violence, or that Chris was going to turn up at the gate as a zombie and would have to be 'taken care of' in the Mob sense). I was surprised we just saw him offed so cavalierly...but didn't particularly have a problem with it. Nor did I have a problem with Travis beating the crap out of the jerks, I just wish it hadn't been to avenge Chris, since he didn't deserve to be avenged (unlike the innocent people Chris killed). So, in the end Travis killed the two jerks and looked like he had a mental breakdown, which brought us to...

The fifteenth episode/season final, which started where things left off last episode (how come nobody thought of smashing the side window to gain access earlier on when they were desperately trying to enter the room to stop Travis's beatdown of the jerks?). I was fully expecting Travis to be stuck in the room with the jerks he'd killed and for them to rise as zombies and eat him. Alas, he was freed and Madison took care of them later. Apparently during the beatdown Travis had also severely injured the brother of one of the people at the hotel. I couldn't really remember that part. I might've felt sorry for them, but hey, they were with Elena who locked a roomful of people in together with a zombie at that wedding, so when she was saying "He killed two people!" in reference to Travis, all I was thinking was, "Hey, get off your high horse, woman responsible for many people's deaths." (not to mention Alicia and Madison helped them turn the hotel into a fortress when all they wanted to do was leave things as they were). Eventually the angry mob wanted Travis's blood and went to kill him, but Alicia saved him (thereby making her very first human kill, preventing the guy from shooting Travis) and they were forced to flee. 

Elsewhere, Nick injected not-so-immune guy and talked to him about having a good death or whatever - which meant he drove the bus (which was still miraculously working. I thought that thing would've stopped working long ago considering the state it was in) out of the fence, thus allowing the zombies to finally be free (I actually almost felt like "Whoo!"-ing the zombies freeeeedom!) and taking care of the Narcos. Later on, once Travis, Madison and Alicia got there, it showed how much Alicia actually cares about other people - the fact that she went to help suicidal bus driver guy. I was getting a bit sick of seeing Madison using Alicia's butterfly knife, though. It's like "Geez, get your own knife, mum!". 

Nick and his crew (now EVERYBODY gets zombie blood camouflage! It's seriously being overused at this point) got attacked and I couldn't have cared less.

Despite all my griping in this^ review, I actually didn't mind Season 2. It was good to see Alicia kicking arse, Strand 'mellowing' a little/growing closer towards Alicia and Madison, and now that we've shed the dead weight that was Chris, hopefully things will start to improve even more in Season 3.

I did find at the start of the first episode that the actress playing Anne did sound like her delivery of dialogue was forced (which was how I felt when watching the trailer), but then it seemed like she quickly became comfortable with it...which was just as well, as she had a LOT of it. That's not an exaggeration. Anne talks SO MUCH, it felt like the whole beginning of the episode was just Anne talking nonstop. The actor who played Matthew, who'd come to fetch the boy he was expecting to pick up (but found Anne instead), was amusing with his silent reactions to Anne's seemingly never-ending talking. She certainly used a lot of words (and BIG ones at that). It seemed like she'd use ten words in place of one and it took a while for me to get used to it. I hadn't known that her character was going to be such a chatterbox, but the young actress (Amybeth McNulty, who is an exceptional find) managed to keep Anne more on the side of 'endearing'/'charming' than 'annoying'. Still, I wondered if she would ever stop to take a breath. I imagined that was pages and pages of dialogue she had to learn. It was pretty impressive how she managed to make it sound 'natural' (especially given my first impressions of her dialogue from the trailers). I can't remember the last time I heard one character have so much dialogue in a row. If this is how she talks in the book, I imagine it must be as thick as the Bible.

On top of Matthew’s expressions on the ride home, I was also amused by Anne's obsession with puff sleeves on dresses, how she seemed to 'love' everything, said goodbye to trees and named horses/trees/lakes with names she thought suited them. Literally pinching herself (causing bruises) was a bit weird, though. Like with her outpouring of dialogue, the fact that she was so emotional about everything took me a little while to get used to. When watching the trailer, I'd found Anne collapsing to the ground (in response to hearing Marilla say she'd have to go back) rather 'melodramatic', but that just shows the difference seeing things in context can make. After learning that Anne was quite dramatic about everything, it made perfect sense for her to act that way (especially considering the hell she'd been through previously that we were treated to brief glimpses of via flashbacks). Consequently, this action of her falling to the ground now seemed perfectly 'normal' for her character and no more dramatic than anything else she did or said. 

On the one hand, I could understand Marilla being a bit frustrated with Anne at times, but I loved the fact that Anne had such an imagination and it was upsetting when anyone would shoot down her lofty dreams (such as Marilla burning the flowers she'd picked from the tree outside her bedroom window). By the time that woman, Rachel Lynde, was insulting Anne's appearance/hair, I'd already decided I would immediately dislike anyone who attacked Anne, be it verbally or physically (or both). I was actually cheering Anne on in my mind when she was giving Rachel a taste of her own medicine/dropping some truth bombs on her in retaliation for being insulted. I could totally understand her refusing to apologise later, but the show managed to make it into a somewhat amusing moment with how over-dramatic Anne's apology was (plus, she did say that what she'd told Rachel was actually true, but that probably got lost in amongst the rest of what Anne said). 

I knew as soon as Anne started playing with Marilla's precious brooch that something was going to happen to it, but that didn't make the scene where she accused Anne of stealing it any easier to watch. After they'd finally sort of come to an 'understanding', it was sad to see it all go to hell in no time. What made the scene more 'complex' than just simply being someone accusing an innocent person of a crime was the fact that at first Anne insisted she didn't take it, but then when Marilla made the threat of sending her away if she didn't admit to taking it, Anne changed her tune and concocted some story for how she did take it (which was actually the lie), and after 'admitting' to it, Marilla told her to pack her things anyway. Anne was so desperate to stay, she was willing to admit to a crime she didn't commit in the hope of staying, but still 'lost', and thus I felt worse for her than I already did.

It was rather a depressing end to the first episode, but it showed this series wasn't just 'one' thing. It certainly wasn't 'all happy', nor was it 'all sad' (though Anne did do a lot of crying, but it was understandable). Thankfully, there was some 'relief' in between all the sad/depressing parts. I was glad Anne found a friend in Diana Barry (though to me it kept sounding like they were pronouncing her last name as 'Berry'). And Matthew seemed pretty decent also. The rest? Not so much.

Considering I'd had some reservations about the series after watching the trailer, I was somewhat surprised to find that I was pretty much 'hooked' after the first episode. Just goes to show you can't judge a series by its trailer. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the show's opening credits sequence. I don't even mind that the song is 'modern-sounding'. The lyrics fit perfectly ('ahead by a century'? Anne is indeed that). The opening credits themselves are like a work of art. Every shot is gorgeous. I always appreciate opening credits sequences that look like they've had some actual thought/effort put into them.



The second episode began with a lot of Matthew searching for Anne. I read some comments saying they found all of that 'boring', but I actually appreciated the fact that it showed tracking her down wasn't just a simple/easy task. It also illustrated how far they have to travel to get from 'Point A' to 'Point B' in this show. So many series tend to have characters travel long distances in no time and have people wondering if the characters possess some sort of ability to teleport. So although it may have felt a bit 'tedious' to see him going from place to place in search of her, it felt more 'realistic' than if he'd just managed to track her down in no time. His reaction to hearing she was quiet/didn’t say a word really spoke volumes (since he was already well aware that she loved to talk). The actor who played Matthew sold that moment very well and made me buy that he'd go to so much effort to find her. Having said that, for a guy his age...he managed surprisingly well with all the horse riding and travel. I thought for sure he’d have a heart attack just as he found her or something overly dramatic. Thankfully, that didn't happen. He did get injured, though, by a passing horse and wagon...but seemed to operate okay with a head injury. He's pretty spry for an old guy.

It was nice to see another character in the show who was a decent person to Anne in the form of the milkman who gave her a ride in return for her helping him deliver milk bottles. He even shared food with her and didn't mind her chattiness. I was glad to see him actually engage her in conversation, whereas Matthew hardly said two words to her in response to everything she had to say to him on the ride home to Green Gables in the first episode. 

Once again I felt sorry for Anne when she was having to trade poems for money at the train station (the show wasn't afraid to go 'there' with the creepy guy who tried to entice her with sweets and when she got away from him he went after two other kids). It was sad seeing her enthusiasm to recite poems for people dismissed by most of them. Though there was at least a couple of ladies who thought it sounded delightful. I wish we could've seen her finish her poem and how much they would've praised her had they not been interrupted, but thankfully it was Matthew who caused the interruption and not some other dodgy type. The fact that Anne was even willing to give the ladies their money back after Matthew's interruption said a lot about Anne as a person. I felt a bit bad for Matthew and thought Anne should've reserved her anger for Marilla (since she was the one who'd falsely accused her of stealing and then basically forced her to admit to something she'd hadn't done), but then we never did hear what Matthew had to say in relation to the whole 'stealing' incident. I'd have thought he would've spoken up for Anne and defended her against Marilla's accusations, but the show seemed to avoid showing any of that in the previous episode. Anyway, I thought Anne was kind of mean to him. 

It was interesting to see some guy step in to help out Anne when he thought Matthew was causing her trouble. Maybe he was yet another decent person (or maybe he was secretly a creep like that earlier person. Who knows? Can't fully trust anybody in this show, it seems). What turned things around was Matthew saying “She’s my daughter”. Anne's reaction to that was a really great moment. Super emotional. Kudos to Amybeth McNulty for making it completely believable that Anne's animosity/resentment towards Matthew would completely melt away after hearing that statement from him. 




It was nice to see Anne happy again and being her usually chatty self on the way home...that was until Marilla neglected to apologise or act like she did when she thought she’d lost Anne and Matthew. It took forever for Anne to get an apology from her, and it only occurred after poor Anne was subjected to people making rude comments about her (loudly) at a picnic - the worst being the jerk who referred to her as a 'dog' and made barking sounds. Even Diana’s family members were cruel towards Anne. Naturally, kids are generally jerks to others, but hearing the adults be just as bad as them caught me a bit off guard (though I guess it probably shouldn't have. Snooty parents breed snooty kids). Eventually, Marilla tracked Anne down and apologised, which was good (and what Anne was sorely in need of after having been insulted so terribly by the young and old alike). 

It was also nice that Matthew and Marilla wanted Anne to sign their book, thereby making her being a part of their family 'official'. Anne was, naturally, over the moon (it's hard to hate her enthusiasm for such things after having just witnessed such cruelty towards her from others). She was, of course, talking a lot (as she does) and was also amusing with her wishing to add to her name in the book, constantly making alterations (I can only imagine what a mess it must've looked like with all those add-ons). The episode ended with Marilla saying “Anne...” as she kept adding to her name, which was funny.

The third episode involved Anne going to school. Unlike most, she was excited by the prospect - so excited, in fact, that it led to her breaking a cup. I thought for sure this would get her in strife, but Marilla already seemed to be slightly more accustomed to Anne's over-enthusiasm for things and wasn't as harsh with her as she would've been had this happened in the first episode. 

I liked seeing Anne talking to the horse that she'd named Belle in the first episode. Anne's dynamic with the farm boy, Jerry, was an interesting one, as she wasn't overly fond of him because she thought he would be doing things on the farm that she herself could do and that might have led to the Cuthberts not 'needing' her. They snarked at each other, but it was generally fun/lighthearted digs. He also learned the word 'eavesdrop' (which he misheard as 'e-drop').

Naturally, the kids who were a-holes to Anne at the picnic in the last episode were just as bad here. The girls were bitchy towards her, while the guys were complete jerks. Diana seemed to be the only decent one. I found it slightly amusing how she informed Anne of all the 'rules' regarding lunch etiquette and such (I think I would've thought it daunting at that age to have to remember all that stuff, but for Anne it was no problem, I'm sure. She's got a wealth of knowledge due to all the things she'd read and seems to have an almost photographic memory). The teacher was obviously not only a jerk to Anne, but also a perve/creeper as well. As if his mustache wasn't a clear enough indicator of that, his hooking up with a student made it abundantly clear.

At first I was amused by Anne's ‘pet mouse’ talk and it being the thing she called what was down the front of a male's trousers, but then it got to the point where the other girls who'd been mean to her wanted to hear all about it and Anne being Anne couldn't help herself from going on and on about what she had come to know about the 'making of babies'. It was one of those situations where you wished you could've told Anne to take it down a notch, as she seemed to get carried away. Since it was the first time the other girls had given her the time of day, you could at least understand Anne wanting to keep them engaged with what she was talking about. I figured that once she'd found that topic that had the others interested, she wanted to stick with it for fear of losing their attention if she'd changed the subject. Unfortunately for Anne, it eventually reached the point where she got so enthusiastic about sharing this stuff that the mean girls suddenly thought it had gone 'too far' and became repelled by what Anne was saying. It was a weird/abrupt 'turn', and they quickly became nasty towards her once more. Although I wished she'd shown some restraint, I still felt sorry for her. She was so eager to make friends and it sadly cost her big time. They now regarded her as 'trashy' and wanted nothing to do with her. 

I would've been interested in seeing how Diana went about her attempts to 'smooth things over' with the other girls, as she had to do that a few times. I was glad Diana didn't end up being one of those types of people who'd just dump Anne because others didn't like her. Still, they didn't have Diana go too far the other way (with her attacking her other so-called 'friends' and defending Anne to the point of giving them up). It kept her from being too 'perfect'. I was angry on Anne's behalf that everyone (except for Diana) was so horrible to her, including the teacher, when she should've been the star pupil in class with how much she knew. 

As if everyone hating Anne now wasn't bad enough, that head jerk (Billy Andrews) with his 'dog' insults/barking at Anne accosted her in the woods. I would've LOVED to have seen her sock him in the jaw or kick him in the nads or something, but instead this served as our introduction to the character of Gilbert Blythe (kudos to the casting people for not only managing to find a brilliant young actress to play Anne, but a young actor who could match her in seeming far more mature than his age). It didn't take long for Gilbert to make it clear he was a decent sort, since he got rid of the jerk. It was odd seeing Anne not be very nice to him, given all the meanness that had been directed towards her by others. Thankfully, she apologised for how she was. Unfortunately, one of the mean girls liked Gilbert and his escorting Anne to class was taken the wrong way (Anne could've really used Gilbert's explaining to the girl who liked him that it wasn't Anne's idea that he escort her...though I doubt the girl, Ruby Gillis, would've listened. She clearly thought the boy she liked coming to class with the girl she and her friends now hated was the 'worst. thing. ever!'). 

It was interesting seeing all the guys reacting to Gilbert's arrival like he was a local hero. Clearly he was very popular with not just the girls, but his friends as well (including that jerk, Billy Andrews). He'd already scored some points for helping Anne out with Billy, but then scored some more when he enjoyed hearing her reading. While everyone else was not great at reading (Diana had some trouble), Anne was almost too good at it. As she does with everything, she read with such enthusiasm that it caused others to laugh, but she was putting so much passion into it that Gilbert had an appreciation for her. Sadly, no one else did and the teacher and his stupid mustache told Anne to sit down, instead getting the head mean girl (Josie Pye) to take over. Of course, she was like most kids when reading aloud in class and was painfully dull/boring/monotone with her reading. 

I was amused later on when Gilbert approached Anne while she was outside (by herself, sadly) and the other girls were watching through the window of the classroom, as Anne was telling him to leave her alone...but while keeping her lips closed. Obviously the girls inside the room couldn't hear what she was saying to him, they just saw him talking to her (even though she was trying to do 'right' by Ruby and not engage him in conversation). Once they were back in class, he kept trying to get her attention, throwing things at her, but still she refused to acknowledge him until finally he went over to her and pulled her by hair/braid. I got a laugh out of her whacking him with her slate.



On the one hand, that seemed a bit harsh, but on the other...she'd told him repeatedly (through clenched teeth) she wasn't talking to him/to leave her alone and he refused to listen, so a good whack may have gotten the message through to him that 'no' means 'no'. This got her in trouble and she was forced to stand in front of the blackboard for the rest of the afternoon by the teacher (who had scrawled on it that Anne had a 'very bad temper'). 

While all this^ was going on, Marilla was asked to join the PMSC (all I could think when hearing that was just as well they added that 'C' on the end). I liked hearing her telling off the mother for the way she talked about Anne because it wasn’t Anne’s fault what she was subjected to (though, admittedly, she really shouldn't have shared with others what she'd seen/heard...but she didn't know that). Matthew was the first one to feel sorry for Anne, as prior to that Marilla was as horrified as the girl’s mother after hearing what Anne had said about her and the teacher. Still, any decent parent would've totally gone investigating that teacher instead of attacking the girl who outed him. 

I could totally understand Anne eventually having had enough of all the crap everyone was giving her at school and walking out of class, running off crying (she does that a lot in this show) and into Marilla's arms at home, saying she’d never go back school. Marilla understood being judged. It's at this point I should mention I was getting pretty tired of everyone insulting Anne's hair, her freckles, her hat with flowers she'd added to it in the hope of making it stand out (again, she succeeded *too* well with that) and just generally calling her 'ugly'/putting her down. Firstly...this show probably wouldn't do wonders for your self-esteem if you are a redhead, as it's not just others who regarded red hair as something to be ashamed of, but Anne herself did as well. Secondly, Anne was far from 'ugly'. There were other kids in that class who should've really learned the phrase 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones', as some of them were far worse off in the looks department than Anne. And thirdly, it was sad hearing Anne putting herself down in regards to her looks. While it's believable behaviour (especially for young people, but older people are just as susceptible to self-critique), it was a bit shocking to hear how harsh the things she said about herself (and others said about her) were. I just wanted to speak to her though the screen and say "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Anne! Embrace your looks! There are others far worse-looking than you!"...or something to that effect. She had so much to be proud of, and it was frustrating seeing her be negative about herself.

The fourth episode began with Anne, of course, not going to school (can't say I blame her after the way she was treated). Unfortunately, this led to Anne being idle, acting a bit 'loony' and letting pies burn as she was easily distracted by her imagination. I also wondered if she'd developed multiple personality disorder when she was talking to someone who clearly wasn't there called Katie as she looked at her own reflection in the glass of a grandfather clock. Apparently it was just an imaginary friend she'd created after being in isolation. 

Although it was 'wrong' of her to do so, I could understand her telling Marilla she was going to school (after Marilla had a talk with Rachel Lynde about how Anne had been acting) when in fact she was doing her own thing and reading/learning by herself (in between her imagining princesses and whatnot). Given how dodgy that teacher at the school was, Anne probably was better off teaching herself, I thought. Of course, she was 'outed' when Diana and Ruby came over to check on Anne and bring her books to her (though Ruby clearly wasn't the caring friend Diana was and had to be forced into it), as they'd wondered where she'd been. 

Once Marilla realised what had been going on, she got a narrow-minded minister out to talk to Anne about lying and how she should focus on becoming a wife. Obviously Anne was not satisfied with that (neither was Marilla, judging by her reaction to the things the minister was saying). However, a fire then broke out at Ruby's house and although everyone was out of the house, Anne ran into it to cut off the oxygen to the fire so it wouldn't spread (which shows just how much smarter Anne is than me, as I couldn't figure out what she was up to at first). It was great seeing Anne be a hero and people treating her as such...except for Ruby, who still wasn't nice to her and it was especially horrible the way she reacted to hearing she'd be staying with Anne as her house was being fixed. She outright said she didn't want to live with Anne and was moaning about her reputation being 'ruined' or whatever - all of this after she just saved your house from being completely destroyed, you ungrateful little --! 

There was some stuff with Anne and Jerry in this episode...though I can't remember what exactly. What I *do* remember was Ruby slowly starting to 'like' Anne after her tale of princesses (complete with puff-sleeved dresses - can never forget those). It showed what a good person Anne was - the fact that she didn't let what Ruby had said affect the way she treated her. She was still friendly to her, and was even happy to loan Ruby a dress because she had TWO (Anne was so proud of having TWO dresses, it was quite endearing). The two of them, plus Diana, had a clubhouse (I must've forgotten how Anne acquired that place) for writing stories. It was good to see them all getting along, though Ruby didn't know what to make of the things Anne said half the time (I could sympathise with her there) and Diana remarked that she had a way with words (does she ever). It was nice/considerate of Anne to help Ruby get started with her story, since she was having trouble, by suggesting a romance. It would've been very easy for her to get carried away and practically tell/write the whole story herself, but she was just giving Ruby an idea. When they were making 'cookies for the boys', I was immediately reminded of the talking Malibu Stacy doll from The Simpsons.



Which was unfortunate, as Anne was so much better than that. Once they took them to the guys who were helping to fix up Ruby's house, Billy was yet again his supremely jerky self towards Anne. Ruby fell down, Gilbert helped her up, some dialogue that I can't remember was exchanged, and as they walked away Ruby commented to Anne about how Gilbert was so chivalrous. Anne responding with a very dry, "Well, he's something alright."  felt slightly 'modern' (as did the dialogue here and there throughout the season), but was still amusing. 

After Anne eventually returned to school, I was fully expecting Ruby to change her tune after having said on their last night together that she’d miss Anne when going back to her own house. I thought for sure she'd return to being her mean girl self, but it was a nice surprise to see her openly welcoming Anne back and seemingly not caring what anyone else thought. In fact, it appeared as if others were glad to see Anne return as well, which was a happy moment to end on (unlike last episode's ending). 

The fifth episode was the one where Anne ‘became a woman’ (there's really no need to get further into it than that). Once again, it was easy to feel sorry for Anne given how little she knew about what was happening to her. It also reminded me of Carrie's reaction in the 1976 film Carrie. However, this one had a slight 'humourous' touch to it as 'womanly flowering time' was explained to Anne by Marilla. Even funnier was Matthew's reaction to seeing the bloody sheets and his "Don't know and don't want to know" reaction as he hightailed it out of there. Marilla was good about it all and even looked slightly amused. Of course, Anne had her usual over-the-top reaction (but in this instance, it was kind of understandable). Anne was also quite rude to Marilla, but she just took it.

It was good to see Anne kicking butt at spelling in class as creepo teacher continued his student prowling. She then discussed what was going on with her with the other girls. Of course, Josie Pye couldn't help but brag, though Ruby hadn't had it happen to her yet. I found the way Anne said she'd gladly give Ruby hers if she could to be morbidly amusing. 

It was nice of Matthew to go get a dress made for Anne, though I felt a bit bad for the store girl who greeted him, asked if she could help him, but he could barely form a coherent sentence and left to go buy other stuff. Eventually, he returned and we learned that he had a history with the woman in charge of the store. 

Anne wanted to invite Diana over for tea, had a nice table setting, they were both attempting to act 'maturely'...but then Anne picked up the wrong bottle, getting wine instead of the cordial she'd intended to get. Consequently, they both wound up drunk. It was funny, but it sadly led to Diana's mum doing what Milhouse's mum did in The Simpsons when she thought Bart was being a bad influence on her son. This time Anne was the one accused of being a 'bad influence' and Diana's mum forbade them from associating at all. This was another instance where I felt Anne's reaction was justified with how emotional she got. Anne had made a true friend and to lose that was, understandably, one of the worst things ever as far as she was concerned. Growing up sucks! 

When Anne was forced to take Gilbert's books to him by creepo teacher, she instead met Gilbert's sick father and it was so nice to finally hear someone actually complimenting her red hair. He seemed friendly...but given how sick he was, I knew he wasn't long for this world. 

Creepo teacher made a show of separating Anne and Diana in class, obviously at the behest of Diana's mum. Everyone gasping really illustrated how 'major' a thing this was. Anne was missing Diana, Diana was missing Anne (judging by the looking back at her in sadness) and Ruby just looked uncomfortable to be made to sit next to Diana in Anne's place. Of course, Josie Pye was her usual bitchy self by moving away from Anne who was now forced to sit next to her. Later, Anne and Diana met in secret and I was somewhat amused by the 'thou’s and 'thee’s in their promises they made to remember each other. Once again Amybeth McNulty killed it when she conveyed Anne's reaction to learning that Diana loved her (as a friend, of course). The melodramatic goodbye/swearing to be BFFs was a nice scene.

Meanwhile, Matthew was clutching his heart after ordering Anne's dress (he was so awkward with describing it/the puff sleeves, complete with saying how they had 'air') and I thought for sure he'd cark it just as he got the dress or possibly before that and it'd arrive after his death. Luckily, that's not what happened. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't realised Marilla and Matthew were siblings, rather than husband and wife, for an embarrassingly long time and we learned there was a mysterious third sibling. He got Jerry to go get the dress once it was ready and he returned a button to the store owner woman that had been a 'thing' between her and Matthew when they were younger. 

I really liked the scene of Anne receiving her present and how, once she opened it and saw what it was, she didn't take the dress out of the box first or try it on, but instead immediately went over and hugged Matthew -  that was such as heartwarming moment. This show would really lose something special if it didn't have the Anne/Matthew dynamic/relationship, I think. They're just so good together. Both actors did a splendid job of conveying so much with just looks. I was amused when she was pulling out the sleeves to make them be their puffiest after making her grand entrance down the stairs, and then when she asked Marilla if they could arrive late to church so everyone could see her walking in. FINALLY Anne got her dress with the puff sleeves that she just hadn't shut up about since the beginning of the show! Hallelujah!

It was evident from the beginning of the sixth episode that winter had arrived (snow always adds so much to shows. You've got the the visuals, the atmosphere and everything). At first I didn't realise it was Diana running through the snow, but it became clear once she ran inside the house to go wake up Anne because her little sister was coughing. Only Matthew was home with Anne and only Diana's great aunt Josephine was at Diana's house. She started off acting like Diana's mother towards Anne, who knew what to do in this situation and was asking her (politely as possible) to keep out of the way as she rushed to save Diana's sister. It was good that Josephine slowly came to respect Anne after witnessing her quick thinking firsthand as she helped Diana’s sister. 

I figured that Anne saving the girl would get Diana’s mother on board with the two being friends again. When she came to the house, and asked Marilla "May I please see your wonderful, remarkable Anne?", I was disappointed Anne wasn't awake to hear the praise and get her much-owed apology from Diana's mum. I liked the funny moment where Marilla was ensuring Anne ate first before she told her that Diana's mum was happy for her daughter and Anne to be friends again. Marilla knew that once she told Anne, things like eating would be long forgotten (and she was proven right - not just about eating, but cleaning dishes too). Anne and Diana reuniting was a very nice moment. I really appreciate the friendship between these two characters. 

Meanwhile, Gilbert’s dad died. Apparently Marilla had a thing for him (the actor and actress playing the young versions didn’t look anything like the older actors, but young Marilla at least got the voice right). He'd given her the blue ribbon Anne now wore in her hair. 

Anne stuck her foot in her mouth when she tried to comfort Gilbert by saying he was 'luckier' than her. Anne, Diana and Ruby made a pie for Gilbert while Diana’s little sister, who Anne had saved, made remarks. Anne also learned about 'spoilers' and not spoiling a book for Josephine, as she hadn’t read all of it. It was weird seeing her later visit Anne at her clubhouse. I guess Anne saving her great niece had won her over. It was good of her to tell Anne that she didn't have to get married. I liked seeing them have a nice chat. She seemed one of the few who was close to being on Anne's 'level' and being someone Anne could have a good proper conversation with and not get confused by her 'big words', etc. 

Gilbert’s ‘friend’ who constantly bullied Anne, Billy, was acting like an old-timey version of a 'dude-bro' and his dialogue felt a bit too 'modern'. He really was dumber than a box of rocks, not taking Gilbert's hints to leave him alone and pushing him to the point where he FINALLY punched the a-hole and started beating him up (he should've kept going). 

Anne realised, after talking to Josephine, not to miss an opportunity and went to Gilbert’s house to (presumably) tell him that she liked him...but everything had sheets over it as she peered in through a window and he appeared to have left.

Other things that happened in this episode - Matthew discovering that he and his family would be having financial trouble after a boat went down (I forgot to mention towards the beginning of the episode when Marilla first came home she looked over and saw Matthew seemingly asleep in a chair, called out to him and he didn't respond. For a second I was having flashbacks to Buffy finding her mum...but, thankfully, Matthew was yet again spared. I'm not sure how many more of these almost-dying moments are going to occur, though). 

The seventh episode/season final (which came far too soon! WHY such a short amount of episodes?! It's criminal!) began with Anne talking to a boy at school who I don't know the name of, but he seemed friendly enough to Anne. Too bad that bitch Josie Pye had to ruin things by loudly declaring Anne's family poor and just generally being her usual horrible self. Her and Gilbert's friend, Billy, would be perfect for each other. They're both heinous people. I noticed one of the four girls who'd hung out with Anne (not including Diana) was missing now. 

When Anne ran home after hearing this^ news and then overheard Marilla and Matthew talking about their financial problems, I thought for sure what was going to happen was Anne would just hear the parts that made it sound like they were no longer going to 'keep' her (Anne had always had this concern, and Josie Pye just added fuel to the fire by wondering aloud whether they would 'keep' Anne). I was fully expecting Anne would misinterpret things as them giving her back, but instead Matthew raised his voice to Marilla (something that was quite a shock/surprise, as he'd always remained so softly spoken), then she yelled back at him and he suffered a heart attack (it was only a matter of time). 

After Anne and Marilla tried to go sort out their financial problems and discovered they were in deep financial doo-doo, I thought there’d be a bigger deal made out of Anne thinking they were giving her up and Marilla reassuring her that wouldn't be happening and she was their family now. Too bad Marilla was too proud to accept charity from others, as they were in desperate need of it. Especially sad was seeing Anne having to give away her dress Matthew had only just bought her. Marilla had already let Jerry go, informing him they could no longer keep him on at the farm, then she was sending him off with Anne to sell their stuff. Clearly Anne didn't much fancy being accompanied by him. 

Diana showed she was a good friend, bringing stuff for Anne to sell (but being smart enough to not let on to Marilla what she was really doing there). I thought to myself that Anne now knew how Matthew felt that first day he brought her to Green Gables, as she was being subjected to Jerry's singing in French as they journeyed. It was then sad seeing Anne say goodbye to the horse that Jerry was sent off to sell (not Belle, but a black horse whose name I didn't quite catch). I liked that she talked to the horse like he was a person and reassured him. I hate seeing sad goodbyes between people and animals. 

Also sad was her giving her dress back, though at least she reassured the woman who had it made that she loved it and treasured it more than anything else she owned. It was funny hearing Anne spinning stories to the pawn shop owner about all the stuff she was trying to sell so she could convince him to pay more for the items. After Jerry sold the horse, he (unwisely) walked down an alley with two shady-looking characters who beat the crap out of him, kicked him when he was down and stole the money he'd just gotten in exchange for the horse. It was a bit of a shock to see Jerry beaten up so severely, but I appreciated the show not shying away from it. I was sorry about Jerry, but also about the fact the horse was sold for what ended up being nothing (since the money got stolen). 

This episode was like a roller coaster of emotions. One minute it could have some humour, the next it would get quite 'dark' and depressing. Another somewhat amusing part was Anne's reaction to seeing Gilbert again and needing to sit down. It was a bit of a coincidence that the two scumbags who'd mugged Jerry just happened to walk into the same place that Anne and Gilbert were in at the same time they were there. Even more of a coincidence that Jerry arrived and one of the thieves caught sight of him through the window, telling his partner not to turn around. And then, to top things off, they just happened to read the ad in the newspaper Marilla had put out for people to stay at Green Gables so she could earn money from tenants. A bit too 'convenient'.

Jerry was showing how much he'd come to care about Anne (despite how she treated him) when he saw Gilbert as a threat at first and stepped in to defend her, but that was quickly forgotten and he greeted Gilbert politely enough. 

It got quite 'dark' when Matthew became convinced that Anne and Marilla would be better off with him dead because at least then they'd get the life-insurance. When he went so far as to grab a gun and attempted to load it with bullets, I thought for sure we were going to hear the shot go off just as Anne arrived back home. Thankfully, that didn't occur (but just how many times is he going to come so close to dying before it actually happens?). Instead, the dress store woman found him and helped Marilla take him back to bed (though not before she caught sight of the gun and bullets. I was glad she gave Matthew a talking to about that). 

Anne had gone to Josephine, who gave Jerry money/a job (after Anne insisted that, since Cuthberts didn't accept charity, she couldn't either as she was now one of them). Jerry finally got to sleep in a bed, though got frightened and slept in bed with Anne. Once they returned home, Anne convinced Marilla to take Josephine's charity. Also, helping out was Rachel Lynde who convinced others to donate (despite them claiming to not really 'know' the Cuthberts well). She started off as not a very nice woman, but showed over the course of the season she wasn't without a heart after all. Anne helped some more by offering her cleaning services to raise money.

I hadn't expected the season to end with the Cuthberts' new tenants arriving and being the thieves who'd beaten up Jerry. Disturbingly, it appeared as if Anne may have had the hots for one of them (eep!  ). That was certainly a cliffhanger, as I'm now wondering how long it'll be before Jerry spots them and works out they're the ones who kicked his arse (since they were all dolled up now/looking much fancier than they were before, obviously having used that money they'd stolen). How I wish Anne would kick THEIR arses. I noticed this episode was directed by Amanda Tapping from Stargate SG-1 (I've spotted her name as director in a few shows I've watched lately).