Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987)

Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel is a continuation of the original 1985 series, following Anne into womanhood as she dreams of becoming a published author. Released in 1987, it brings together the original cast including Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Jonathan Crombie, Schuyler Grant and Patricia Hamilton.

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I actually had to pick up another copy while watching this for a review, because the second tape in the double edition wouldn’t play correctly. I took it to pieces and partially fixed the issue, but it was still unwatchable hence why you see a single cassette version too. I think it’s interesting to see the different variations that were released - I’ll keep the double cassette for display and attempt to mend it further in the future.

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The sequel begins in Avonlea, where Anne has taken over as teacher at Avonlea School. She enjoys this vocation, but is disheartened that her story ‘Averil’s Atonement’ has been rejected by a magazine. We soon meet the scathing Rachel Lynde again, as the Green Gables cow has been feeding on her crops. Anne goes on a walk with Diana, who reveals she’s engaged, and it soon becomes apparent she’s entered Anne’s story into a competition as the town folk are abuzz when it wins first place.

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This is initially a source of embarrassment for her, as she quickly becomes a celebrity. On their way home they notice a cow in Rachel’s field again, and pursue a chase which ends hilariously with both girls face down in the mud. The situation only becomes worse when Anne tries to remedy this by selling the cow, only to realise it’s actually Lynde’s own.

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Marilla and Anne go to apologise, which isn’t received well, but Rachel’s husband collapses in another room not to wake up again. This throws Lynde into jeopardy as she’s unsure how she’ll manage without him, and Anne is already considering new prospects as her former teacher Miss Stacey offers her a position in English literature at Kingsport Ladies’ College in New Brunswick.

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Diana’s engagement party rolls around, and Gilbert Blythe puts his own proposal to Anne who rejects it, feeling it will end in disaster. Soon after she meets Morgan Harris, who will later become a love interest for her. At Diana’s wedding, Anne sees Gilbert with another girl and this convinces her marriage is definitely off the table. Rachel decides to move in with Marilla, and Anne accepts the teaching position.

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Settling into her new environment isn’t easy, as the principal of Kingsport Ladies’ College is a strict woman, and some of the girls in her class try to make life more difficult, especially Jen Pringle who belongs to one of the wealthiest families in the town, who are displeased she received a job instead of one of their own. Undeterred, she becomes close to Emmeline Harris, who just so happens to be the daughter of Morgan, but both get in trouble after trying to rescue Emmeline’s bike that has been confiscated by headteacher Katherine Brooke.

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This prompts Morgan to remove his daughter from the school, sending her to live with his insufferable mother. Anne manages to convince him to let her tutor Emmeline at home, and she quickly becomes part of the family dynamic. Anne and Miss Stacey organise a play to raise money for the college, after Morgan withdrew his financial support following Emmeline’s expulsion.

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The play starts to come together, though Jen Pringle who is set to play the lead calls in sick hours before it’s due to premiere. Anne gets around Morgan again, persuading him to let Emmeline fill in for the role, which she’s familiar with through the tutoring sessions. The performance is a massive success, earning Anne the Pringle’s respect and convincing Morgan to invest in the college again.

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Gilbert pays Anne a visit when she returns home from a trip to Boston, and he inspires her to start writing again. She pays him a tearful goodbye, still torn between head and heart, but when Morgan finally proposes she declines this offer too. Just before Mrs Harris passes away, she reveals she’s become quite fond of Anne as many do. Morgan’s sister Pauline accepts an engagement, and the family decide to move back to Boston.

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After a year of teaching at Kingsport Ladies’ College, Anne hands in her resignation and persuades Katherine to come stay at Green Gables for the summer, urging her to open her heart up to joy again. When they arrive back in Avonlea, Diana has given birth to a baby boy, and Anne learns Gilbert has fallen ill with Scarlet Fever. She rushes to his bedside where he reveals he’s called off an engagement to Christine, who she saw him with earlier that year, because his heart only ever belonged to her. He proposes one final time and she accepts.

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I think I loved this sequel even more than the original series - it’s wonderful to watch Anne grow up, and still embody her lust for life and doing what’s right. I’m also really glad that she chose Gilbert in the end, as stories of this period often favour younger women marrying older men and it’s refreshing to see a coupling of the same age.

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I’m a sucker for the hair and fashion of the 1900s, which made me favour this chapter in the Anne of Green Gables series. It’s really easy to watch and comforting too, with a sprinkling of humour and brilliant acting from Megan Follows and the rest of the cast. I’m excited to start The Continuing Story soon.