Anne With An E: Season 3, Episode 10 “The Better Feeling of My Heart” [Series Finale] – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

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In Anne With An E’s season 3 finale, you are definitely left being able to gauge whether you’ve been drinking enough water lately for you will cry!

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Directed By		Amanda Tapping
Written By		Moira Walley-Beckett
Air Date (CBC)		11/24/2019
Introduced This Episode
Lily	Mackenzie Ripley
Mrs. Blackmore	Sheila McCarthy
Ms. Thomas	Corinne Conley

Recap

The End Of School: Miss Stacy, Gilbert, Diana, William, Eliza, Anne, Marilla

With the end of the school year comes the question of everyone’s results. Well, good news, everyone did well, and no one seems disappointed. At least, that is until Diana tells her parents what she did and they berate her as selfish.

Why? Well, with no male heir, they need her to marry well to continue the family business, and so, despite her desire to go to Queen’s college with Anne, they insist on finishing school. Well, being more clear, William insists and blames Eliza for her lack of influence on directing their child. This leads to, of all people, her confiding in Marilla, who tries to use her experience with Anne not to directly persuade Eliza to speak to William, but definitely see what she can lose by going against her daughter.

Leaving Gilbert. Due to certain decisions noted later on, he asks of Miss Stacy if she can still get him into the University of Toronto, and she does! Making it so Gilbert’s future is set.

The Beginning Of A New Life: Lily, Mrs. Blackmore, Anne, Elijah, Hazel, Sebastian

Alongside the girls we knew, Anne finds herself at Mrs. Blackmore’s boarding house with her deaf/mute housekeeper Lily. Someone who, if the CBC and Netflix reconcile[1][2], you can see Anne growing close to so that she can learn sign language. Heck, while Mrs. Blackmore seems to run a strict house, who is to say Aunt Josephine may not find love again through her? You never know. This show is very progressive.

But, when it comes to finding love once more, naturally, it doesn’t always have to be a romantic thing. Elijah, who now claims to be sober, shows up, and as you can imagine, Sebastian is ready to send him away – on sight! However, as Elijah mourns his mother, and Hazel tries to remind Sebastian she and he haven’t always had the easiest of relationships, it seems Sebastian may give Elijah another chance. Especially since, with Gilbert leaving, Sebastian could use another hand, and with Mary gone, Elijah is all that is left of her mother in some ways. So, as Mary would like, he wants him in his sister’s life.

When The Gods Choose To Be Kind: Matthew, Marilla, Anne, Ms. Thomas, Gilbert, Diana, William, Winifred

Where to begin? Let’s start with Gilbert’s trip to Winifred’s being about him not going to marry her and promising to keep that to himself so she can escape the pending gossip and embarrassment. On top of that, let’s throw in him writing a note to Anne, confessing, but after a bad day, her seeing the note, not reading it, and tearing it up. Only to, moments later, try to piece it together and read a response which sounds like a rejection.

Now, let’s put a pin in that.

Alongside the heartbreak that came from Gilbert comes an unexpected source: Matthew. The one who advocated for Anne, is the reason Marilla is such a good mom and has been the most loving person Anne has known, he turns callous. This is all to prep himself for Anne leaving, and make it so she wouldn’t worry about them. Ultimately creating the appearance that he became what Marilla used to be and tries to think and act in practical manners.

As you can imagine, this confuses the hell out of Anne since she is very emotional, and with Matthew being in her heart, what he is doing wrecks her deeply. Luckily, in a one-two punch, he recovers. First he recovers by revealing why he was acting so callously so that Anne can understand. Secondly, Marilla goes with him to see a woman named Ms. Thomas, who Anne used to live with, and who happened to be neighbors with the Cuthberts apparently. We discover she has a book Anne’s father, Walter, gave to her mother, Bertha.

But here is the kicker: In the book, which is about flowers, she gets to see her father’s handwriting and a picture of her mom. Making the fact there is no trace of them in Scotland a little less painful for she has an heirloom and some idea of who they were.

Things don’t end there; however, on the way to the University of Toronto, Gilbert runs into Diana and William, and after some small chat, he leaves for another car, and Diana follows. Then, the two have a conversation in which Diana lays into Gilbert about his relationship with Anne and the passion you see coming from her, it will likely be one of the many times you will cry. Even if just because you want someone to go off on your behalf like that.

Leading to us unpinning that Winifred situation. You see, on the same day Gilbert is heading to school, Anne is checking out the city and runs into Winifred. Someone who doesn’t know Anne is unaware of Gilbert’s feelings, so the timing just so happens to be that, after Anne learns about Gilbert’s feelings, and Gilbert about Anne’s, they run into each other as Anne is leaving Mrs. Blackmore’s home – likely to try to meet up with Gilbert. Thus giving us, among other things, them kissing multiple times.

Then, to put icing on the cake, Diana reveals, by means not gone into, her parents have allowed her to go to Queen’s college. Making it so everything Anne could have wanted comes true.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

The more I held her back, the less I was included.
— Marilla

You are a wish come true I never knew I was making.
— Marilla

Review

Highlights

The Amount Of Tears You’ll Shed

Okay, so we got Matthew both acting cold towards Anne, since he seems to think she will find far more interesting people and forget them. If not, taking into account his brother, not wanting to deal with such a major loss and be stunned once again. Then, you have him apologizing to Anne and the reconciliation.

Following that, you have Sebastian giving Elijah a second chance and coming to realize how he can’t damn Elijah as much as he wants since, while not the same, he gets having a complicated relationship with your mother. Also, there is watching Diana deal with her life not being hers, and then learning later on, for reasons not gone into, her parents relented and will allow her to go to college.

Then with Anne? What isn’t there to cry about? Be it her interactions with Matthew, learning about her parents, or that kiss? When I tell you, I am so glad I am relatively hydrated… I mean it for otherwise my eyes would be burning like someone sprayed me with mace.

On The Fence

Some Minor Things Not Cleared Up

While a lot of good happens, there are quite a few loose strings. One being Rachel and her board, who are the other members chosen? Also, when it comes to Ka’kwet, was there ever a resolution or we’re just going to have to deal with her parents would be SOL? Not to forget, the whole Matthew and Jeannie thing went dead, which sucks, and with Anne getting a dress from there, it could have led to a cute moment between Jeannie and Matthew.

Alongside that, Billy didn’t really get a comeuppance, there isn’t any sign if Ms. Stacy and Sebastian could continue things, and while some of this didn’t have to be in the finale, if not most, with a year to wait before answers, assuming this is renewed (Due to the CBC and Netflix having a disagreement – we know it got canceled), it is hard not to be a little frustrated.

Comment below if there are other things you wanted to see handled? Like Diana apologizing to Jerry and maybe not getting back together but at least being friends?

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[1] https://contentcanada.net/podcast/episode-21-tait-modern/ (29:30)

[2] https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2481911/netflix-and-cbc-are-breaking-up-is-this-a-sign-of-things-to-come