Anne with an E
2017 · TV Series
DramaFamily
What looks like a charming period piece about a plucky orphan is actually a profound meditation on belonging and resilience. Anne with an E takes the beloved Anne of Green Gables story and excavates the deeper emotional truths beneath its familiar surface.
How it feels
Watching this feels like being quietly, persistently moved—not through manufactured sentiment but through earned emotional weight. The show sits with trauma without sensationalizing it, finding hope in small moments of connection and understanding. There's a sustained ache for belonging that runs through every episode, balanced by genuine warmth when it arrives.
What makes it heavy
The emotional complexity comes from how seriously it takes childhood trauma and social exclusion. Anne's past experiences of abuse and abandonment aren't backstory—they're living wounds that affect how she moves through the world. The show explores themes of identity, mental health, and social justice with a frankness that can catch viewers off guard, especially those expecting lighter fare.
Compared to shows you may know
-Little House on the Prairie → Where that show offered comfort, this one earns its hope through struggle.
-Anne of Green Gables (1985) → Both celebrate Anne's spirit, but this version doesn't shy away from why that spirit needed to be so fierce.
-This Is Us → Similar in how it finds profound emotion in ordinary family moments, but set in a world where being different carries real consequences.
-The Crown → Both examine how individuals navigate rigid social structures, though this focuses on a girl finding her voice rather than maintaining one.
If Little Women felt like sisterhood, this feels like earning your place at the table
Worth knowing
The show addresses childhood abuse, mental health struggles, and social prejudice with care but directness. Viewers sensitive to themes of abandonment or rejection might find Anne's journey particularly affecting.