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Every year – when sunny skies turn into rainy days – I swaddle myself in a blanket, brew up a mug of hot chocolate and switch on Netflix’s Anne with an E.
The Netflix original is based on the popular early 20th-century children’s series Anne of Green Gables, which follows the adventures of the titular orphan Anne after she is adopted by siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert.
Set in the scenic vistas of Avonlea in Canada’s Prince Edward Island, the three-season TV adaptation from 2017 to 2019, starring Amybeth McNulty, is an ode to the natural world and the beauty of girlhood.
Not only that, but this thoroughly 21st-century take brings its own fresh lens to this timeless tale, tackling social themes around feminism, the LGBTQ+ community and the treatment of the Indigenous population during this era.
But what is it that makes it the perfect rainy season watch?
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The entire aesthetic of the show
Although our characters go through various trials and tribulations, ultimately our fiery-haired heroine comes out on top, making this a feel-good and nourishing watch to warm you up on foggy autumn evenings.
Even Anne herself is a loud and proud autumn lover, at one point declaring: ‘Isn’t this just the most beautiful day there ever was. I love autumn, I just love it. I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
‘It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?’
Yes it would, Anne, yes it would.
In fact, there are any number of fan edits from the series on TikTok showing off the red-brown colour grading of the show, paired with Anne’s love letters to autumn and, more often than not, a Hozier song as the backing track.
It even leans into that ethereal witchy aesthetic with one viral scene from the series showing Anne and her friends undertaking a midnight ritual in the woodland to praise the beauty of womanhood.
‘Oh, how I love being a woman,’ Anne’s friend Ruby wistfully declares.
When at home at Green Gables, where the Cuthberts live, the show leans into the cosy period look filled with fireplaces, rocking chairs and prettily lit candles adorning their oaken abode.
It was an intentional choice by the showrunners to bring the earth to life in all its golden-houred glory.
As director Niki Caro told Collder: ‘[I thought about] the way that Joe Wright shot Pride and Prejudice, where the mud was muddy and the rain was wet and pigs walked through the house, we loved that visceral aspect, so yeah, that’s what we were going for.
‘We just wanted it to be elemental and exist in the world the way it was and have it be palpable.’
The fans always come flocking back
Step aside, Gilmore Girls, Anne with an E is coming for your territory.
Although it may not quite reach those heights, within the Anne with an E fandom, the series is a must-watch at the turn of the season when pumpkin spice is wafting through the air and the scarves are coming out of the woodwork.
‘Rewatching isn’t enough, I need this show injected into my veins,’ user Emily wrote on one autumnal edit of the show on TikTok.
‘This is like a warm latte, an old book with yellowing pages and oak,’ xoxo agreed.
‘Love this they have the best autumn look in Anne with an E I swearrr,’ Belle echoed.
‘They captured autumn so good I can’t explain it,’ Lovries praised.
‘The best fall show,’ awaexo sahred.
Metro TV reporter Asyia Iftikhar on her deep obsession with Anne with an E
Look, as a TV lover, I am always on the hunt for the next show that will haunt my waking hours and a few years ago, this was Anne with an E.
I decided to give the show a try on a whim after being on the lookout for a gentle, uplifting watch, and, boy, was it the right decision.
Now, fair warning, Anne’s enthusiastic personality does take some getting used to, given she’s a 12-year-old with more imagination in her little finger than most people have in a lifetime.
But once you adjust, this show is an absolute delight from start to finish. It offers a complete immersion into nature, pausing to take stock of the falling leaves, the snow-ridden hills and the flittering butterflies.
And the ensemble cast only enhances this already brilliant series. You’ll fall in love with Matthew’s sweet fatherly devotion to Anne, you’ll be rooting for Anne’s friends Diana, Ruby, Cole and Miss Josephine, and you’ll find yourself swept up in the comings of goings of Avonlea.
As for the romance lovers among you, the endearing academic rivals to friends to lovers storyline between Anne and Gilbert will have you kicking your feet with joy.
After devouring all three seasons, I have often found myself missing this world and have since read (and re-read) all eight books by L.M. Montgomery, as well as watching all the adaptations of years gone by.
Yet, every autumn, I find myself being called back to the Netflix series for one last watch as food for the soul and a warm balm for those chilly nights.
In short, it has nailed the cosy cottagecore vibe.
Over on Reddit, fans had equally enthusiastic praise for the show’s autumnal power.
User AcornMaiden wrote: ‘Now that hot girl summer is coming to an end, Anne of Avonlea Autumn can begin. We’re reading an ungodly amount of fantasy. We’re climbing trees, swimming in lakes and baking pies. We’re getting into wholesome trouble and telling mean boys to get wrecked.’
‘Anne of Green Gables will always have special place in my heart,’ Skapps shared.
Anne with an E is streaming on Netflix now.
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