S03.E05: I Am Fearless and Therefore Powerful

[OtterMommy]

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TBA

Canadian Air Date: October 20, 2019

USA Netflix Drop Date: January 3, 2020

[Harvey]

The scene with the girls dancing in the fire and claiming their love for being a woman was so refreshing!

[ruby24]

Okay, Jerry and Diana are pretty cute. I hope they go through with that pairing, because I can't even remember who Diana marries in the books.

I thought there was an episode in the first season where Anne was talking about having seen the parents having sex at one of the houses she used to live in? Now she doesn't know how babies are made? 

I guess I can buy that some girls were ignorant of this kind of thing at that time, even at this age, but I still think a lot of them knew. Many people married as teenagers back then.

[Kostgard]

12 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Okay, Jerry and Diana are pretty cute. I hope they go through with that pairing, because I can't even remember who Diana marries in the books.

I thought there was an episode in the first season where Anne was talking about having seen the parents having sex at one of the houses she used to live in? Now she doesn't know how babies are made? 

I guess I can buy that some girls were ignorant of this kind of thing at that time, even at this age, but I still think a lot of them knew. Many people married as teenagers back then.

I think in season one it was implied that Anne didn't really understand what she was exposed to. She heard them having sex (saying sometimes Mrs Hammond seemed be laughing, other times yelling, making it sound kind of rape-y), and Mrs Hammond used the euphemism of Mr Hammond having a "mouse in his pocket" and she was forced to "pet." It was clear that Anne thought she was talking about a literal mouse, and Anne just knew that this was somehow "making love" and somehow babies were involved. I think she really didn't understand what was actually going on, which is why she was confused when the other girls ditched her when she started talking about it.

Diana and Jerry are indeed cute, but I am just waiting for her family to find out and freak the hell out. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later, and I just hope it is later. This is clearly a rebellion on Diana's part. She knows there is no way her parents will let her marry someone as poor as Jerry. She's being groomed to make a good, appropriate match. I think this is Diana exploring and making her own choices while she still can. Experiencing what she wants to experience before she's made to marry someone she may or may not truly love. She's already bummed out that she's been forbidden from going to college, this is her trying to take some amount of control of her life (in the book she married Fred Wright, whose biggest crime appears to be Anne considers him boring).

The obituary was very sweet. And that baby is so cute. But it really does feel a bit early to be looking for a new wife for Bash. Though, you can totally see where this is going. Once Rachel stops trying to foist her lame son upon Miss Stacey, she'll totally push her towards Bash.

Nice to see Miss Stacey's lessons out in nature, and I enjoyed all the flirting and Tillie Boulter pretending to swoon to get the attention of the boys (and I liked Miss Stacey's "No touching!" Arrested Development moment). Gilbert learns about naturopathic medicine. I liked that Ka'kwet's dad told the medicine woman to do a good job stitching the kid up because "he buys my hockey sticks." I didn't enjoy him telling Anne he also hasn't been able to see Ka'kwet (go save her!!). The dancing scene was sweet too - and was Ruby finally giving a different boy the eye?  What is Anne going to do once she loses the "I can't because Ruby likes Gil" excuse?

The final scene at the fire was fun, but I also thought, "Aw, man. Now someone is going to accuse Anne of witchcraft."

Edited October 21, 2019 by Kostgard

[ruby24]

I feel so stupid, I didn't even think about the Bash/Miss Stacy possibility. But you're totally right, that's definitely happening.

[ruby24]

Does anyone know where you can see previews for the next episode?

[Harvey]

2 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Does anyone know where you can see previews for the next episode?

There are no official uploads, you have to hunt them down on instagram in case someone records them from tv. Next week's preview is very short and only features Anne going to a fortune teller.

Edited October 22, 2019 by Harvey

[PinkRibbons]

I really wish this show would have Mrs. Lynde show a little more of the common sense she has in the books. She's at least usually reliable about child-rearing and family matters. Telling Bash to remarry before the body is even cold is ludicrous , as is saying that his daughter would have to be "placed out" now that she's known what Anne went through for several years.

If Green Gables can afford Jerry coming over to work on the farm, I'm sure the Blythe place (with not one but two strong working men there) can hire one of Jerry's sisters to come over to take care of the baby and maybe even be a housekeeper of sorts. I'm sure Jerry's family would be happy for the money.

Loved that they didn't go anachronistic and have Ms. Stacy give some loving, perfectly worded, down-to-earth detailed explanation of sex. Seeing her get all flustered and freaked out was hilarious. I sort of expected Ruby's mother to show up in the episode just for Ms. Stacy to tell her what kind of damage she did telling Ruby that.

[Harvey]

3 hours ago, PinkRibbons said:

If Green Gables can afford Jerry coming over to work on the farm, I'm sure the Blythe place (with not one but two strong working men there) can hire one of Jerry's sisters to come over to take care of the baby and maybe even be a housekeeper of sorts. I'm sure Jerry's family would be happy for the money.

I thought the subtext was that besides Marilla's family and Mrs. Lynde everybody hates Bash/her daughter for being black so it's not easy for him to hire help like it would be for a white person. The show points out racism time and time again.

[Kostgard]

2 hours ago, Harvey said:

I thought the subtext was that besides Marilla's family and Mrs. Lynde everybody hates Bash/her daughter for being black so it's not easy for him to hire help like it would be for a white person. The show points out racism time and time again.

That's how I saw it too. Sure, they will be neighborly when they feel sorry for the widower (like the Barrys offering to buy his apples to sell in England - like, what was wrong with them before?), but sending their daughters over to work at his house? Where they could possibly be alone with him (see all the historical hysteria of black men raping/abducting/whatever-ing white women)? Absolutely not. Marilla and Rachel are "mature" women and therefore probably safe from his "savage" desires, but not young women.

While I do think they are heading towards a Miss Stacey/Bash pairing, the reaction from the community will probably be less than ideal. I mean, Ruby was fainting over the terror seeing a small indigenous child in the woods. Seeing a mixed race couple walk down the street will probably make heads explode.

[Thundercatmary]

I thought Ruby’s fainting was also foreshadowing possible future storylines for her, we will see tho.

[ruby24]

25 minutes ago, Kostgard said:

While I do think they are heading towards a Miss Stacey/Bash pairing, the reaction from the community will probably be less than ideal. I mean, Ruby was fainting over the terror seeing a small indigenous child in the woods. Seeing a mixed race couple walk down the street will probably make heads explode.

Probably, but this show likes to do those kinds of stories, so I can see it happening. I don't think they're all that realistic about it, but they like to put those kinds of progressive ideas in the world of 19th century Canada. A different show that confronted these issues much more realistically was The Knick. 

I don't mind that in general, but sometimes it feels like they basically used the Anne of Green Gables property as a starting off point for a period show about modern day issues. Maybe they couldn't have got it made with an original premise though.

[Camera One]

It was nice to have an episode entirely set in Avonlea.  I liked seeing Gilbert's developing interest in medicine and remedies, though the acting was a little odd in the early scene with the indigenous healer.  

Most of this episode could be described as cute.  Diana and Jerry had some chemistry, as did Anne and Gilbert during the practice dance.  

I still find the dichotomy between cute fantasy and "realism" on this show to be abrupt. 

It was funny that the girls thought dancing or holding hands could get them pregnant, but that seemed unlikely at that age.  There was a lot of outrage in Season 1 with the episode where the girls talk about Mr. Philip's "mouse", but that conversation seemed to have been forgotten here (thank goodness, I suppose).

I'm surprised Mrs. Lynde doesn't have the whole town disapprove of her by babysitting the baby, especially after what we saw last episode in the store.  Likewise, would Marilla really put her hands on Bash's shoulders to comfort him?  Is this the 1890s or now?  It's hard to tell sometimes.  I find it hard to believe Mrs. Barry is now crying over Mary's obituary.

The visuals of the girls dancing around the bonfire was very intriguing, but their parents didn't notice them sneaking out in their night garments to re-enact this pagan ritual?  

Overall, I think I am enjoying Season 3 more than the last two seasons.  

Edited October 23, 2019 by Camera One

[CountryGirl]

I loved the bonfire, revelling in their womenhood scene. 

And ladies, find a man who looks at you like Gilbert looks at Anne during the dancing lessons scene. I know I did.