Several months ago, during Sense and Sensibility week, I wrote a post defending Edward Ferrars. Poor Edward has, in my experience, frequently suffered under the libelous label of "boring" in Austenite circles. So I wrote a post defending him and pointing out all his good points and what I like about him, and I was Most Pleasantly Surprised to find that many of you are Ferrars Fans too.
Well, now I am going to write a post defending Gilbert Blythe. My reasons are threefold. Reason 1) Gilbert might not be labeled "boring" as poor Edward has been, but he is, sadly, often overlooked when we talk about our favorite literary heroes. Jane Austen's heroes are overshadowing him too much. (No offense to Austen or anything, and all that.) Reason 2) It's Anne of Green Gables Week, and since I already posted about Anne, it makes perfect sense to write about Gilbert too. Reason 3) Because "my reasons are threefold" sounds better than "my reasons are twofold". I don't actually have a third reason.
I like to start my character posts by listing all the reasons why I like and dislike the character at hand, so that's what I'll do now. The reasons I dislike Gilbert are as follows:
.....
Hang on. I'm sure I can think of something.
*twenty-eight minutes later* Well, to be perfectly frank (and yes, Melody, I'm aware that my name is not Frank), Gilbert is rather rude when we first meet him. *ducks rotten vegetables* No, really, he is. Y'all know what happens in the famous carrot-and-slate scene, so I won't rehash it for you. But I will say that pulling a girl's hair and insulting her in a shout-whisper is NOT the way to her heart. "I only said that because... well, because I wanted to meet you so much." And then he was rude again at the Christmas ball. Which is excusable, because after all he had apologized--multiple times--and Anne continued to be Hard-Hearted and Unforgiving.
Now that we've covered Gilbert's character flaws, let's get down to the good stuff--why he is just as much of a hero as any man created by Jane Austen. Or Dickens. Or Elizabeth Gaskell. Or... dare I say it?... Baroness Orczy.
*hastily moves past what might be a dangerous subject*
Marilla Cuthbert, who is well-beloved by yours truly for frequently saying exactly the right thing, does an amazing job of summing up Gilbert's character to poor blind-as-a-bat Anne. "Anne, you have tricked something out of that imagination of yours that you call romance. Have you forgotten how [Gilbert] gave up the Avonlea school for you so that you could stay here with me? He picked you up every day in his carriage so that you could study your courses together. Don't toss it away for some ridiculous ideal that doesn't exist."
Gilbert isn't particularly dashing. He isn't thrillingly romantic-- in fact, he makes fun of Anne's sappy romanticism. He doesn't buckle swashes. He doesn't write swoon-inducing poetry or sit around mooning all the time. (Whether he lets a girl get a word in edgewise is another matter entirely.) He's a farmer who wears ugly overalls and teaches an unruly classroom of eight grades so that he can save to go to medical school. He is also caring, compassionate, gentle, pleasant, funny, patient and super-duper loyal.
So why, then, do we so often gloss over him or forget him in the wake of such literary greats as Mr. Darcy, Sir Percy Blakeney or Mr. Knightley? "Poor Gilbert," a very dear friend of mine once lamented. "He always seems to be replaced by some Jane Austen hero or other in our hearts as we get older." Well, it's quite true-- but why? Maybe it's because Gil himself is so unpretentious and down-to-earth. "Wilt thou give up thy garter, oh fairest of the fair? Anne, nobody talks that way!" If Anne--or anyone--asked him what he would think of being referred to as a hero, he would probably find it hilarious.
By the way, I happen to find Gilbert hilarious. I appreciate a hero with a good sense of humor (something Mr. Darcy sadly lacks until near the end of the book). "Well, well, well. The elegant and illustrious Miss Shirley. Relaxed while seeking out ideas for her next Rollings Reliable writing assignment, I presume." And of course no one can forget the classic Pitching and Mooning scene. "And just look at that sap Percival who sits around mooning all the time... in real life, she'd have pitched him." (This quote isn't complete without the little smirk that accompanies it.)
Silliness aside, the thing I admire most about Gilbert is his unfailing loyalty. And his patience. Which are pretty much the same thing because they go hand-in-hand. This sounds sappy and sentimental (though not quite as bad as wilt-thou-give-up-thy-garter) but I absolutely love how Gilbert loved Anne for so long before she realized it. (And before she deserved it.) "This is true love. Do you think this happens every day?"
She ignored him (even when he rescued her from death by drowning), was rude to him, finally forgave him but then insisted on being just friends and finally turned down his proposal... and yet he didn't let any of that get in the way. He still stuck by her and stood up for her and never let her down. "Well, I won't change... that's the least I can promise you."
Speaking of turning down proposals... look, peoples, I love Anne and all that, but I'm seriously quite willing to push her off Moody Spurgeon's kitchen roof when she tells Gil she won't marry him in The Sequel. That scene is heartrending. Now, granted, she tries to do it as gently as possible (and in all honesty, you wouldn't have wanted her to say yes to someone she didn't love--er, didn't realize she loved--would you?) but that doesn't change the fact that she broke his heart. "Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you. Please say yes..."
And out come the Kleenex. :)
Anne. Seriously. Get a grip, girl.
I should take this opportunity, while we're on the subject, to point out a very serious and grave error on the part of the Anne filmmakers. In The Sequel, they changed the story around so that Gilbert proposed to Christine Stuart after Anne turned him down. (insert facepalm) No, Sullivan Films. No, no, no. That never happened in the books, not even a hint of it. Yes, Gilbert took Christine to a party or two (maybe to make Anne jealous, maybe not) but there was never any kind of romantic interest between them-- at least not on his part. (Christine's reappearance in Anne of Ingleside leads me to believe there might have been a little on her side, but that's another story for another time.) "There would never be anyone for me but you."
Gilbert never proposed to Christine, anyway. He waited for Anne... and waited... and waited...
And then, finally, he did the only thing he could think of: contracted typhoid and almost died. To get her attention, you know. ;)
It worked. Quite nicely, in fact. Anne came to her senses and realized that her "romantic ideal" had been pulling her out of mud puddles, crashing his bicycle into the creek and rescuing her from watery graves all along. Right under her very nose.
"It'll be three years before I finish medical school," he tells her on the bridge at the end. "Even then there won't be any diamond sunbursts or marble halls."
"I don't want diamond sunbursts, or marble halls," says Anne (while I grope for another tissue). "I just want... you."
What is a hero, anyway? A hero is a man who is compassionate, caring and kind. A hero is unselfish and thinks of others before himself (sometimes going as far as giving up his life). A hero is real and down-to-earth without being boring. A hero is wonderful, and that's what Gilbert is.
And it sure took the illustrious Miss Shirley long enough to realize it.
I am extremely pleased to present to you all a guest post written by the most kindred of all my kindred spirits-- my amazing sister the Anne-girl. Anne and I have known each other for fourteen years now, and I honestly don't know what my life would be without her. She's hilariously funny, possesses great dramatic flair, is a Shakespeare nut, writes beautifully (go read her blog if you haven't already) and has the best imagination I've ever met. She's also head-over-heels-in-love with Sir Percy Blakeney (go figure) and is even more of a TSP fan than I am. Which is saying a lot.
I asked her to write a guest post for Anne week (because you can't have an Anne week without a few words from the Anne-girl herself, right??), and she very generously agreed to do so... without further bleating from me, here you go.
"If a person sorter sees eye to eye with you, and has pretty much the same ideas as you,and the same taste in jokes-why, they belong to the race that knows Joseph."
~Captain Jim, Anne's House of Dreams
The race that knows Joseph. Kindred Spirits. Bosom Friend. Aren't those just deliciously-icious phrases? In the Anne books one finds many and many a kindred spirit. There is Rebecca Dew, Little Elizabeth, Phillipa Gordon, Aunt Jimsie, Mathew, Gilbert, Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, and Leslie Moore.
All of these belong to the race that knows Joseph. Anne loves them all and they all love Anne. But I have in mind a certain character who on the surface does not belong to the race that knows Joseph. Who does not appear a kindred spirit.
I speak of Diana Barry. I mean seriously, who would have thought that clever imaginative Anne would love practical not so clever Diana? And yet they are the most loyal friends you would ever hope to find.
Oh Anne! We thought you were drowned! And Ruby's
having hysterics., and..oh Anne!
ANNE: Your mother hasn't relented?
DIANA: I told her it wasn't your fault, and I cried and cried, but it's no use, Anne. We can't ever be friends again.
ANNE: Diana, will you promise never to forget me, no matter what other friends come into your life?
DIANA: I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Anne.
ANNE: Do you really love me?
DIANA: Of course I do.
ANNE: Nobody's ever loved me for as long as I can remember, except for Matthew and Marilla. Will you swear to be my secret bosom friend?
DIANA: But isn't it wicked to swear? We're in enough trouble already.
ANNE: Not when you're swearing a vow. I solemnly swear to remain faithful to my bosom friend, Diana Barry, for as long as the sun and the moon shall endure. Now you say it.
DIANA: I solemnly swear to remain faithful to my bosom friend, Anne Shirley, for as long as the sun and the moon--
ANNE: Shall endure.
DIANA: Shall endure. And as long as my mother doesn't find out.
ANNE: Oh, she mustn't.
DIANA: I have to get back; she'll be suspicious.
ANNE: Wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet black tresses?
DIANA: But I don't have any black dresses.
ANNE: Your hair.
DIANA: Alright. I have to go.
ANNE: Farewell, my beloved friend. Henceforth we must be strangers living side by side, but my heart will be ever faithful to thee.
What inspired that kind of loyalty? As far as I can see in the books at least Diana never made an amusing or intelligent remark in her life you're overdoing it Anne. Er, Diana is just not the brightest light bulb ever.
It is a little different in the movie. Diana is much more interesting in the movie.
Josie Pye: Hey, Anne, how do you spell freckle? Diana Barry: Hey, Josie, how do you spell ugly?
See? OK maybe that wasn't the sweetest remark in the world or the most brilliant retort but it brings me to my next observation. Or remark or question if you want to be technical.
Diana Barry is the most loyal girl in the world. Even when Anne gets all the attention, all the praise, and Gilbert sorry but I had to stick that in somewhere, Diana is never jealous. Never. She always supports Anne builds her up never criticizes her.
Is this why Diana is such a good friend? Because she is so loyal? Does Anne love her because she can never do wrong in Diana's eyes? I hope not. That would like totally ruin my image of Anne, making her extremely self centered. And besides, Diana is loyal because Anne is her friend not the other way around.
So what is it?
I don't know.
Yup that's what I said. I don't know. I have no clue why Anne and Diana love each other so fiercely from the beginning. All I know is that they do.
Now before I go any further let me say that I do not believe in love at first sight. I do not think that dancing dreamily with a cute guy once and exchanging three words with him (see Cinderella) is a good basis for a happy marriage. However I do believe in kindred spirits at first sight. For some reason unknown to us certain people belong together. And when they see each other (or read each other's blog posts) something happens.
And I'm not talking about this.
Sorry but I couldn't help it. Hey at least I haven't mentioned Sir Percy yet! Give me some credit. OK back off the rabbit trail to the main road.
Anne met Diana and knew that they were destined to be friends.
And friends they became. Their friendship lasted. Through a separation. Through a jump on a bed. Through a wedding. And through a haunted wood.
I am absolutely thrilled to swellissimus tears to announce this guest post by my dear blogging friend, practically-sister, kindred spirit and Tween--- Miss Melody, who writes the delightful blog Regency Delight. Melody was Yet Another Period Drama Blog's very first follower, and in the five months that have passed since then, she and I have developed an awesomely amazing friendship and at least half a dozen hilarious nicknames for each other and at least two or three dozen ridiculous acronyms. (Right, my adorable little Elf? It all MMFHI! Sorry. Inside jokes there.) Just go read some of those "kindred spirit" definitions on the Anne tag and you'll understand what kind of friendship I'm talking about. We are soooo going to meet in person someday, and that you may tie to. Anyway, Melody most kindly agreed to write a guest post for me, and.... well, I'll let her explain all that herself. Thanks so, so much for doing this, Mellow D.!
When Miss Dashwood asked me if I had any suggestions for her Anne week, I said she should do a review of Road to Avonlea. Her exact response was: "I think it is a splendid idea, but I also think that YOU should be the one to write the review. You are much more knowledgeable about that show than I am, having seen more episodes..."
Is there an Avonlea fan in the world who could have resisted? I, at least, could not. Road to Avonlea (or "Tales from Avonlea" as seen when aired by Disney) is my favorite TV series, and this was a good prompt to finally write a review, as I've been meaning to do for some time. I find it rather sad how little known Avonlea seems to be in this dear but blissfully ignorant blogging realm! Please tell me there is another fan out there somewhere who is reading this. It's delightful period drama, folks.
Where to begin? It is impossible for me to summarize an entire TV series with seven seasons. Road to Avonlea, as the title should inform you, has the writings of L.M. Montgomery (who, you must know, wrote the Anne books) at its center. The ideas for Avonlea (which it is often shortened to among fans) came from L.M. Montgomery's books The Story Girl, The Golden Road, Chronicles of Avonlea, and Further Chronicles of Avonlea. Though Anne is, sadly, never in the show, several characters in connection with our Anne are. There are also some actor doubles to "heehee!" at. But I'll get to all that later.
The series starts out with the story of Sara Stanley, a young girl whose father is a wealthy businessman. When he becomes entangled in a law crisis, Sara is sent to stay with relatives on her late mother's side in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.
That's just the beginning episode. From there, the viewer is whirled into the lives of... well, everybody in Avonlea.
(I don't know where to stick this, so I'll just say it here: the story is set in 1903-1912. Which is another thing I like about the show. I just love the Edwardian era.)
The Main Characters
First of all, let's get the King siblings straight, if we can. They are Hetty, Alec, Olivia, and Ruth.
Ruth isn't actually in the show because she's dead before it starts (please excuse the morbidness). She married Blair Stanley, and Sara is their daughter.
Hetty never marries, so she's just Hetty King with no children. Easy to explain, at least.
Olivia and Hetty live together until Olivia marries in the 3rd season and becomes Olivia Dale.
Alec King married Janet, and their children are Felicity, Felix, Cecily, and Daniel, the latter of whom is born in the second season and is too young to be of much consequence so you don't need to remember him. (Although I suppose now, you will.)
That probably didn't help any if you're not familiar with the show. Well, I tried. *clears throat* On to the next.
Residing at Rose Cottage
Sara Stanley
"One day my tombstone will read: here lies Sara Stanley. She was dull and then she died."
~Enter Prince Charming, Season 5 (Yes, there are often episode names which are taken from chapters in L.M.M. books. Is not that nice?)
As I mentioned above, Sara starts out as the main character, but as the series continues she's just about the same as the other prominent characters. In fact, she's not in the 7th and final season at all (away at school, I believe), save a guest appearance in the last episode.
Some people consider Sara to be a boring character (including herself, it seems, in the episode quoted above), but I don't quite agree. She may not be changeable or feisty, but I think she's rather interesting. Especially when she's younger, because she's imaginative, likes to be dramatic, and has romantic ideas.
Sara is friendly, has a good sense of humor, is clever enough, and always sticks up for her friends.
The most memorable episode about Sara is, I think, But When She Was Bad She Was Horrid (a two-parter) in Season 3. It is hysterical. A hobo girl who looks just like Sara comes to Avonlea. Sara is sick and tired of Aunt Hetty (and she really is awful in that episode), and they switch places so Sara can go away for a while. That is, very briefly, what it's about. I could really do a whole post just about that episode, so I'll stop myself now. Anyways, it's a highlight Avonlea episode. You should watch it.
Hetty King
"Responsible? You?? That would be the frosty Friday."
~But When She Was Bad... (Season 3)
Oh yes, Aunt Hetty is always there. In my opinion she is terribly annoying most of the time but then there are those episodes where you kind of like her. Then she does something that makes you hate her again.
Hetty is domineering and seems to think she knows everything. (You know the kind.) She is quite rude sometimes, too. She can also be funny, however. And she has a strong sense of loyalty. While she's not too concerned about offending people, well, if she hears a word said against someone or something she cares about, she tells them off. Which can come in quite useful when there are backbiters about (not too uncommon in Avonlea).
Hetty is oldest of the King siblings (and won't let you forget it!). For most of the series she teaches at Avonlea Public School. She is also an author part of the time. She becomes a mother figure to Sara, as clearly represented in A Mother's Love (Season 2), one of the highest-rated episodes of all time.
Olivia King Dale
I love Olivia. She's probably my favorite adult character in the whole show. She's kind, very likable, and a peacemaker. Though 'meek' is often a good word for her, when someone needs to be defended (including herself, actually, what with Hetty as an older sister) she can get quite worked up and does a very good job of telling them what's what. She's clever and amusing. She also has the most wonderful Edwardian fashions and looks so nice all the time. (Hehe.)
She marries in the first episode of Season 3 (The Ties That Bind), but more about all that later. She actually only lives at Rose Cottage in seasons 1 and 2, but I've put her in this category anyways.
Residing at King Farm
Alec and Janet King
"Come now Janet, let's not be coy. Everyone knows you pursued me like a terrier."
"Oh, Alec! What a perfectly dreadful thing to say!" *runs out of room*
~How Kissing Was Discovered (Season 2)
(That's not a very good quote to describe the relationship between Janet and Alec, but it makes me laugh.)
What is there to say about Janet and Alec? But then, what is there not to say? I don't know. I like them. They're a sweet couple. They seem like real people. They go through real life stuff. They're the parents of Felicity and Felix - that can't be easy. I rather like it when they randomly start waltzing. They're typical and original at the same time. They're just another example of the swellness of this show.
Felicity King
"I am known throughout Avonlea for the excessive amount of cherries in my pies."
~Proof of the Pudding (Season 1)
Felicity... how to describe her? Well, when she's younger she's pretty much a snobbish, bossy brat who's always fighting with her little brother Felix; she's conceited, stubborn, prone to hurtful remarks, and still taking delight in not getting along with Felix when she gets a bit older. But you don't really dislike her the whole time, either. She's self-centered, but not completely hardened and she does sometimes regret her mistakes. She's amusing, but that's just given for almost any Avonlea character. A lot of the time you just want to strangle her for being so annoying (especially when she's rude to Gus...), but you can relate to her and will often root for her, as it were. You can see her changing a little in Season 6, and in Season 7 she's almost suddenly way different. Nicer, that is. She's still determined and vivacious, but she puts it to good use.
Felix King
"Maybe she only comes out at night, when the moon is full, and pounces on little children!!"
~Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's (Season 1... by the way, the first picture goes with this quote.)
Felix... haha. Well, he's just Felix. I can't explain him very well. He's the usual mischievous little brother who takes delight in vexing his older sister and is always getting into trouble. He can be pretty annoying when he's younger, but very funny, too. I think I like him better as a young man, (like in seasons 6 and 7), but he has his annoying moments then, too. In Season 5 he starts working at the White Sands Hotel with Gus. That's just a random tidbit, because I can't think of anything else to say. Not because he's boring. Because you just have to know him.
Cecily King
"I'm sorry for whatever I might have done. (Did I do anything wrong, Sara?)"
*laughs* "No!"
~Proof of the Pudding (Season 1)
There's not all that much to be said about Cecily. She's a sweet younger sister in the first couple seasons and is just sort of there, making an occasional comment. None of the episodes are specifically about her until the 5th season, where she gets tuberculosis and has to go away to be specially treated. Then, she comes back in the 6th season as a completely different person. Yes, a completely different person. Different actress, so she looks different, and also a major personality change. Don't ask me why they did that.
I liked the first Cecily a lot better.
The end.
Other Main Characters
Gus Pike
Gus comes to Avonlea in an episode called How Kissing Was Discovered in Season 2. He was a sailor of some sort, I believe. When he comes to Avonlea he stays in the old abandoned lighthouse. I think he's supposed to be 16 when he first arrives (although the actor was much older than that). He starts going to school and is an enthusiastic, quick-learning student. In the 3rd season he starts working at the White Sands Hotel (yes, of Anne of Green Gables fame) as a waiter and keeps the job pretty much for the rest of the series. That is, until the end of the 5th season when he has to go away. Later he is reported to have been in a ship wreck, where all hands are lost.
Of course, at this point the viewers are like "Huh?? Gus can't die! He's like my favorite character!" (Most everyone likes Gus, you must know.) And that's how the 6th season ends... leaving you hanging. Which is what I'm going to do, too.
Oh, by the way, for you people who like guys with accents-- he has an interesting Irish-ish accent which is kind of cool, if you don't mind his bad grammar (especially in the earlier seasons).
Isolde "Izzy" Pettibone
"I even have a friend, Felix: I socked him in the nose!"
~The Lady and the Blade (Season 4)
The Pettibones arrive early in Season 4. I would tell you about the whole family, but Izzy's pretty much the only one I like, so I shall simply brief you. The father is Clive Pettibone, retired colonel, who likes to run everything as if he's still in the military. The oldest son is Arthur who is away most of the time studying to be a vegetarian. At least that's what Felix says, but he means veterinarian. (heehee) The second-oldest is Morgan. He doesn't do much for the show and is sent away to military school in the Season 5. He returns for an episode (Woman of Importance) in Season 7.
Now, Izzy. She's the youngest. I don't like her in the 4th season; she's a tomboy and rather irritating. However, she shows more promise in Season 5, when she starts wanting to be more like a girl. She's also...well, nicer, and so I sort of like her in the 5th season. By the time the 6th season comes around though, I like her a lot. I can't explain why exactly... but I do. She does annoys me every so often when she's older; she can be unreasonable and rather oversensitive. But you know, I can relate to being oversensitive. Heh... ahem. By the 7th season, you'll never see her in trousers again. In fact, I LOVE her dresses. Ooh. To have Olivia's and Izzy's wardrobes!! The 7th season is 1911-12, so I like the fashions in general.
Jasper Dale
Jasper first appears in the second episode of the series (The Story Girl Earns Her Name). He's called "The Awkward Man" by some people. He's a rather scatterbrained inventor/scientist and people think he's quite eccentric and a bit strange. He's extremely shy and reserved, especially at the beginning. Sara tries to break through it and becomes friends with him. Also, when he gets married things are a bit different.
Jasper really is an admirable gentleman, though - kind, considerate, etc.
The Main Romances
Olivia and Jasper
Their romance begins practically when Jasper is introduced into the series, though it's more subtle at first.
Olivia works as a reporter for The Avonlea Chronicle for most of the show, and at the beginning when she was trying to get the job, Jasper assisted her by taking photographs, and that's how they started getting to know each other. He proposes to her (prompted by Sara and the fact that an old beau of Olivia's comes back to Avonlea and pursues her) in the 2nd season (May the Best Man Win). She accepts him in the end, and they marry in the first episode of Season 3 (The Ties That Bind).
I really like this couple. It's one of those you-might-not-think-it-at-first-but-really-they're-perfect-for-each-other deals.
By the way, both the characters come from The Story Girl (one of the books Avonlea is based off of), but they don't marry in the book. Sad, that.
Felicity and Gus
"I'm not accustomed to wearing jewelry that comes with a curse."
"What curse?"
"You."
~Felicity and Gus
The Return of Gus Pike (Season 6)
You sort of know Felicity and Gus are destined to be a couple from the very beginning. Things don't really get serious with them, though, until season 4. Gus proposes for the first time in an episode towards the end called Felicity's Perfect Beau. In that episode she is also interested in Arthur Pettibone, who sort of fights with Gus over her (and she probably thought that was really great). She decides she wants to wait a few more years before she makes such a decision, and go to teacher's college first (although she ends up in medical school for a while).
He has to go away in the very end of Season 5, and gives her a ring, even though she still can't decide whether she wants to become engaged to him or not.
She sees him again in the episode quoted above, where he leaves to go... well, that's a long story. But before he leaves, they finally become engaged.
And that's where I'm going to end because after that, there be spoilers.
But....sometimes Felicity is so rude to Gus, I wish he would have gone for Sara instead. (And if any Avonlea fans ARE reading this they might be mad at me right now.) Like I said before though, she IS better in the 7th season.
Felix and Izzy
"You sure take a lot of looking after, Felix King."
"I'm just lucky you don't give up on me."
"Luck. It has nothing to do with it."
~Izzy and Felix
A Fox Tale (Season 6)
What can I say? I always like the stories where a girl and boy play together as friends when they're younger, and then become more-than-friends when they're older. It's just a silly little partiality of mine. And that's how it is with Felix and Izzy.
In fact, at first, Izzy's just more like one of the boys. In Season 5 she starts to change and wears a dress for the first time in years. "Hey, Izzy, does that dress mean you can't play baseball anymore?" Felix asks. She just gives him a look, picks up the bat, and hits a home run. Season 6 is pretty much when it all starts, and has some of my favorite moments in their relationship. (And I am desperately sorry not to have been able to get any pictures from those episodes. Bah, humbug.) Especially Lonely Hearts, which is where they both like each other but neither of them knows the other one does. Until the end. Aww...
Ahem. Anyways. A few other episodes that have a lot to do with Felix and Izzy are AFox Tale (S. 6), Love May Be Blind But the Neighbors Ain't (S. 7) and Woman of Importance (S. 7).
The series just sort of leaves you hanging as far as Felix and Izzy are concerned, which I find quite disappointing.
Anne Connections
Since it's Avonlea, there are several things in connection with Anne of Green Gables. Including Green Gables itself, where Marilla and Rachel still live.
Rachel Lynde
"Take it from me, Hetty: when your heart skips a beat, it isn't love, it's indigestion."
~Ah... Sweet Mystery of Life (Season 7)
"The only thing sillier than a girl making goo-goo eyes at a young boy, is an old bat making a fool out of herself for some old geezer!"
~Lonely Hearts (Season 6)
Good old Rachel Lynde, as Rachel Lynde-ish as ever, with her "that's what"s still intact. Except now, suddenly she's known Hetty King all her life, and apparently the two of them have been on the outs for years. In Season 6 she suffers from a stroke, and when she recovers she starts to view life a little differently then she used to, and isn't quite so... well... to quote Anne, not such a "rude, impolite, unfeeling woman!". Haha...
Marilla Cuthbert
Marilla is technically only in the first two seasons. Her death occurs in season 3, but the actress had actually died previously and so they stuck in clips of Marilla from previous episodes, Anne of Green Gables, and even from her role in Lantern Hill. Gilbert Blythe appears in that episode (pictured right), which is quite interesting. I guess they couldn't get Megan Follows, because Anne was at home with sick children, or home sick with the children, or something like that.
Muriel Stacy
My favorite As-Seen-On-Anne character is probably Miss Stacy, who is exactly the same and it's great to see her again. (I think she appears in the 5th season.) I've always liked Miss Stacy. She isn't Miss Stacy the whole time, though; in the 6th season she marries Clive Pettibone. Rather an odd match I thought, but if anyone could put up with him, it would be her. Ha.
Davy and Dora Keith
Davy and Dora, from the Anne books, actually come in in Season 2, but I don't remember much of them again until Season 5. Marilla and Rachel have them in the beginning, then Marilla dies, and then just Rachel has them. Then Rachel has a stroke, and after that she actually lives with Hetty and they both take care of Davy and Dora.
However. Davy does NOT say "I want to know!" continually, about which I am Most Seriously Displeased. Come on, people, that's Davy's trademark! Tssh.
Actually, I like him a lot better in the books, period.
Actor Doubles
There are lots of fun actor doubles between the Anne movies and Road to Avonlea. Those pictured above are just a few of them. For a complete list, go to this page.
(By the way, "Aunt Abigail", or Abigail Ward, pictured above, is Janet King's sister and appears in the 1st and 7th seasons.)
Music, Costumes, and Scenery
Beautiful, beautiful, and beautiful. I realize this post is already a good mile long, so I shall try to keep this very short. Very short.
The music is composed, in the first season, by Hagood Hardy, who also wrote the soundtrack for Anne movies 1 and 2. Unfortunately it doesn't stay that way, though... I think the composer died. The tune of the main theme song stays the same, but it changes in style as the series goes along. It becomes sort of faster and more... frantic.
In the later seasons, some ragtime music is introduced. I don't always like ragtime, but in Avonlea I do. Especially the song Izzy plays on the piano in Lonely Hearts, which is also featured in King of the Great White Way (Season 7).
Costumes... aaahhhh. I especially like them in the 7th season. (Short. Short.)
Scenery... well, it's Prince Edward Island. Need I say more? If you've seen the Anne movies, I'm sure I needn't.
Now, I am very grieved that there is nothing suitable to use as a trailer, so a couple videos of the opening credits will have to suffice. It will, at least, give you a chance to see some of Avonlea in motion.
Season 2....
....and Season 6.
And lastly, Avonlea Guide is a web site that has just about everything about Road to Avonlea.
In conclusion... I highly recommend it. I'm sure I don't even need to say that after all this, but I'm saying it anyways.
Thank you very much for having me, Miss Dashwood! I am much honored, and it was great to have this excuse to re-explore the captivating world of dear Avonlea.
I absolutely adore personality quizzes. (I also use too many superlatives. Gotta work on that.) I was planning to make one for Anne Week and did, in fact, spend a great deal of time and effort on it, BUT Proprofs.com (which is the quizmaker I use-- can anyone else recommend a better one???) was being Quite Obstinate and would not work properly for me. And I lost my quiz. Shnibly.
So instead, I provide you with my quiz answers from two other personality quizzes (not made by me), and I encourage you to take them for yourselves. And I apologize for not having my own quiz to share with you. It was really quite a blow, because I had all these awesome questions and answers, and SIX different results.... sigh. Blame Proprofs.
Most people would love to have a friend like you- you’re fiercely loyal and know how to have fun! Sometimes you can be a bit of a scaredy cat, but it’s easy to convince you to join in on an adventure. You’d love to one day become a wife and mother, but for now you’re content to share secrets and giggle with friends.
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive-- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"
~Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables, ch. 2
Now before you all look at the title of this post and go, "What? Wait a minute..." and then scramble through my back posts wondering what on earth happened to Heroine #2, let me just say that she's coming. Eventually. But she isn't Anne, and I wanted to do Anne for Anne week, and so I muxed things ip a little. You'll survive.
So, my favorite period drama heroine of all time. I'm actually rather nervous about writing this post. I so badly want to do Anne justice, and I don't quite feel equal to the task of writing about someone I love and admire so much (yes, she's fictional--your point?).
Mark Twain once said that Anne Shirley was the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice (of Wonderland fame, for all you non-Lewis-Caroll-fans out there). This sweet comment almost makes up for his crack about Jane Austen. (The gall of that man. I don't care if he did write some of the best American literature ever, NOBODY says that kind of stuff about my Miss Austen and gets away with it. Nobody. Mark Twain is hereby subjected to the Miss Dashwood Malicious and Menacing Menace.)
See? This is Anne's reaction to Twain's audacity.
I'm going off on a rabbit trail again. Back to Anne.
So, why do I love Anne-spelled-with-an-E Shirley? Or should I say, how do I love her? Let me count the ways.
Firstly, she was born in March and all people born in that delicious month are automatically amazing in my book. :D Secondly, she is just so ridiculously endearing. She may be over-the-top at times, she may talk as if her tongue was hinged in the middle, she may get into countless scrapes, but you can't help loving her anyway. Anyway? What am I saying? You can't help loving her because of all the aforementioned aforementions!
One of the things I love about Anne is her refreshing real-ness. I firmly believe that the characters are the best part of any book worth reading, and Anne just makes her books sparkle. You can really imagine just sitting down and having a good conversation with her. She says things whenever they come into her head, with no worries or self-consciousness. This quote is one of my favorites: "I'm always afraid going over bridges. I can't help imagining that perhaps just as we get to the middle, they'll crumple up like a jack-knife and nip us. So I shut my eyes. But I always have to open them for all when I think we're getting near the middle. Because, you see, if the bridge did crumple up I'd want to see it crumple."
Anne talks. A Lot. Which is something that I can completely identify with, because I talk a lot too. "But I can stop when I make up my mind to it, although it's difficult."
But of course it's not that difficult to stop when it's physically impossible to say a single word.
Anne's imaginative. She's dreamy. She makes up things in her head when the reality before her isn't up to snuff. She doesn't let things get her down. Oh, sure, she's dramatic and emotional and has been known to sob her eyes out over the fact that her bosom friend will someday marry and leave her (I love that part) but in general she's an incurable, cock-eyed optimist.
Marilla: You set your heart too much on frivolous things and then crash down into despair when you don't get them. Anne: I know. I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud. Marilla: Well, maybe it does. But I'd rather walk calmly along and do without flying AND thud.
I'm more like Marilla, to be honest-- I'd rather do without the thud, and if it means doing without the flying, I'm okay with that. But Anne is not. Anne would rather fly. And then thud. Which she does, briefly, up on Moody Spurgeon's kitchen roof. :P
Anne is also one of the friendliest heroines I've ever been acquainted with. Obviously she and Diana Barry are besties, but just think of all the unlikely friendships that Anne forms over the course of the books and movies. Imagine, if you will, how sad and lonely Katherine Brooke's life might have been if it weren't for Anne. Without Anne, Leslie Moore would still be bitter and resentful, Philippa Gordon would be frivolously frittering her life away, Davy Keith might have grown up to be a juvenile delinquent and Josie Pye might have been even worse than she already is. Because how do you know that Anne didn't have a good influence on her? I mean, if Josie had never met Anne, she might have been a gazillion times more snotty and insufferable. If that is possible. My dad loves to quote Diana's line from the movie" "Josie doesn't have to cheat. She just does it 'cause she's a Pye."
But lest you begin to think Anne's perfect, I'll set you straight.
The real problem with Anne is that she doesn't see what's right under her nose for three entire books and two entire movies. She's so caught up in the "wings of anticipation" and her romantic dreams that she doesn't see the Prince Charming walking her home from teaching school every day. Roy Gardner and all his melancholy inscrutability seemed more attractive to her than the realistic, humorous, sweet, wonderful (and handsome, can't forget that) Gilbert Blythe. Now, we all know that she got over the childish grudge regarding the slate by the end of the first movie (and the first book), but it took her FOUR HOURS of movie-time in The Sequel (and two more novels) to finally realize that Gil was the one for her. And really, if he hadn't gotten typhoid, she might still be waltzing around with her head in the clouds... without him. That typhoid germ-virus-thingy was the real matchmaker. Emma Woodhouse can't even compete.
But anyway, regardless of how or when or where, she finally did come to her senses and realized that she didn't need diamond sunbursts or marble halls...
Everybody say "awwwww." Right now. (Please.)
(I didn't make this, by the way, but I can't remember where I found it.)
I've been known to frequently match songs with characters as if I were creating musicals, and when I think of Anne Shirley, the two songs that come to mind are "Pure Imagination" and "I See The Light". The latter especially.
All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be!
All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were.
All at once, everything looks different
Now that I see you.
"I don't see how you could keep on loving me when I was such a little fool ... I don't want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU. You see I'm quite as shameless as Phil about it. Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more `scope for imagination' without them. And as for the waiting, that doesn't matter. We'll just be happy, waiting and working for each other--and dreaming. Oh, dreams will be very sweet now."
Several months ago, during Sense and Sensibility week, I wrote a post defending Edward Ferrars. Poor Edward has, in my experience, frequently suffered under the libelous label of "boring" in Austenite circles. So I wrote a post defending him and pointing out all his good points and what I like about him, and I was Most Pleasantly Surprised to find that many of you are Ferrars Fans too. 
I like to start my character posts by listing all the reasons why I like and dislike the character at hand, so that's what I'll do now. The reasons I dislike Gilbert are as follows:
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