User blog:Eikakou/Anne (CBC series) season 2, episode 2 - Signs are Small Measurable Things, but Interpretations are Illimitable review

Let's keep going, shall we? Am I crazy to try and blitz my reviews? Probably.

Once again, I'll try to keep this shorter (after all, LilyLacreag's done a really great job with her review).

SPOILERS up ahead!

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Once again, the series continues to follow two storylines - Gilbert in Trinidad and Anne in Avonlea. It's an interesting perspective the series has chosen, given equal weight both both storylines.

Gilbert chose to leave Avonlea because he felt it was too suffocating, that he didn't belong anymore. That it wasn't really home. And now in Trinidad, his eyes are really opening up to the big wide world. My eyes are opening up to the big wide world to be honest, particularly with how diverse Trinidad was at the time. Bash and Gil's trip through the market shows people from around the world - I was very surprised to see Asian merchants (Chinese and Indian at least) in Trinidad, which was something I didn't know. While Gil is really taking in the sights, he's also learning firsthand that just because the law is written the way it is, doesn't mean it translates immediately into society. Slavery may be illegal, but Bash, as a black man, is treated as though he was one by a wealthy white man. His mother, Hazel, still works as a servant at a white landowner's house and it's a splash of coldwater when she abruptly drives both Bash and Gil away as strangers after her warm greetings to them, just so the landowner's young son doesn't say anything to his family and cause Hazel to lose her position. And the delicious food Gilbert is eating, cooked by Hazel? That's the fruits of slave labour, Bash tells him. Gil is learning that he was lucky to have a place of his own back on PEI. Bash and their fellow labourers on the ship? They don't have any place to belong.

Also, Gil misses Anne. Oh, he tells Bash, but not like that. Sure, Bash says, sure.

In Avonlea, school is back! There's a new (well, previously unnoticed) kid, Cole, who likes to draw and is quiet and thoughtful. The other boys think he's a weird wuss because he doesn't want to hang out with them. Of course, that jerk Billy Andrews leads the bullying charge. And Mr. Phillips picks on him especially. Being different is hard, and it doesn't help that your peers and your teacher single you out. But Anne doesn't think that way, she knows what it's like to be alone, and convinces all the girls (but Josie) to sit with him to have lunch. Aww.... Also, Anne lets her imagination get carried away, she scares Diana and Ruby off by accident when she reveals the scary story she was thinking up, and meets a beautiful lone fox that she feels a connection to. More awwwww....

Meanwhile, the con men continue with their scam. Since Mr. Barry has totally bought into it, he's holding a party to convince everyone else to join in, particularly the Lyndes. Mrs. Barry finds the whole thing upsetting, but Mr. Barry doesn't talk to her about it, which makes her even more tense and worried. It gets even worse when Mr. Lynde (who is more interested in the food, good for him) tells both Mr. Barry and Mr. Andrews (Jane, Billy, and Prissy's dad) that he won't make a decision on something so important without consulting Rachel. Mrs. Barry isn't happy that her own husband doesn't talk to her about important decisions. Communication is important in any relationship, people. Also at the party, Marilla is discovering that Nate's charm is losing its lustre on her now - he's not bothering with it, except to throw her off. On the plus side, Matthew and Marilla decide they're not getting in the gold business because they want to keep the farm (which they managed to finally break even on) for Anne.

Now, I'm glad that the Green Gables folk are starting to feel like the boarders are wearing out their welcome. I'm still freaked out with how Nate keeps sneaking on up Jerry to scare him, to see if Jerry is going to remember and give them away, and just how nasty he is, using slurs like "frog" to scare him. And also how Anne keeps missing it. She's more focused on trying to write that perfect letter to Gilbert, but I wonder if it's a bad sign that the fountain pen Dunlop gave her suddenly springs a leak...

The episode starts off lighthearted enough, but it ends on heavy notes on both storylines, as Gil gains a lot more awareness of the world, and the con men continue to advance their scam.

More to come in episode 3!

Eikakou (talk) 02:21, October 23, 2018 (UTC)