For those who do not know (seriously, where have you been?), Green Gables Fables is a YouTube web series based on Anne of Green Gables and starring Mandy Harmon as Anne. Now, since it was only the second web series I'd ever watched (the first was Job Hunters), and adaptations of Anne tend to vary wildly in terms of quality, originality and appeal, I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. Interestingly, its three creators – Alicia Whitson, head writer; Marie Trotter, producer and transmedia boss; and Mandy Harmon, director and actress – are three young women who have never met in person.
I started watching Green Gables Fables when there were only ten episodes posted, thanks to LilyLacreag, but I didn't think they were anything spectacular, though I loved the idea of Anne Shirley having a YouTube channel. The acting was mediocre and I found it very easy to lose track of what Anne was saying, because she talked so fast and I knew what was going to happen anyway.
It wasn't until about episode 20 ("Carrot Cake") that I stopped thinking of the series as a girl playing the part of Anne Shirley and started to actually see Anne and become genuinely excited about what would happen next. So, advice to Anne fans that might be nervous about starting this? It starts off slow, but definitely gets better.
Out of all the characters other than Anne that were featured, I liked Ruby (played by Abigail Snarr) the best. She had so much optimism and energy, and was so full of hopes and dreams, yet was achingly realistic in the episode that broke my heart: "To Be in Love". If it wasn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is.
The other guests, however, were no less interesting. I confess I never warmed to Ravyn Hohneke's performance as Diana Barry, with the exception of "The Sleepover". Eliza Crump as Jane Andrews was as delightfully, canonically dull as I could ask for. Darcy Grace as Josie Pye was on point and hilarious, especially in "What Do I Call This" ("you could call it after me"!). As for Tanner Gillman as Gilbert Blythe ... well, words fail me. He didn't just play the part of Gilbert, he was Gilbert. For the whole of the last episode, "About Time", I just could not stop smiling. Chris Jones was appropriately sympathetic in the role of Matthew Cuthbert, and though I never emailed him, I adored the depiction of his relationship with Anne, especially in his last appearance, "Opening Envelopes". And "video_42", though the shortest video, was gut-wrenching. If I cried over fictional stories, then it would have been the one to make me outright bawl.
One of the best aspects of the whole project was the transmedia - specifically, the use of character Twitter accounts to tell the story. I hear Marie Trotter was mainly responsible for this, so well done to her! Twitter really conveyed a sense of "now" and helped to tease/appease eager fans. I especially liked Mrs Lynde's comments about Anne's hair and a neighbour, Mrs Maynard. Her bio is "I love to give advice" ... fitting!
In December, Ms. Stacy's class were obliged to film and upload videos of their own for an assignment. Now, this was one of the only aspects that I wasn't happy with. I agree with Jane in that there doesn't seem to be any in-universe reason for Ms. Stacy to set such a task. (Also, Ms. Stacy's surname is spelt both "Stacy" and "Stacey", by different characters. I'm trying to decide whether this is intentional, a homage to the 1985 miniseries (which spelt it "Stacey"), or a careless mistake - this last I doubt, considering the level of attention to detail the producers possess.)
Even if I didn't like the reason for the influx of videos, I did enjoy the videos themselves. Gilbert's were in-character and funny, especially the first, "A Hockey Story" ("I have a big mouth and I need to learn to watch it"). Jane's were suitably sarcastic ("On the Death of Education") and honest ("On Deepness"). Josie I've already spoken enough of. Ruby's were by far the best December episodes, and I was sorry we didn't get to see more of her.
My ten favourite episodes would have to be, in order:
- "To Be in Love" (Ruby #3) – I'll explain later.
- "About Time" (#45) – As I mentioned, it put a silly grin on my face and was such a perfect end to Season 1 that it had to be ranked second.
- "October" (#29) – This entry surprised me. There are no guests, and it's not a huge piece of plot, but it's a nice little introspective that just about sums up Anne's character.
- "Not Happening" (#28) – A pivotal point in Anne and Gilbert's relationship, though Anne was too incensed at the time to realise.
- "Styling Situation" (#26) – Because when we accidentally dye our hair green, it's nice to know that Ruby will sail in and save the day by giving us a stunning fringe (or "bangs", for you weirdos).
- "The Sleepover" (#35) – For the sheer number of guests (beaten out only by "My Good Friends Gave to Me"). Also, I loved the girls' chatter about Anne and Gilbert while Anne was out of the room. And Diana "edited" the video, ensuring that their contraband conversation stayed included.
- "Far Off Land" (#30) – This episode, the release of which coincided with the date of the 2014 shootings in Ottawa, is a one-off "travel vlog" from Anne and Diana. A bright spark in the face of such tragedy.
- "Opening Envelopes" (#41) – How could I not include an episode with Matthew? This one parallels the chapter "The Glory and the Dream" from the book, and it's especially bittersweet in hindsight.
- "Top Five Worst Flirting Techniques" (#9) – Oh, Anne, Anne, Anne ... An interesting take on a very famous (or infamous) scene.
- "A Real Person" (#8) – Fun fact: this was the episode out of the first ten that I wanted to watch first, but I forced myself to watch them in order.
It's probably controversial that my favourite episode doesn't even feature Anne. And I don't mean to discount Mandy's fabulous acting and infectious charisma. But, honestly, "To Be in Love" was the one that spoke to me the most and was memorable long after I watched it. I simply could not stop thinking about it, and each time, my heart fractured a little bit more. It was a perfect episode, from start to finish.
This is getting long, so I might just close and say that, overall, Season 1 of Green Gables Fables was clever, funny and all-around amazing. Thank you to Mandy, Alicia, Marie and all the others who starred and/or helped out, and here's to Season 2! (Hopefully. It hasn't been confirmed yet. But ... please? *crosses fingers*) I think Anne of Avonlea, being one of the weaker books in the series, won't translate as well to video, but Anne of the Island is a gem, and I would watch it just for Phil and Ruby. Two or three seasons of Green Gables Fables as a whole would be enough for me – I think the latter books would be better off adapted differently or would not fit in with the overall style of Green Gables Fables.
P.S. I thought it was fitting to close with a chronological gallery of the thumbnails from every one of the 63 videos GGF has released, along with links. Enjoy.
