After Its Untimely Cancellation, This Is How 'Anne With an E' Ended

Those who grew up reading about Anne Shirley's pastoral life in Canada's Prince Edward Island in Lucy Montgomery Maud's novel Anne of Green Gables were thrilled to learn that the show was adapted for the small screen. 

Anne with an E brought the orphaned tween to life, as well as her adoptive "parents" and the other residents of Avonlea. The series gained a loyal following during its run. 

Back in November of 2019, Netflix and CBC decided not to renew the Canadian coming-of-age drama Anne with an E for a fourth season. While the news simply devastated fans with an absolute outcry on Twitter, the bigger issue was the fact that the third season had been mostly shot already. Viewers feared that the show would not have a satisfying conclusion since, well, the third season wasn't written as such. 

The final season of Anne with an E dropped on Jan. 3, and the fan anxiety about getting the right ending for Anne Cuthbert and the other characters can finally be eased. How does Anne with an E end? Read on to find out how the Netflix drama concluded, and the big fan campaign to get the show renewed on another platform. 

The third and final season of Anne with an E was truly about change, and Anne's (Amybeth McNulty) future beyond Avonlea. In the penultimate episode, Anne (finally) tells Gilbert (Lucas Jade Zumann) that she loves him in a note, but his lack of response has her thinking that he doesn't feel the same way. She doesn't know that he never got the letter.

But, in the opening of the final episode, Gilbert (Lucas Jade Zumann) breaks up with his betrothed Winifred. She's completely confused as to how he could dump her when he's not even planning on getting married to Anne, and he tells her that she's a total catch and will find someone else who's great (swoon).

Winifred is mainly upset because people expected their engagement, and she basically told people already that she and Gilbert were engaged. Thankfully for Winifred, she didn't live in the present time, or she'd be in for a rude awakening about what dating is like now. 

Meanwhile, at school, Anne and her classmates find out the scores from their entrance exams. Naturally, both Anne and Gilbert tied for the top scores, and Anne's bestie Diana (Delila Bela) got in too. This is almost overshadowed by the fact that Gilbert won't tell Anne he loves her back. 

While we wait for Gilbert to get the courage to tell Anne about his feelings, Diana and Anne discuss being college roommates together. The girls have a week until college begins, meaning that Gilbert really needs to get it together.

Diana's parents aren't supportive of her desire to go to college, while Anne's guardian Marilla Cuthbert is thrilled for her. Meanwhile, her other guardian, Matthew Cuthbert, is ready to already replace Anne with another child to help out on the farm. 

Gilbert writes Anne a note, and finally discloses his feelings for her.

"I don't expect your good favor, but I can't in good conscience not reveal myself," he writes. "I'm not engaged, nor will I be, unless it's to you, Anne. My Anne with an E. It always has been, and always will be you. With love, Gilbert."

When Anne sees the note, she assumes it's Gilbert's rejection, so she tears it up before reading it. Immediately, she regrets this and tries to put the torn pieces back together. She then gathers that Gilbert was actually rejecting her, and she's more ready than ever to head to college. 

Meanwhile, Marilla tries to talk some sense into Diana's mom about letting her go to college. 

Miss Stacey also helps Gilbert get in to the University of Toronto, and Anne finally learns the truth about Gilbert's feelings when she runs into Winifred. 

At the end of the finale, Anne and Gilbert finally get together at her family's farm in Avonlea. They agree to be pen pals, and Diana decides to go to college too so she and Anne can be roommates. 

In the final moments, Anne learns about her birth family, and that her mother was a teacher. The series ends with her writing Gilbert about what she learned. 

Though the series concluded in a way that will likely satisfy fans, many viewers are still hurt at how the show got canceled. 

When the show was canceled, no official reason was given by Netflix or CBC. According to Decider, the relationship between Netflix and CBC had allegedly soured, which may have contributed to the cancellation.

While some hoped that another streaming platform might pick the show up for more seasons, there has been no confirmation that any of these services are considering making that move. 

Diehard fans of the show are not done trying to get it to stay alive, however. #RenewAnneWithAnE began trending on Twitter shortly after the cancellation news went public. One dedicated fan even made a petition on Change.org that has gotten more than 72,000 signatures. 

For now, Anne with an E has concluded with its third season. All three seasons are available to stream on Netflix now.