Content & Trigger Warnings for Anne with an E (2017)
21 content warnings identified across 3 seasons for this show.
Quick Summary
Yes, Anne with an E (2017) contains 21 content warnings : Hate crimes (depicted), Homophobia / transphobia (depicted), Racial slurs / racism (depicted), Religious persecution, Stalking / harassment, Death of a parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief / bereavement (major focus), Terminal illness, Forced marriage, Gaslighting / emotional manipulation, Genocide / ethnic cleansing, Kidnapping / abduction, Wrongful imprisonment, Confined spaces (claustrophobia), Drowning / underwater scenes, Age-gap relationships (predatory), Alcohol abuse (depicted), Child abuse / harm to children, Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse, Sexual assault / rape.
The most severe warnings are for Racial slurs / racism (depicted) (severity 4/5), Grief / bereavement (major focus) (severity 4/5), Child abuse / harm to children (severity 4/5).
Check the full breakdown below before you watch.
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Does It Get Worse?
8 series-wide warnings apply across all seasons.
| Warning | Season | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Discrimination | ||||
| Hate crimes (depicted) | All | 3/5 | Depicted | A Black family faces racially motivated hostility and violence in the community |
| Homophobia / transphobia (depicted) | S2 | 1/5 | Referenced | Period-appropriate social constraints around gender roles and expectations are explored |
| Homophobia / transphobia (depicted) | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Cole's journey as a queer young man in 1890s PEI involves bullying, fear of discovery, and finding community in Aunt Josephine |
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | The Mi'kmaq storyline addresses racism against Indigenous peoples; Sebastian is subjected to prejudice and hostility from the white community |
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | S3 | 4/5 | Depicted | Residential school atrocities against Indigenous children are addressed; systemic racism against Mi'kmaq people is a central theme |
| Religious persecution | S3 | 2/5 | Depicted | Indigenous spiritual practices are suppressed by colonial authorities forcing Christian conversion |
| Stalking / harassment | S1 | 1/5 | Referenced | Mild bullying at school from other students who target Anne for being different |
| Stalking / harassment | All | 2/5 | Depicted | A character engages in obsessive pursuit of another person |
| Mental Health & Emotional | ||||
| Death of a parent | S1 | 2/5 | Referenced | Anne's parents died when she was an infant; her orphan status is discussed and causes her significant distress |
| Death of a parent | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | A significant parental death occurs this season that deeply affects the community and Anne personally |
| Death of a parent | S3 | 2/5 | Referenced | Anne's orphan status and ongoing quest for identity continues to be explored |
| Forced institutionalization | All | 2/5 | Referenced | The threat of being sent to an asylum is used to control a queer character |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Anne processes her traumatic childhood throughout the season; scenes of emotional pain and longing for belonging |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | A major death in the Avonlea community triggers intense grief for Anne and the Cuthberts; the mourning is deeply felt |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Multiple characters process grief around identity, lost cultures, and personal losses |
| Terminal illness | S1 | 2/5 | Referenced | Fear of Matthew's health creates anxiety; concern about losing one of the only people who has shown Anne love |
| Other | ||||
| Forced marriage | S3 | 1/5 | Referenced | Period-appropriate pressure on young women to marry is discussed, though not forced marriage per se |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Some adults dismiss Anne's trauma responses and imagination as character flaws, undermining her emotional reality |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | Community members dismiss concerns and gaslight those who speak up about injustice |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Anne is told her imagination and personality are problems, and she faces emotional manipulation |
| Genocide / ethnic cleansing | S3 | 3/5 | Referenced | The residential school system and its role in cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples is addressed |
| Kidnapping / abduction | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Indigenous children are taken from their families and forced into residential schools |
| Wrongful imprisonment | All | 2/5 | Referenced | Characters reference being unjustly confined or institutionalized |
| Phobias & Sensory | ||||
| Confined spaces (claustrophobia) | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Flashbacks to cramped, dark orphanage conditions create claustrophobic imagery |
| Drowning / underwater scenes | All | 3/5 | Depicted | A near-drowning scene creates significant tension and danger |
| Sexual Content | ||||
| Age-gap relationships (predatory) | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | A boarder at the Cuthbert home displays predatory interest in young girls; the threat is depicted seriously and with appropriate gravity |
| Substance Use | ||||
| Alcohol abuse (depicted) | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | A character struggles with alcoholism, which affects their family and community standing |
| Violence & Physical Harm | ||||
| Child abuse / harm to children | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Anne's past in orphanages and abusive foster homes is depicted through flashbacks showing physical and emotional abuse of children |
| Child abuse / harm to children | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Continued flashbacks to Anne's traumatic past in abusive foster homes; emotional abuse from adults in the community |
| Child abuse / harm to children | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Anne's traumatic past continues to resurface; additionally, the residential school storyline depicts systemic abuse of Indigenous children |
| Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Domestic abuse is depicted within a family setting as part of a character's storyline |
| Sexual assault / rape | All | 3/5 | Referenced | Sexual assault is referenced and implied in relation to characters' past experiences |
Identity & Discrimination
A Black family faces racially motivated hostility and violence in the community
Period-appropriate social constraints around gender roles and expectations are explored
Cole's journey as a queer young man in 1890s PEI involves bullying, fear of discovery, and finding community in Aunt Josephine
The Mi'kmaq storyline addresses racism against Indigenous peoples; Sebastian is subjected to prejudice and hostility from the white community
Residential school atrocities against Indigenous children are addressed; systemic racism against Mi'kmaq people is a central theme
Indigenous spiritual practices are suppressed by colonial authorities forcing Christian conversion
Mild bullying at school from other students who target Anne for being different
A character engages in obsessive pursuit of another person
Mental Health & Emotional
Anne's parents died when she was an infant; her orphan status is discussed and causes her significant distress
A significant parental death occurs this season that deeply affects the community and Anne personally
Anne's orphan status and ongoing quest for identity continues to be explored
The threat of being sent to an asylum is used to control a queer character
Anne processes her traumatic childhood throughout the season; scenes of emotional pain and longing for belonging
A major death in the Avonlea community triggers intense grief for Anne and the Cuthberts; the mourning is deeply felt
Multiple characters process grief around identity, lost cultures, and personal losses
Fear of Matthew's health creates anxiety; concern about losing one of the only people who has shown Anne love
Other
Period-appropriate pressure on young women to marry is discussed, though not forced marriage per se
Some adults dismiss Anne's trauma responses and imagination as character flaws, undermining her emotional reality
Community members dismiss concerns and gaslight those who speak up about injustice
Anne is told her imagination and personality are problems, and she faces emotional manipulation
The residential school system and its role in cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples is addressed
Indigenous children are taken from their families and forced into residential schools
Characters reference being unjustly confined or institutionalized
Phobias & Sensory
Flashbacks to cramped, dark orphanage conditions create claustrophobic imagery
A near-drowning scene creates significant tension and danger
Sexual Content
A boarder at the Cuthbert home displays predatory interest in young girls; the threat is depicted seriously and with appropriate gravity
Substance Use
A character struggles with alcoholism, which affects their family and community standing
Violence & Physical Harm
Anne's past in orphanages and abusive foster homes is depicted through flashbacks showing physical and emotional abuse of children
Continued flashbacks to Anne's traumatic past in abusive foster homes; emotional abuse from adults in the community
Anne's traumatic past continues to resurface; additionally, the residential school storyline depicts systemic abuse of Indigenous children
Domestic abuse is depicted within a family setting as part of a character's storyline
Sexual assault is referenced and implied in relation to characters' past experiences
