Matthew Cuthbert and his sister decided to take in an orphan boy to help on their farm, but he's surprised to find red haired Anne waiting for him at the train station. Though not expected, Anne doesn't take long until she has a place in his heart with her open mind and creative way to see the world around her.

During the time in the carriage Marilla asks about Anne's past and she tells the story of how she ended up in the orphanage.

Anne and Marilla arrive at Mrs. Spencer's, but the woman is moved by the sad story and already finds herself wavering. Though the final decision is made when she sees where Anne is supposed to go if the Cuthberts don't take her,and Marilla doesn't like that. So she and Anne go back to Green Gables, though Marilla says it's not sure yet if Anne can stay or not.

Anne meets Mrs. Rachel Linde, a good friend of Marilla, but the encounter doesn't go well. Mrs Linde comments on Anne's looks in a negative way, which hurts the girl. But instead of taking it, she fights back by saying Mrs Linde is "fat and ugly" and asks how that feels. Marilla wants Anne to apologize, and though Anne thinks she was right to tell her off, she gives in some time later.

Anne is disappointed that her new Sunday clothes (made by Marilla) are so plain, so along the way to church she dresses up her hat with wildflowers. Afterward she talks about what she thinks of Sunday School.

Anne gets to meet Diana for the first time and desperately hopes to find a best friend. Unknowing to her Diana wishes for the exact same thing, and the girls hit it off right away.

Anne and Diana have their first play date and are very excited. They are evenly matched when it comes to fantasizing about a world of their own, and Anne gets to share her chocolate.

Anne admires Marilla's amethyst brooch, but afterwards it disappears. Marilla is disappointed when Anne tells her she doesn't know where it is and thinks she's lying to her.

Marilla still thinks Anne is not telling her the truth, so she won't let her attend the picnic. So the girl finally comes up with a confession.

It's Anne's first day of school, and though she's not as educated as the others, she makes a lot of new friends.

The flirtatious and bold prankster Gilbert Blythe returns to town. But he goes too far when he jokingly calls Anne "Carrots", and she responds by breaking her slate over his head. Anne's teacher makes her sit next to Gilbert as a punishment, so she decides to never go back there. Marilla respects that choice and decides to teach Anne more about leading a household until she decides to go back to school on her own free will.

Anne is still angry at Gilbert. Deep in thought about him she forgets to do something Marilla told her to, which results in an embarrassing incident.

Anne is allowed to invite Diana over for tea when the Cuthberts are away. She offers her best friend cherry juice, unaware that it's actually wine, so Diana gets terribly drunk and goes home feeling sick. Mrs. Berry forbids Anne to see Diana again after this and accuses her of being a bad influence.

After Diana is forbidden from playing with Anne, Anne decides to return to school.

Minnie May falls seriously ill while she and Diana are being babysat, and Anne is the only one who may know what to do.

Anne has been invited to go to concert and sleepover for Diana's birthday. But things go wrong for Diana when the girls get too boisterous during the sleepover.

Anne enjoys the spring atmosphere and takes over the chores when Marilla gets a headache.

Mr. Phillips leaves the school, and Anne meets the new minister and his wife.

Anne catches a cold, and because she loses her sense of taste, mistakenly uses the wrong ingredient in a cake for Mrs. Allen.

Anne is invited to tea with the new minister and his wife.

The "dare game" has taken on popularity with the girls of Avonlea, but to protect her pride from Josie Pye, Anne takes on an extremely dangerous dare: Walk the ridgepole of the Barry's house.

When Diana takes ill in another town, Anne thinks back and realizes she hasn't been as good a friend as she should have.

Anne returns to school. The new teacher is wonderful and fair, and the teacher plans to have a concert to raise money to have a school flag made.

Matthew, unlike Marilla, sees no problem with Anne having a nice dress with puffed sleeves like the other girls. He sets out to get one for her for Christmas, but his well-intentioned plan goes awry when the clerk at the store is female.

Anne receives her Christmas presents, and the eve of the concert arrives.

Anne finds it hard to settle back into mundane life after the concert, so she starts a creative writing club.

Anne buys black hair dye from a peddler, but she doesn't get the raven black hair she'd hoped for.

Anne and her friends act out the Lady of Shalott, but Anne soon finds herself in trouble. After her friends run to get Diana's parents, who will come to her rescue?

Anne and Diana are invited to Charlottetown by Aunt Josephine. She realizes that while city life and fancy things are a lot of fun once in a while, she prefers her country life and leaving things to the imagination.

Anne and Diana has a quarrel regarding the future which was primarily about marriage. Anne, looking for Matthew for comfort, eats a few apples on a barrel that Jerry claimed to be poisoned, a bad joke on his part. Later, Anne hears about the news for Queen's Class that begins the preparation required for the entrance exam, with Matthew and Marilla's approval, Anne sets her eyes towards the future where she dreams of becoming a teacher.

Anne learns about what Diana wants to do in the future. After hearing what Marilla has to say, Anne realizes the importance of hearing other people's opinions and accepts Diana's decision as the two makes a vow once again. At school during the extra class, Anne feels left out by Gilbert's circle, and when the heavy snowstorm hits the school, Anne couldn't help but to think pleasantly of Gilbert as he handled the situation well and brought the necessary help to evacuate everyone at school.

For the holidays, Anne decides to spend her entire break having fun as she is tired of studying. Without realizing it herself, studying has taken its toll on Anne. The reason for why Matthew and Marilla wanted to adopt a boy is revealed.

After visiting Idlewild once again, Anna and Diana are filled with bittersweet memories after seeing the current condition. Throughout the episode, Anne can't help but to realize how things have started to change as she gets older, from the story club to Marilla wearing glasses, many things has changed already.

Marilla constantly thinks back of the old times when Anne would talk. With the arrival of the new train station at Carmody, Aunt Josephine visits Green Gables and offers to let Anne stay with her when Anne is at Charlottetown.

Anne, Jane, Gilbert and everyone else waits restlessly for the results. Seeing how tensed Anne is, Marilla lets Anne help Matthew out which puts her at ease. The results come as Diana runs up the hill to Green Gables.

Anne is invited to recite at a concert to help and earn funds to give to a hospital in Charlottetown.

Mrs.Spencer comes to Green Gables with a new adoption offer made by an American couple, but Anne listened to it as if she was hearing a story. Marilla decides to get a gown made for Anne. Mutual thoughts surrounds the house as the bittersweet moment finally approaches as for Anne to go to Queen's.

A wave of sadness hits Marilla, Matthew and Anne as they face the first night of a new lifestyle. Anne initially saddened, is visited by Jane, Josie and Ruby at her room where they mention a scholarship for a university: the idea helps light Anne's ambition as she aims to get the scholarship and to earn a bachelor of literature.

Anne is unable to tell Marilla and Matthew of her future plans for further studies. At Green Gables and Avonlea, Anne spends some quality time with the two throughout the area.

Hearing Matthew's condition from Ms Barry, Anne immediately departs for Green Gables and walks through a snowstorm. After a warming visit at Green Gables, Anne returns to Queen's with an even stronger passion to succeed in her own way, by balancing her love of the countryside and her studies.

Anne is afraid of seeing the results, and was in a moment of despair when everyone was cheering for Gilbert, to only also hear cheering starting for her as she passes by crying where she was then overwhelmed by happiness as she won the scholarship, while Gil won the medal, both awarded at the graduation ceremony. Anne eagerly heads home with Marilla and Matthew where Diana awaits at Green Gables. Diana tells Anne how Gilbert would not be heading into university right after Queen's but to have to work to be able to afford the tuition.

Anne is stuck between a rock and a hard place while thinking of her future: to stay at Green Gables and help out seeing how old Matthew and Marilla has gotten, or to continue her education. Matthew's condition made Anne especially worried and Anne wished she was born a boy to help out, but Matthew assures her how even a dozen boys are incomparable to Anne, and for the first time calls Anne his daughter.

The sudden news of Abbey's Bank going bankrupt was a huge shock to Matthew's already fragile heart, and killed him instantly. Marilla is seen performing present-day CPR on Matthew to no avail. Everyone in Avonlea goes to Green Gables to mourn, where Anne is the only one unable to cry. The two who cared for Matthew the most seek comfort from each other, as no other person had loved Matthew as profoundly as they did. While crying together, Marilla tells Anne how happy she has been since Anne came to Green Gables, and how it would've been intolerable if she went through this alone.

The funeral ends with Matthew's burial. Anne plants Matthew's favourite flowers right beside his tombstone. As life moves on, Anne feels guilty how she can still have fun and laugh despite Matthew's death, which holds her back but learns to accept it. Marilla talks about Gilbert, how he looks reminds her of his father, John, who was in love with Marilla, but a similar situation where Marilla was unable to forgive John at the time broke the two lovers apart.

Marilla learns the fate of her eyes from the eye specialist and now has to change her lifestyle entirely to help ease the strains on her eyes. Anne seeing Marilla's situation changes her dream and turns the current predicament into something pleasant. When Marilla mentions her intentions to sell Green Gables as she is no longer able to maintain it and cannot handle living alone, Anne takes this chance to tell Marilla how she is no longer going to university, but to teach and be close to Marilla as much as possible, as nothing else matters to Anne as much as to be able to stay by Marilla's side in times of need.

News of Anne no longer going to university spreads while Anne gets used to a new life where she helps out Marilla a lot. Ms. Lynde tells Anne about Gilbert and his withdrawal on teaching in Avonlea, but at a different school instead, where he also recommended Anne to be the teacher. Anne meets Gilbert on the road and after talking with one another and understanding each other a little more they become friends. In writing to Stella and Ms. Stacy, Anne goes to write "no matter how narrow my road is, I can still find flowers blooming."