Talkie Tuesday: Poldark

"I make no apology for my actions."

Hello everyone!

I believe, at some point in these reviews and recaps, I promised that I would be doing something connected to Poldark, but decided that I was going to wait at the very least until the first half of season 2 was over. 

The thing is, last year we got eight episodes (one hour each, of course) and this year, we get ten, which means I've been waiting for five weeks to get this post up!

I do absolutely adore this show. It's not even all about Aidan Turner (but let's face it, it might just be anyway), especially not this current season as he has quite a few who can compete for the ladies' hearts now! Can anyone say Doctor Enys with me, please?

That being said, this blog post won't be going into incredible length and all the microscopic details I would have gone into had I been doing one review per episode from the beginning. This one is going to be a bit more of a brief than anything else, something you can grab onto and dust off when you've taken a bit of a break, maybe, and need to get back into it before continuing the show itself.

So, without further ado, enter Poldark, season two, stage right!

If we look back on last year's season, it will probably be obvious to everyone that this is a show that's going to stick for a while. It isn't all about the characters (even though they're awesome) or the scenery (can I stand on pretty rocks and look out to the sea, too?), neither is it just about history (but it IS educational!).

It's a healthy mix of all of the above, plus a full load of humour that really makes your night.

In season one, we see Captain Ross Poldark return from America to find his childhood sweetheart engaged to his cousin, and his property in shambles. Bit by bit, he rebuilds, marries his kitchen maid whom he actually falls in love with, reopens an old rivalry with one George Warleggan, and sees the birth and death of his first child, Julia.

Also, he kind of gets himself arrested by the end of season one for pilaging a ship and supposedly murdering someone.

Ah, Ross.

Episode 1 sees us returning to Cornwall right where we left off, which is with Ross in irons and everyone losing their heads over it EXCEPT him. Of course, he's used to doing the stupidest things possible by now. He and Ned Stark would have been drinking buddies, I think. Of course, as this show relies heavily on the irony only Ross can provide, we know he isn't about to get himself hanged, no matter how bad his decisions are. What's more interesting is George's not-subtle-anymore wish to get it on with Elizabeth, a new player in town named Caroline Penvenen who is bored and doesn't like her foppish would-be fiancé (I mean, I get her, I much prefer the dashing Doctor Enys, myself), and a pet pug, Horace. 

No, really.

Luckily for us, Ross does not, in fact, end up in prison, and Demelza is pregnant again, although Ross tells he he don't want no other child. Jerk.

Episode 2 rolls back the usual dealings in this bit of the world, which includes Ross and his mining ventures, money problems, and ignoring his wife, all in one hot package. What's lucky for us though is we see Demelza has grown a bit of a spine and isn't as grateful for marrying into the upper class anymore: she actually tells Ross he's an idiot. Well, sort of. And she has admirers all over the place, which is also kind of neat because I find her much nicer looking than Elizabeth.

Francis, having unsuccessfully tried to kill himself in the first episode, is apparently a changed man, and with the war on with the Warleggans, the Poldark cousins start to circle closer again. The reconciliation finally arrives, and we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Although, that being said, Ross and Elizabeth are apparently still goo-goo eyed over each other, which Demelza doesn't like, and she tells it so, along with her pregnancy news. At least the expectant father is happy about it.

Episode 3 holds a bit of comedic relief as, after we were horrified to learn Jud was apparently beaten to death (and this prompted George Warleggan to have a ridiculous meltdown with his servant who looks like he might be Grima Wormtongue's long lost younger brother, not to mention taking up boxing and looking like a nancy) the man himself wakes up from his cold daze and goes to get drunk. Lord knows his head seems to be too hard to get bashed in at any point, despite being a rather useless servant.

Elsewhere, the Dashing Doctor had to ride to a certain lady's rescue as she ate fish and got a bone stuck in her throat. So there you have it, instant attraction and they don't even need the pug to help them navigate these waters. But this is all rather unimportant compared to the fact that Ross is pretty much broke and he and Demelza need to sell a lot of things to cover their debts.

Episode 4 is a mish-mash of things but it DID include one of my favourite lines, because Ross and George finally go at it and smash about, with Ross emerging the victor and apparently not liking the other man's neckcloth.

Gotta love 18th century insults.

That being said, however, we're headed into uncharted waters as the smugglers of cheap alcohol keep getting arrested and the magistrates would dearly love to see them all hang. Ross, bless his silly heart, offers his own cove for the venture, since he needs money to pay off debts AND to sink into his new mine, Wheal Grace (he sold most of his Wheal Leisure shares to George back in the day, not that George has any idea what's going on for real in these mines).

And there's a reconciliation! The Blameys and the Poldarks seem to finally be on the mend.

Not so the Doctor and his Patient, who heads back to London even though it's obvious she'd much rather stay in these backwaters and watch him rescue his fisher folk (but she does leave him oranges; ah, true love).

Episode 5 was a startling one with a reaffirmed notion that George wants into Elizabeth's corsets badly, the magistrates are cracking down on all the smugglers, and Demelza keeps second-guessing herself while Ross seems to still have eyes for his old flame. Never mind the fact that they have a healthy son in the cradle and that there's a Scottish Dragoon Captain who seems to be bouncing around Demelza (I'm not counting that old leecher of a neighbour who 'woofed'; no, he did!).

That's not as important as three other things, though.

One: George now has, in his possession, Ross's debt of 1000 pounds plus 40% interest.

Two: Caroline Penvenen returns, her almost-fiancé finally jilts her (or does she jilt him?) and she and Doctor Dashing can finally have a moment in the woods. YES.

Three: Francis drowns in the mine.

So there you have it! Always a lot happening in one hour of an episode, moving us forward with almost lightning speed, but if you pay attention you can't miss all the humour that pings between the walls, or be unable to fall in love with these characters.

Ross might be good, but I think Dwight Enys might be my personal favourite now.

I mean, when a woman tells you you're impertinent and you smile and say 'I like you very much, too', it's swoon time.

If you haven't yet seen any episode of Poldark, I strongly encourage you to do so, as it is a fascinating story, and the actors that have been chosen for the rols are superb in their jobs.

Also, humour. Allow me to say it again.

Humour.

xx

*images and video not mine