Poldark: A fan’s review by Celia Fox
Another week has passed and we have been treated to a fantastic, but oh-so-emotional, episode of POLDARK. It is hard to believe that we have reached and surpassed the half way mark of the second series! After four fantastic episodes, Celia Fox (one of our lucky readers chosen to write a fan review of the series alongside Sarah Vita-Younan) is back again to share her thoughts on Sunday night’s episode. Take a look at Celia’s thoughts on episode five below:
* Warning: spoilers. Do not read if you have not seen Poldark series 2 episode 5 *
Hanging by a Thread: Family, Fortunes and Fate … It will all end in a dark pit of tears!
What a gut-wrenchingly emotional episode it was this week as the tensions built until it felt as if a knife was twisted into our hearts!
But first… We are introduced to some new characters who wander in and out of the story this week, Jacka Hoblyn, John MacNeill, his daughter Rosina, Amelia Clarkson, Charlie Kempthorne, Ross Green and Nick Vigus, Sean Pogmore all leaving us yet to find out their significance in the lives of the Poldarks and friends. I’m sure all will be revealed as no characters enter the world of Poldark as perceived by script-writer Debbie Horsfield, without a reason- we’ll have to wait and see!
It seems as if there is an informer in the area, telling tales to Captain Vercoe, Mark Danbury and making the smuggling operations even more of a risky business. Ted Carkeek, Lewis Peek obviously engaging in a little small time smuggling of his own is caught and arrested. Poor Ted Carkeek if his case is to be tried by the Reverend Halse, Robin Ellis his life surely will hang by a thread! With Ross, Aidan Turner so involved in smuggling, and now with a traitor in the camp, poor Demelza, Eleanor Tomlinson is sick with worry. Luckily for Ted Carkeek, he is brought before Francis Poldark, Kyle Soller taking up his duty as magistrate, accepting his role as one of the most important men in the county! Better late than never Francis, I say, and how enjoyable it was to watch him cleverly manipulate the Reverend Halse and thus ensure that Ted is saved from receiving a more serious sentence. Bravo Francis!
Ross and Demelza share a few moments again this week and Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson both have smiles that light up the screen. It also does a TV drama no harm if the male lead is rather decorative and the camera certainly loves Aidan Turner as Ross. Debbie Horsfield and the Director have no compunction in offering him up to the camera- this week naked in the bath… sensual and playfully done by Eleanor and Aidan. Escapism in Sunday night TV is no bad thing and Debbie knows her audience too well!
The Penvenen Engagement party to which all the important folk in the area are invited doesn’t quite go according to plan. It seems that the prospective fiancé Unwin Trevaunance, Hugh Skinner has left in a huff! It’s taken a while for him to finally realise that he, Unwin will never win the hand of the heiress Caroline Penvenen, Gabriella Wilde!
Ross continues to smoulder and brood with aplomb whether facing down George Warleggan, Jack Farthing, a bit of a faux-pas surely in that they were both invited to the Penvenen Party (well, Ray Penvenen will insist on inviting the riff-raff- nice one Ross!) or with lovely nuanced looks expressed in his conversations with Elizabeth, Heida Reed.
Last week maybe it was the excess of Francis’s good Brandy that led to Ross flirting with Elizabeth but this week one wonders what she is doing by telling Ross that realised she loved him more than she loved Francis. Elizabeth can’t quite let go of Ross and Ross seems incredulous- did he not realise? (We all did!) These two are playing with fire and someone could get burned! Ross needs to be careful for Demelza is not immune to what is going on and the future happiness of the Nampara Poldarks hangs by a thread- don’t break it Ross!
George, instead of having control over Ross by buying up shares of Wheal Leisure, has in reality lost control. Due to his intervention in Wheal Leisure, Ross and Francis have opened up Wheal Grace Mine and are free of George’s influence – don’t you sometimes love it when a plan DOESN’T come together? However, this is the Warleggans we are talking about and they soon have another plan to bring Ross down. George, like his proud looking and very large horse (it would be huge wouldn’t it?) really has the bit between his teeth ready to gallop down hard to bring destruction to Ross. He is also prepared to pay anything to do it! Soon we see George smirking and inordinately pleased over the fact that he and his uncle Cary, Pip Torrens have paid for the Promissory note of £1000 signed by Ross who now will be in debt to the Warleggans for a sum he cannot possibly pay!
And what of Caroline, now she has seemingly freed herself from the foppish and faintly idiotic Unwin? Her attentions turn towards Dwight again- didn’t see that one coming- I jest… oh yes we did! Dr Enys, his lovely blue eyes softening as he looks at her confesses that she fills his every waking thought and probably his dreams too! They arrange a secret tryst in the woods and tentatively share a first kiss.
She is going away as it seems she has displeased her old uncle Ray Penvenen, John Nettles with the engagement that never was- but I have no doubt she’ll be back. After initial trepidation, I want this relationship to work. A relationship of fireworks it maybe but how we shall enjoy the sparks!
There is a brief appearance from Verity this week as there are some concerns over the health of Aunt Agatha. It appears Aunt Agatha is missing Verity but in reality is as still as hale and hearty as ever but she does suggest she is going deaf! She still has enough hearing when she wants though, as unbeknown to George, she clearly heard him mean-spiritedly wish her dead and six feet underground! A big mistake, George-be careful that one doesn’t come back to bite you!
Francis is still so happy, excited about the mine, looking forward to the future he thought he would never have. Haven’t we all started to fall a little in love with him over the last few episodes with his smiles and tears of joy that well up in his appealing blue eyes -how does he do that so well? His life has certainly changed for the better. His heart to heart with Demelza at Nampara was lovely and beautifully acted by both. Oh Francis how we begin to adore the new you and how your enthusiasm and joy tugs at our heartstrings!
Determined to make amends and keen to find copper in the mine, Francis decides to explore Wheal Grace alone… and we all ask, why? It’s dangerous down there Francis! There’s a growing sense of trepidation and we fear that his and our future enjoyment is once again hanging by a thread that could snap at any time and whirl us all into a maelstrom of despair! It is only a tiny step between life and death, triumph to tragedy. As he loses his footing and slips our emotions tumble down into that well of deep darkness with him.
Struggling, thrashing about in the water filled pit and trying so hard to cling pitifully to that one slippery nail, crying out desperately for help, were not we also shouting no, hang on…please hang on? A memory flashes before him, a world ago and the picture shimmers in hazy sunlight as the childhood cousins run laughing across the wet sands of a beautiful Cornish beach… the moment causes a catch in the throat as it is almost unbearably poignant.
By now, Elizabeth, worried that Francis hasn’t returned, has sent word to Nampara and the others have realised that Francis is missing and are searching the mine and for once we see Aunt Agatha unable to bring herself to turn the Tarot cards and look into the face of fate. Francis is losing the fight to live in water that looks deep and must be dreadfully cold. It seems at first that Ross, as before, has come to his rescue and he reaches out his hand but alas it is only his own fevered brain creating shadows for he is alone, desperate and drowning. I am not sorry to admit I was crying… so cruel, Debbie Horsfield whose writing of these scenes tears out our hearts, rips them to shreds and stomps on them! When Ross really does find Francis in the darkness it is too late. What a cruel twist of fate, for this time for Francis, tomorrow really will never come. Oh Francis- why didn’t you learn to swim!
Elizabeth’s expression as she opens the door at Trenwith to see Ross, tears in in eyes, unable to speak will haunt me. Once again, as often throughout this episode and series so far, wonderful acting by this talented cast who are able to convey so much even with little or no dialogue.
With Francis now gone (Oh Francis, how we shall all mourn your loss) how will this affect the relationships between George and Elizabeth, now a widow all alone? He just needs to bide his time and make his plans and George is good at that! After what was disclosed to him at the Penvenen Party and now after the tragedy of Francis’s death, Ross must have even more confused feelings about Elizabeth. Demelza will surely feel more insecure about Elizabeth’s apparent hold over Ross. Her face at Francis’s funeral as Ross comforted Elizabeth spoke volumes. The future lives and fortunes of the Poldarks once again hang by a thread and who will be first to wield the scissors to send one or other tumbling into disaster.
We are locked into an emotional rollercoaster and we can’t get off! I for one do not want to get off for the drama of the lives and loves of the Poldarks and the possibilities yet to come, make for delicious viewing. Despite this week’s tears, I cannot wait for the ride to continue!
Verdict
Poldark continues on Sunday nights on BBC1 at 9pm
[…] It is hard to believe that already we have reached our sixth episode of the second series. After last week‘s tragic ending (we are still needing a lot of tissues to get over the death of Francis!) we […]
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