Also in this episode, we meet Zacky Martin in passing as his daugher marries Jim Carter, Robin Ellis pops up as the judge Ross clashes with over Jim's sentence for poaching, and Ross decides that sleeping with the servant he fancies means he should marry her.
Plus, was it just me misunderstanding, or did Tom Carne tell Demelza he'd be back the next day to take her home but then not actually turn up to collect her?
The more I see of this new adaptation, the more I want to re-watch the 1970s version, but I can't because I don't own it. It makes me really wish I'd read the books, as well, as the baseline against which to compare both!
I think Aidan Turner is doing a decent job - he's certainly very charismatic, which is just as well since this adaptation is focused very intently on Ross, only catching glimpses of other peoples' stories going on around him, so he has to carry the whole thing. That's one of the big differences I've noticed between this adaptation and the last - the '70s version spent a lot more time getting to know the supporting characters and telling their stories. This is a very lean production, in comparison. It's also a very fast production – short scenes, skipping rapidly through the story. The cinematography is absolutely stunning but I can't help feeling that we're missing out on a lot of atmosphere and depth because of the breakneck pace – it doesn't allow itself to linger on anything, perhaps to its detriment.
I also feel that this production is a bit heavy-handed in its desire to portray Ross as the perfect romantic hero of the story, focusing on the nobler aspects of his character and glossing over his flaws, whereas the 70s version wasn't afraid to show the darker sides of his personality right from the earliest scenes, signalling right up front that this was a complex and potentially dangerous man with strengths and weaknesses in equal measure – that Ross had a lot more bite and edge to him than this one. It's the same basic story, but with the stresses and emphasis in different places - it's interesting to see what a difference it makes.
As far as Demelza goes, I'm enjoying Eleanor Tomlinson's performance as long as I don't let myself remember Angharad Rees. She's doing a decent job, selling Demelza's yearning and insecurity, and the spirit that lurks beneath, just waiting for the opportunity to blossom.
