S02.E07: Episode 7

[purist]

 

Quote

Ross joins a smuggling trip in the Isles of Scilly in order to meet Mark Daniel but, in his absence, George moves in on Elizabeth. Caroline convinces Dwight they must elope for a new life in Bath, and Captain McNeil plans to ambush the smugglers on their return.

[dubbel zout]

I know Dwight couldn't send Caroline a note saying he might be late for plot reasons, but sheesh, Dwight. Though this does show Caroline where Dwight's priorities are, and I don't mean that to be negative, necessarily.

I'm getting bored with the mining story. Hit a vein or move on.

I'm also getting bored with Elizabeth. I almost want Aunt Agatha to shoot her, but then Jeffrey Charles would be an orphan, and it's not his fault who his parents are.

[Summer]

The actress who plays Caroline is just stunning!  I want that ruby lipstick she wears, lol!  Hers and Dwights storyline is more interesting to me that Ross and Demelza right now.  

I got a bit confused when Ross was hiding under the floor boards, how long was he supposed to have been down there?  For some reason I thought it was days, but he looked pretty freshly shaven and dandy when he reappeared?  

[Nidratime]

I was beginning to think Elizabeth was housebound and can only discover what's happening in the world via messages from George Warleggan. But, apparently, she has the ability to get on a horse and ride over to Nampara to find out if Ross is around and received her letter. So, why can't she also get on a horse or take a carriage into the village or town and find out if the "natives" are truly rebelling and will soon be attacking her house? Why can't she even walk around her own estate and talk to people there. It's like George is gaslighting her even though she's perfectly free to make inquiries of her own. Also, what about her own family? Have they all died? Why not reach out to them or write to Verity?

[dubbel zout]

Seriously. I know she's a gentlewoman and all, but when your 90-year-old aunt-in-law is more proactive than you are, maybe you should start thinking about making some inquiries of your own.

[ScoobieDoobs]

3 hours ago, Summer said:

The actress who plays Caroline is just stunning!  I want that ruby lipstick she wears, lol!  Hers and Dwights storyline is more interesting to me that Ross and Demelza right now.  

Yes, she is a beauty, that one.  But I can't quite figure why she bothers me.  Maybe that she's not an especially good actress?  Not sure.

Are we suppose to care about Elizabeth?  Sheesh, I sure don't.  She's weak & charmless & self-absorbed & mostly pretty useless.  Her son seems to be cared for.  Is she even responsible for that?  I remain unimpressed with her, certainly compared to Supergirl -- er, I mean Demelza.

Boy, the mine stuff is such a snooze!  You know, I'm starting to think Ross should take a tip from George Costanza & just do the exact opposite of ALL his instincts in order to be successful.  He's such a predictable dope & always makes the dumbest choices.

I hope Caroline comes back.  Anyone know if she does?  

[Summer]

2 hours ago, Nidratime said:

So, why can't she also get on a horse or take a carriage into the village or town and find out if the "natives" are truly rebelling and will soon be attacking her house?

I have a hard time keeping up with the storyline sometimes on the show, can someone explain why the potential rebellion on Elizabeth's house?  I saw the previews for next week and it shows an angry mob outside of Trenworth, just no idea why?

Hi Nidratime!  I "know" you from the Outlander board :)

Edited November 11, 2016 by Summer

[dubbel zout]

I'm pretty sure George is exaggerating the danger to Elizabeth, so she'll ask him for protection and be even more in his debt. Elizabeth is such an idiot. Her passivity drives me nuts.

Edited November 11, 2016 by dubbel zout

[NumberCruncher]

3 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

I hope Caroline comes back.  Anyone know if she does?  

 

Spoiler

Yes, you'll see her in all of the remaining S2 episodes.

[seveneightnine]

Oh, good I'm glad I wasn't the only one who did get to see this episode. I thought maybe, when there was no recap, that I had dreamt it.

Seriously, could Dwight not have sent a note or something? "BTW - I got arrested. See U soon. LOL!"

And it does seem that Ross cares less and less about the safety and well-being of his own wife and son. Good God, man! Quit with the smuggling and bringing danger to your own doorstep. Although his pronouncement of giving up on Wheal Grace and tending his acres, sounded good; I seriously doubt he will stick to it.

Elizabeth needs to buy a clue. George is playing her like a fine violin. Sometimes I like her, but lately she's been very 'helpless damsel'.

[purist]

15 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Yes, she is a beauty, that one.  But I can't quite figure why she bothers me.  Maybe that she's not an especially good actress?

I find her line delivery very flat, without much inflection. It means she says everything in the same tone, which is boring.

[ScoobieDoobs]

8 hours ago, purist said:

I find her line delivery very flat, without much inflection. It means she says everything in the same tone, which is boring.

Yup, that bothers me about her, but her looks seem out of place to me in this production.  She looks too beauty pageant contestant to me.  Did Caroline really ditch Dwight so she could try out for Miss Universe?

And Charlie looks & acts like Sean Penn as a surfer/stoner.  I expected that guy to shout at Dwight, "DUDE!"

Edited November 12, 2016 by ScoobieDoobs

[purist]

3 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

her looks seem out of place to me in this production.  She looks too beauty pageant contestant to me.

It's the lipstick. Totally gorgeous, but totally out of place.

[HoodlumSheep]

Aunt Agatha continues to slay.

Elizabeth was pretty whiney this episode, imo.

Ross...no. Just no. Stupid and reckless doesn't even begin to cover your mess.

[TVForever]

I don't like Elizabeth at all, but she is a Gentlewoman of her time. She would have no real power of her own beyond that of her husband. That's why it never occurs to her to find anything out or do anything for herself- she depended on Francis as her husband, Ross as "The One who Got Away", and now George, especially as she realizes that Ross is not as available to her as she expects. Because, even as she gets that Ross is married to Demelza, she doesn't really view Demelza as her equal-and thus, has no problem leaning on Demelza's husband as she sees fit.

Beauty and charm were a Gentlewoman's main assets- especially if her family had a name, but not a lot of money- but mainly to secure a rich husband. Caroline will have an easier time because she is independently wealthy. If her uncle has educated her well, she could live well the rest of her life without having to marry. It doesn't appear that Elizabeth was raised to be anything other than a Wife- her mother seemed to speak of little else.

[Haleth]

Screw you, Elizabeth.  "I guess he's too busy for a reply?"  Yes, he is.  You are not Ross's responsibility, hon.  (Note to Ross:  She is not your responsibility.)  Go pout somewhere else.  Demelza is not interested in your problems.

The scene on the beach was really filled with tension.  Too bad Dwight didn't get there a few minutes earlier to prevent the landing.  

Poor Caroline.  I don't see how she and Dwight could have made it work though.  Eloping would have been scandalous for both of them and rich uncle would not have forgiven her any time soon.

[candall]

I didn't find this episode particularly riveting and only half watched for the highlights.  Not quite sure who got the contraband out of the hidey-hole, but good.  No matter how many times you see the scene where the accuser and the accused are both shocked to find the incriminating evidence has been spirited away in advance--it still pays off.

 

I don't know who this missing "Steven"(?) is or why everyone's searching for him.

 

It would be amusing to see a compilation of clips with people shaking their heads at each other down in the bowels of Wheal Grace:  Nothing so far.  No.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Nope.  Fool's Copper.  No.  How about this?  No.  Fie.

Readers--did the books check in so regularly on the discouraging situation at WG?

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

Screw you, Elizabeth.  "I guess he's too busy for a reply?"  Yes, he is.  You are not Ross's responsibility, hon.  (Note to Ross:  She is not your responsibility.)  Go pout somewhere else.  Demelza is not interested in your problems.

Well, I think she sort of is his responsibility, as Ross is the adult man of the family. But that doesn't mean Elizabeth can't try to work out a few problems on her own. Even taking into account the times and her social status, I don't understand why she does absolutely nothing except wait for someone else to help. Elizabeth is lucky that Ross still feels some duty toward her. 

47 minutes ago, candall said:

I don't know who this missing "Steven"(?) is or why everyone's searching for him.

That's not his name, but I don't remember it, either. Heh. At any rate, he seems to know the mines better than anyone, so Ross thinks he can tell them where to dig.

Edited November 15, 2016 by dubbel zout

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, candall said:

I don't know who this missing "Steven"(?) is or why everyone's searching for him.

It would be amusing to see a compilation of clips with people shaking their heads at each other down in the bowels of Wheal Grace:  Nothing so far.  No.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Nope.  Fool's Copper.  No.  How about this?  No.  Fie.

Readers--did the books check in so regularly on the discouraging situation at WG?

It doesn't feel as ubiquitous in the books because the precarious state of the mine is so interwoven with everything else that's going on, all of which has much more depth and nuance, so it feels more balanced.

By 'Steven', do you mean Mark Daniel? The episode maybe doesn't give enough of a reminder of who he is - he's the miner who killed his wife in season one and spent time hiding out in Wheal Grace before he escaped in Ross's boat. Mark's statement that he saw a rich lode in the mine while hiding down there was a big part of the reason Ross gambled on reopening in the first place, but since the miners have been unable to find that rich lode, finding Mark to ask him exactly what he saw where is kind of a last resort - they are pinning everything on the hope that Mark was right, because it's the only hope they have left. So it isn't that they think Mark knows the mine better than the men who've been labouring down there all this time, it's just sheer desperation!

Edited November 15, 2016 by Llywela

[candall]

Thank you, @Llywela! 

I'm strictly a Season Two person, so that's an important nugget.  Heh.

 

I grow more and more puzzled and curious about the books.  Having just now finished the next episode, I can't quite pin down what the perspective of the source material might be.  Traditionally, Ross would be the protagonist of his own story, but he's been straddling the "irredeemable" line for a long time, and now. . .   Elizabeth is not the sympathetic figure she was surely meant to be.

Maybe it's a classic historical fiction/slice of life warts-and-all mashup.  At any rate, I feel inclined to go to the library and see if they have anything called Demelza.

 

Note:  I know this is probably more appropriate for the book thread, which I look forward to reading, but I don't want to see the spoilers.  Don't ding me, mod--I'm moving along.

[Llywela]

5 minutes ago, candall said:

I grow more and more puzzled and curious about the books.  Having just now finished the next episode, I can't quite pin down what the perspective of the source material might be.  Traditionally, Ross would be the protagonist of his own story, but he's been straddling the "irredeemable" line for a long time, and now. . .   Elizabeth is not the sympathetic figure she was surely meant to be.

Maybe it's a classic historical fiction/slice of life warts-and-all mashup.  At any rate, I feel inclined to go to the library and see if they have anything called Demelza.

They do - the second book in the series is called Demelza! :D It might help to bear in mind that so far as the books go, Ross is the central protagonist, but not the hero of the story, if that makes sense - it's a subtle but important distinction. He is a charismatic figure who drives the narrative forward, but is a deeply flawed individual and Graham never shies away from that. As central protagonist of the story, Ross does things that are both heroic and dreadful, sometimes even at the same time, and all of those things add up to the very complex whole of his character. But it is never his story alone - there are many other voices and perspectives woven through the series to bring balance (whereas a TV show with limited episodes has to maintain a rather narrower perspective, perhaps). The series as a whole was always intended by Graham to be a story about Cornwall and Cornish society, rather than the story of an individual; Ross Poldark was designed as our window into that world, rather than its hero. Every book in the series is subtitled 'a novel of Cornwall', to underline where the author's focus lies.

And without wanting to be spoilery, the show has made subtle but significant changes to the story, which do impact on how both the story and characters are perceived.

[nodorothyparker]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

Quote

Screw you, Elizabeth.  "I guess he's too busy for a reply?"  Yes, he is.  You are not Ross's responsibility, hon.  (Note to Ross:  She is not your responsibility.)  Go pout somewhere else.  Demelza is not interested in your problems.

Well, I think she sort of is his responsibility, as Ross is the adult man of the family. But that doesn't mean Elizabeth can't try to work out a few problems on her own. Even taking into account the times and her social status, I don't understand why she does absolutely nothing except wait for someone else to help. Elizabeth is lucky that Ross still feels some duty toward her. 

That is sort of the thing.  With Francis' death and as the sole living adult male of the family, Ross is now in effect the head of the Poldarks.   Legally, he's the co-executor of Geoffrey Charles' estate that would include Trenwith and socially as the man of the family, he's expected to not just let his cousin's widow and child go to ruin if he can possibly help it.  He's got a legitimate reason and responsibility to be over there to see to things, but yes, Elizabeth's learned helplessness is only exacerbating the problem for everyone involved.

[Tyro49]

I do hope they are going to go back into the mine and just take a look at the spot Mark Daniel described; they can't really dismiss it out of hand without checking up.

[Arwen Evenstar]

On 11/15/2016 at 7:09 AM, candall said:

I didn't find this episode particularly riveting and only half watched for the highlights.  Not quite sure who got the contraband out of the hidey-hole, but good.  No matter how many times you see the scene where the accuser and the accused are both shocked to find the incriminating evidence has been spirited away in advance--it still pays off.

 

I don't know who this missing "Steven"(?) is or why everyone's searching for him.

 

It would be amusing to see a compilation of clips with people shaking their heads at each other down in the bowels of Wheal Grace:  Nothing so far.  No.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Nope.  Fool's Copper.  No.  How about this?  No.  Fie.

Readers--did the books check in so regularly on the discouraging situation at WG?

I wold imagine they were prominently featured in the books. Mining was a very real industry in Cornwall. The derelict mine chimneys are part of UNESCO heritage site now.