S02.E10: Episode 10

[CTrent29]

Quote

Um, perhaps because it was a very real class distinction.... "old money" vs "new money" with the added distaste that the Warleggans are "trade".

 

I'm aware of the class distinction between the Poldarks and the Warleggans.  I simply wonder why Graham would portray the "old money" types as simply annoying, while the "new money" types like the Warleggans as out and out villains.  They were all a pretty lousy bunch.  Why not portray the landed gentry or aristocrats as out and out villains?  They were just as ruthless - in their own way - about securing wealth as the "self made" types.  

 

 

Quote

There are many reasons to despise George, least of all that he's successful and self made and has bettered his lot in life.

 Are we automatically supposed to despise George and his family, because they're self made, unlike the Poldarks?

Edited December 21, 2016 by CTrent29

[dubbel zout]

12 hours ago, CTrent29 said:

 Are we automatically supposed to despise George and his family, because they're self made, unlike the Poldarks?

We're supposed to automatically despise George and his family because they're dicks.

[nodorothyparker]

Graham was writing historical fiction about Cornwall, where he lived his entire adult life.  In addition to the social and economic aspects he was also reflecting a lot of commonly held attitudes of the time, among them that rising upstarts like the Warleggans were not particularly admired and that old money is infinitely preferable to new.  People were generally expected to stay within their own class or sphere.  Many of the gentry in the books don't come off super well either, generally being pretty indifferent to how their own fading fortunes were in turn inflicting hardships on the common folk who lived and worked under them.

Even so, a lot of the dislike for the Warleggans is not because they're self made but because of how utterly predatory and ruthless they are.   They go out of their way to close still functioning mines and ruin people.  They don't respect the widely accepted "gentlemen's agreement" methods of doing business.  They use their professional leverage to avenge personal grievances.  I do actually have a small amount of sympathy for George because he's continually trying to force his way into a society that doesn't consider him one of them and he never quite seems to get that all the money the Warleggans can make isn't going to buy him the happiness he seems to think should come with it.  It doesn't help though that he and his uncle often behave like colossal tools just because they can.

Edited December 21, 2016 by nodorothyparker

[LJones41]

Quote

We're supposed to automatically despise George and his family because they're dicks.

 

So are the Poldarks.  Including Ross.  I believe he had proven this in the novel "Warleggan" and in the two television adaptations.

 

Quote

Elizabeth basically married George to spite Ross. I think she had a vague idea of George's general awfulness but is only now getting the full picture. Which makes sense, as it's only now that she's spending enough time with him to see it.

I understand that you dislike Elizabeth.  But why make erroneous comments about her?  Her main goal for marrying George was financial stability.  She even told this to Ross, whose reaction struck me as very egotistical and awful on his part.

 

 

 

Quote

Interestingly, I don't think the actor who plays Ross is "all that." Which makes it harder for me to swoon in his presence. 

 

I don't care how "swoonable" the actor is playing Ross - whether he is Robin Ellis or Aidan Turner.  I don't find some of his actions - especially in regard to Elizabeth - forgivable.

 

Quote

I love Elizabeth beginning to see what she's gotten herself into and that there's not a thing she can do about it now. But can she really be stupid enough to never have even considered that her baby's father could be Ross? Really?

 

Elizabeth "got herself into this" because Ross was arrogant and egotistical enough to believe he could have and control both her and Demelza at the same time.   If he had learned to get over her a long time ago, she could have had a decent marriage to George.  

 

I find it interesting that so many were able to overlook Ross' disasterous attempt at mine the lode within Wheal Leisure.  His greed and impatience led to the deaths of a few employees, because he was too blind to realize that he lacked the money to set up a careful operation.

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, LJones41 said:

So are the Poldarks.  Including Ross.

This is very true. The Poldarks' dickish behavior is usually contained within the family, though.

[Tyro49]

On 11/29/2016 at 11:42 AM, Llywela said:

I'm fond of this version of Dwight and Caroline, they've done a much better job with Dwight this season than last, but I really wish you guys knew the Dwight and Caroline of the 1975 adaptation - even with the more primitive production values and old-fashioned acting styles, they had so much more sparkle to them.

Netflix has the discs of the 1975 version: two thirteen episode seasons. Just make sure you're ordering the right version, as they have this one, too.

[Meredith Quill]

Mod note:

Please ensure that any criticism/snark is focused on the show rather than other posters opinions.

Thank you.

[LJones41]

I hope that I live long enough to see a third adaptations of Graham's novels.  I do hope that if a third adaptation materializes, it would finally do a decent adaptation of the 1953 novel, "Warleggan".  To me, neither the 1975 or 2016 series have done so well.

[rove4]

While the show's writers have made some questionable decisions, I prefer the show to the books, which I found dry.  None of the characters in the books felt "real" and "alive" to me and everything felt too detached for me to become emotionally invested in any of it. Part of that was due to the writing style of the time but I prefer the show in terms of bringing the characters to life, for good or ill. The characters in the books felt flat to me.

[TnTexas]

On 12/30/2016 at 4:21 PM, Tyro49 said:

Netflix has the discs of the 1975 version: two thirteen episode seasons. Just make sure you're ordering the right version, as they have this one, too.

I believe you can also stream the 1975 version at AcornTV if you have a subscription there.

Edited June 21, 2017 by TnTexas