S05.E01: Episode 1

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

The Poldarks' peaceful lives are disrupted when an old friend’s plea leads them into a world of duplicity.

[LiveenLetLive]

Wait a minute I thought that they were going to time jump the final season? at any rate, they are bringing in new plot lines that will have to be resolved in some way. Jack Farthing was touching as George in his intense grief, good start for the last season I think.

[Ceindreadh]

4 hours ago, LiveenLetLive said:

Wait a minute I thought that they were going to time jump the final season? at any rate, they are bringing in new plot lines that will have to be resolved in some way. Jack Farthing was touching as George in his intense grief, good start for the last season I think.

There’s another four or five books in the series and TPTB didn’t want to squash them all into a single season - I think the actors were only under contract for five - so they’re doing a bit of filling in the gaps between books 7 and 8. 

It’s interesting because for the first time I have no clue as to what’s going to happen. I mean, I know where the characters are going to end up, but not how they get there and not how the new characters are going to affect things. 

[Toothbrush]

Are y'all watching in the US? Season 5 is not showing on my PBS listings or on-line, so I'm guessing not, but want to confirm. 

[Sew Sumi]

No, this the UK airing.

[kassygreene]

Masterpiece starts broadcasting season 5 at the end of September.

[abbyzenn]

They did bring in a lot of new characters and since this is the last season not sure why so it will be interesting to see how it develops.  

Geoffrey Charles seems to be the fasting growing child ever - especially in comparison to the other kids.

So Dwight and Ross knew each other in America?  How did I miss this.

[Llywela]

18 minutes ago, abbyzenn said:

So Dwight and Ross knew each other in America?  How did I miss this.

It is a show-only backstory that was mentioned in passing when Dwight first arrived, way back in season one, and has never been mentioned again, so easy to miss.

[Jacks-Son]

On 7/16/2019 at 12:10 PM, abbyzenn said:

So Dwight and Ross knew each other in America?  How did I miss this.

It was mentioned in passing when Dwight was first introduced to Demelza at Wheal Leasure.  She remarked, "T'was you that fixed his face!"

What's up with a whole new Valentine? Dark, curly hair gone? Kid has no resemblance to Ross.

[Clawdette]

Here we go, America!

[Neurochick]

George is such a douche, I didn’t feel sorry for him at all.  Too bad he didn’t die instead of Elizabeth.

[Jacks-Son]

Can't wait to see what develops with that a$$hole who has it in for Ross.

[JustDucky]

Just how far are they sending George off the deep end with his Elizabeth delusions?  (Not that I mind seeing Heida again...)

Also, love that they at least acknowledged Ursula's existence.  Oh, if only the series would dig into her future juuuuuuust a little bit.

Also-also, will there be a frickin' love triangle between George and Geoffrey Charles?  (I know George isn't in love, but he's got matchmakers, money, and entitlement on his side.)

Of course Ross saved the King of England.  I'd roll my eyes if they weren't halfway closed due to me yawning.

Drake and Morwenna - I want to root for these kids, but they're just too dim.

Overall, kind of a meh episode with interesting bits in it.  

[Zella]

10 minutes ago, JustDucky said:

Overall, kind of a meh episode with interesting bits in it.  

Kind of how I felt, too. 

Am interested to see what happens with George's hallucinations. I figured he wouldn't handle grief well, but that he was handling it that badly did surprise me. 

I am afraid Geoffrey Charles is the new Drake and his love interest is the new Morwenna. 🙄 I want to like adult Geoffrey Charles, but he looks like such a douchebag to me. 

[Jacks-Son]

11 minutes ago, JustDucky said:

Also-also, will there be a frickin' love triangle between George and Geoffrey Charles?  (I know George isn't in love, but he's got matchmakers, money, and entitlement on his side.)

I saw this episode when i first aired in the U.K. and I don't know what this refers to.  Did I miss something?  Loving George's delusions because they are so on point and laughable.  His uncle's horror at George's delusions are also funny.  Seeing that I despise both characters, it's like Karma is having fun with these two.  The actors are doing a bang up job though.  Also, it's always nice seeing Heida and I hope her spirit lasts the entire season.

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

I saw this episode when i first aired in the U.K. and I don't know what this refers to.  Did I miss something?  Loving George's delusions because they are so on point and laughable.  His uncle's horror at George's delusions are also funny.  Seeing that I despise both characters, it's like Karma is having fun with these two.  The actors are doing a bang up job though.  Also, it's always nice seeing Heida and I hope her spirit lasts the entire season.

Cary Warleggan is a complete piece of shit, but I'm always so delighted when he pops up in any episode. He makes the best faces and Pip Torrens, as always, rocks whatever role he is in. 

[Jacks-Son]

3 minutes ago, Zella said:

Cary Warleggan is a complete piece of shit,

THIS is an understatement.  I do believe, the only love that man has in his heart is for that damn do nothing dog that seems to just lay on the floor. Play with the damn dog someone, get it moving before it becomes fossilized.  My disgust with that POS Cary Warleggan is only exceeded by the utter hatred I have for George's Pet Thug, Cudgel (Tom Harry). 🤮

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

THIS is an understatement.  I do believe, the only love that man has in his heart is for that damn do nothing dog that seems to just lay on the floor. Play with the damn dog someone, get it moving before it becomes fossilized.  My disgust with that POS Cary Warleggan is only exceeded by the utter hatred I have for George's Pet Thug, Cudgel (Tom Harry). 🤮

Tom Harry is pretty awful. But I hated Ossie so much more than him.

Sad to say, I found myself actually missing Ossie this episode, though. He was a truly odious man who made my stomach turn, but Christian Brassington was a magnificent actor and a real scene-stealer. 

[HoodlumSheep]

This is the first episode in probably a whole season that i've actually enjoyed. It was nothing special, but i at least didn't want to strangle everyone 24/7 like last season (gosh, last season was so bad, uughhh)

• it was good to see jeffy boy sober for once
• I actually felt bad for george. I knew he'd take elizabeth's death hard but i wasn't expecting it to be to the point where he's starting to have delusions. I wonder if his oh so wonderful uncle will try to pull one over on him
• Happy that we didn't have to sit thru ross giving his usual speech of the week
• I'm actually digging the villains/antagonists/??? this season. I was fully expecting mr. supreme chancellor palpatine to start telling ross about the tragedy of darth plagueis the wise. He even had the head-turn down.
• Kitty is a nice addition
• I can get behind ross doing undercover work
• Everyone on this show seems to have magical gray-defying hair

Edited September 30, 2019 by HoodlumSheep

[Magnumfangirl]

Two questions about this episode:

1. How many of the new characters in this episode are not in the books?

2. I was also confused about Dwight and Ross knowing each other during the war.  If Dwight had been in the military with Ross, why was his joining the Navy such a big deal back in season 3?  They all acted like he had no military or war experience.  

[Jacks-Son]

I don't know if Dwight actually FOUGHT in the war.  I suspect that the only way the two interacted during the Revolutionary War was when Ross was injured and Dwight was a medic either in the field, or I suspect in a military hospital, since Dwight was a surgeon not really a medic. 

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

1. How many of the new characters in this episode are not in the books?

2. I was also confused about Dwight and Ross knowing each other during the war.  If Dwight had been in the military with Ross, why was his joining the Navy such a big deal back in season 3?  They all acted like he had no military or war experience.  

1. None of the new characters are in the books, because this season is set during the 10 year time jump between books 7 and 8 and therefore is telling a completely new story which is not based on anything book-related.

2. I think that would class as a book spoiler, so I'll put it behind a cut.

Spoiler

This is one of those instances where changes made way back in season one came back to cause continuity problems later on. In the novels, Dwight and Ross did not know one another from America - they met for the first time at Julia's christening, when Dwight had just arrived in the area as a newly qualified doctor hoping to set up a practice. Book!Dwight is a quite a bit younger than Ross and was taken under his wings as a kind of protegee in the early stages of their friendship. So in the novels, Dwight joining the Navy was his first experience of anything of the sort, and that was kind of baked into the plot - I'm not sure how far ahead the screenwriter had read when she adapted season one, tbh, as she made quite a few changes in season one that conflicted with later developments - introducing Dwight as an old war buddy of Ross instead of allowing them to meet and form a friendship as strangers was just one of them.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Llywela

[Ms Lark]

OK. I.do.not.feel.sorry.for.George.at.all. He's lost it. Good. Karma baby. He'll probably miss his knighthood (wtf?) ceremony. Too bad. Off to Bedlam with him.

[JudyObscure]

George Warleggan's mustache twirling plots and over the top jealousy was the central point of interest for me once the beautiful romance of season one was over, so I heartily dislike this new pathetic version.  Every drama needs a good villain!  Otherwise we just have Ross single-handedly solving the problems of the world with no local adversary.

I laughed when I saw Ross was going to abolish slavery this season.  Too bad he didn't move to America, we could have avoided that whole Civil War thing.

I still miss the comic relief of Jud.

I'll keep watching, though. It's still beautiful in Cornwall.  

[NeenerNeener]

I had no idea that Cary Warleggan is also Herr Starr from Preacher. This is the first time that both shows are airing in the same week, so I finally noticed.

[howiveaddict]

Love the juxtaposition of George hallucinating and the mad King George.

Mr howife asked me where the show takes place.  I said Cornwall. He asked if Doc Martin was in it.  A proud moment for me that he realized it was the same place.   My watching PBS is finally sinking in to him.

[SongbirdHollow]

9 hours ago, Llywela said:

1. None of the new characters are in the books, because this season is set during the 10 year time jump between books 7 and 8 and therefore is telling a completely new story which is not based on anything book-related.

2. I think that would class as a book spoiler, so I'll put it behind a cut.

  Reveal spoiler

This is one of those instances where changes made way back in season one came back to cause continuity problems later on. In the novels, Dwight and Ross did not know one another from America - they met for the first time at Julia's christening, when Dwight had just arrived in the area as a newly qualified doctor hoping to set up a practice. Book!Dwight is a quite a bit younger than Ross and was taken under his wings as a kind of protegee in the early stages of their friendship. So in the novels, Dwight joining the Navy was his first experience of anything of the sort, and that was kind of baked into the plot - I'm not sure how far ahead the screenwriter had read when she adapted season one, tbh, as she made quite a few changes in season one that conflicted with later developments - introducing Dwight as an old war buddy of Ross instead of allowing them to meet and form a friendship as strangers was just one of them.

Well I was really annoyed by this episode until you put it this way. Now I can reframe it in my mind as well, it COULD have happened. I saw the episode last Friday night in a theater as a preview, and they had a speaker before the show talking about Despard so at least I had that. 

[dubbel zout]

13 hours ago, JustDucky said:

Drake and Morwenna - I want to root for these kids, but they're just too dim.

I know. I really feel for Morwenna because of Ossie's horrendous treatment of her, and Drake is being astonishingly understanding, but those two are so dull.

If all George is going to do this season is hallucinate Elizabeth, no, thank you. Karma or not, that's just boring to me.

3 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I laughed when I saw Ross was going to abolish slavery this season.  Too bad he didn't move to America, we could have avoided that whole Civil War thing.

This is the season where he learns to control the weather, I'm sure.

[Jacks-Son]

Re: Drake and Morwenna, I especially loved the gangs duplicitous means of assuring their wedding in defiance of George’s plans of maintaining tighter control over Morwenna’s life. 

[Magnumfangirl]

15 hours ago, Llywela said:

1. None of the new characters are in the books, because this season is set during the 10 year time jump between books 7 and 8 and therefore is telling a completely new story which is not based on anything book-related.

Too bad. I wish they had stuck to the books.  I read the first two and was surprised at how much the show actually stuck to them and I decided not to read any more until after the show ended.

[nara]

Why would Demelza leave home right after a near disaster? That feels like a bad idea.

[dubbel zout]

How else can Tess put her dastardly plan into action? She seems to have taken over from George as the villain(ess) du jour.

[Ohwell]

I'm surprised that Demelza was that stupid, to trust a woman she just met who has a grudge against her.

[nara]

11 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm surprised that Demelza was that stupid, to trust a woman she just met who has a grudge against her.

Doesn’t Demelza’s older brother need a love interest? If so, he can save Tess’s soul.

[magdalene]

Oh no, Romeo and Juliet light are still on the show and just as tedious as ever.

Shouldn't Demelza's dog have passed by now from old age? Not that I want him to - I was just momentarily hit over the head by the realism fairy.

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, magdalene said:

Oh no, Romeo and Juliet light are still on the show and just as tedious as ever.

Shouldn't Demelza's dog have passed by now from old age? Not that I want him to - I was just momentarily hit over the head by the realism fairy.

I'm convinced there's a fountain of youth at Nampara, and Ross, Demelza, and Garrick all have discovered it. 

[TigerLynx]

If only karma would really visit George and his uncle, in the form of Elizabeth's spirit, and they would kill each other.  It would be a win win especially for Valentine.

[Jacks-Son]

1 minute ago, TigerLynx said:

It would be a win win especially for Valentine.

With the way George has treated Valentine, I’m surprised Ross & Demelza didn’t sue for custody.  Is that even possible during that time period? Valentine clearly deserves loving guardians. Perhaps Elizabeth left a Will with a paternity claim included. That kid needs to leave ASAP before George starts confusing him with Ross and tries to strangle him.

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

With the way George has treated Valentine, I’m surprised Ross & Demelza didn’t sue for custody.  Is that even possible during that time period? Valentine clearly deserves loving guardians. Perhaps Elizabeth left a Will with a paternity claim included. That kid needs to leave ASAP before George starts confusing him with Ross and tries to strangle him.

Yeah, no, that would be absolutely impossible, in the era this show is set, even if they could prove paternity, which they can't, and even if they did want to take the child, which they have shown no sign of. Even if Elizabeth had left a will of the kind you suggest (which she never would have, because she loved George and wanted him to accept Valentine as his, so would never commit to paper anything that might threaten that) it would be entirely moot because a woman in this era had no legal rights over her own children. Even if she left her husband, custody automatically belonged to the father and she had no recourse in law. Unrelated neighbours would have no chance whatsoever, no matter how much they might verbally claim paternity. The child is his in law, end of story.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Llywela

[Jacks-Son]

I guess the Age of Enlightenment left society poorer in the end.  Pity.  Thanks for your response, Llywela.

[Ceindreadh]

18 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

I had no idea that Cary Warleggan is also Herr Starr from Preacher. This is the first time that both shows are airing in the same week, so I finally noticed.

It took me considerably longer than it should have, to realize that he’s also Tommy Lascelles from The Crown. 

[dubbel zout]

5 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

he’s also Tommy Lascelles from The Crown. 

We called him the Hammer in that forum because he was ruthless about enforcing the rules, and he wasn't afraid to be unpopular. Cary and Tommy have a decent amount in common.

[sas616]

28 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

We called him the Hammer in that forum because he was ruthless about enforcing the rules, and he wasn't afraid to be unpopular. Cary and Tommy have a decent amount in common.

I believe he was also in Versailles, though don't remember the character's name.   But that was true with most everyone in that show with the exception of Louis and Phillippe.  Bottom line, that man gets lots of work.

[Nolefan]

14 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I'm surprised that Demelza was that stupid, to trust a woman she just met who has a grudge against her.

9 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

With the way George has treated Valentine, I’m surprised Ross & Demelza didn’t sue for custody.  Is that even possible during that time period? Valentine clearly deserves loving guardians. Perhaps Elizabeth left a Will with a paternity claim included. That kid needs to leave ASAP before George starts confusing him with Ross and tries to strangle him.

I don’t think Ross and Demelza are good candidates to care for Valentine either when Ross basically ignores his children and Demelza seems to have no problem leaving his children with Purdie, who drinks herself to sleep every night, and Tess, the sketchy, angry women who likely tried to burn their house down that Demelza met like two days ago.

[SongbirdHollow]

In what universe did Ross think he had any chance of getting George to give Geoffrey Charles money? 

[nodorothyparker]

Annnd we're off.  I love that even this far in with everything Ross has seen that he still thinks someone being imprisoned under the crown's justice, especially where tremendous sums of money are involved, is just "an unwitting misunderstanding" that of course will be cleared right up if he just makes the right high-mindedly impassioned speech.  And of course you just happen to be old friends with someone who seems to be inclined to get into just as much trouble as you do.  And of course you're going to ignore Dwight when asks and asks again for the umpteenth time whether it's really a good idea to be getting mixed up with him.  And how handy and convenient for you that the would-be assassin is discussing his plans right within your earshot in this very public place so you get another excuse to play hero on the fly.  Don't ever change, Ross.  Don't ever change. 

Is Ross going for a full blowout this season?  Whatever's going on with his hair or hairpiece or whatever is distractingly terrible.  Or maybe it's a deliberate choice to distract from the aged up Valentine looking a little hilariously less like a Ross mini-me than last season's model.

I can feel genuinely awful for Morwenna and still find her and Drake the most insipidly tedious pairing.

Ross surely knew that George was going to be unpleasant about providing for Geoffrey Charles, but as his stepfather it's still considered his duty to do so by the mores of their society and might have figured he'd begrudgingly do it just to keep up appearances.  You'd think though that Ross of all people would realize that George did so much of what he did to win and keep Elizabeth and with her gone doesn't give much of a shit now.  He's made his money and bought his knighthood.  

Because Poldark at its heart is a melodrama, of course George is slowly losing his grip over Elizabeth's death.  So ghost/hallucination Elizabeth it is. 

[dubbel zout]

43 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

Ross surely knew that George was going to be unpleasant about providing for Geoffrey Charles, but as his stepfather it's still considered his duty to do so by the mores of their society and might have figured he'd begrudgingly do it just to keep up appearances. 

I don't think George cares enough to keep up appearances where Geoffrey Charles is concerned. Mistreating stepchildren seems to be a super common occurrence. It's not the basis of fairy tales for nothing.

[nodorothyparker]

I don't think George cares either but conventional wisdom of the day among the class he's spent the entire series aspiring to would be that he should at least see that his stepson with the good pedigree finishes school or something.  George made a great show back in the day of offering to see Geoffrey Charles provided for as part of the package deal of winning Elizabeth and being accepted in this society as her husband.  Ross knows George well enough that he probably really should have known better, but I'm guessing he thought George's pretensions to being gentry would prevail enough to keep up those appearances.

[Nolefan]

57 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

Is Ross going for a full blowout this season?  Whatever's going on with his hair or hairpiece or whatever is distractingly terrible.  Or maybe it's a deliberate choice to distract from the aged up Valentine looking a little hilariously less like a Ross mini-me than last season's model.

I can feel genuinely awful for Morwenna and still find her and Drake the most insipidly tedious pairing.

Yeah, what’s up with Ross’s hair?? 

Also agreed with your feeling re: Morwenna and Morwenna/Drake. Cannot argue that Drake is a nice guy on paper but maybe unrealistically too nice and too sacrifical for my taste. I also feel there is a lack of chemistry between the actors. And the way that Drake seems to almost baby talk doesn’t help. He seems like a boy, while Morwenna seems more grown up.

[Pickles]

Morwenna's eyebrows are distracting. Very microblade looking.