S05.E03: Episode 3

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

First love blossoms but a disaster in Cornwall threatens the Poldarks' hopes of lying low.

[Neurochick]

See you next Tuesday Lady Shitworth.

Hanson, what a sleaze, men like that usually have no balls.

[dubbel zout]

I had to laugh at George running around Cornwall in his nightshirt.

Ned's hair-trigger temper is incredibly tiresome.

[Zella]

Ned is tiresome, but I must admit, it does crack me up to see Ross forced to be the voice of restraint for a change.

George's descent into madness has gotten far more intense than I expected, though I knew the results would not be pretty. Man, you know your methods are barbaric when freaking Cary Warleggan is put off by it. (Favorite moment of the episode was Cary constantly having to think on his feet and make excuses for George's absence and mine rescues he knows nothing about . . . tasks he's hilariously awful at.)

Will add that I find the depiction of Cecily hopelessly anachronistic, like her wandering around with no chaperone. 🙄

[TigerLynx]

I'm glad Dwight isn't the only one questioning how Ned handles things.  Ned really is tiresome, and dangerous.

I like Demezla, but while education is important, it takes so much more to be able to succeed especially in this time and place.

I wish George had killed Uncle Cary, and then jumped off the cliff.  Damn, Dwight, usually I love you, but next time if you can't bring yourself to push George, at least don't save him.

[nara]

The moment Ned started egging the miners on to use more dynamite, I knew miners were going to get trapped and die. However, I have to admit I was wrong in assuming that Ned would be the cause of the disaster. 

I know that the Warleggans are baddies, but do they really have to be involved in every evil possible? Slavery, child labor in the mines, heartlessly abandoning the miners?

Glad to see Rosina again! I really liked her. 

I like Demelza’s idea of teaching the kids. It will give Morwenna something to do that will make her happy.  And she’s right—it’s the only thing that will really help people.

I wonder if Dr. Enys is being foolish to not consider the royal infirmary offer. Can he be more influential in that role and help the Cornish people on a grander scale? Maybe or maybe not, but I think it’s worth considering.

George’s treatment was appalling! I do like that his illness is giving the actor some fun things to do. Interesting that he headed to Ross’s place when he was trying to escape.

Ned continues to make me cringe. I also watched The Affair today and between the 2 shows there are too many people acting stupid. It’s getting my blood pressure up on a Sunday night!

Edited October 14, 2019 by nara

[HoodlumSheep]

Uughhh those awful treatments 😞

more kitty less ned please. I wish we could have gotten her sooner. Still wanna see him duel someone with those mad fencing skills from last episode, though.

i personally loved watching george's uncle squirm all episode. I bet the actor's enjoyed getting to do a little more than what he's usually gotten to do past seasons (mainly stand in the background and make rude/awful remarks). 

were my eyes deceiving me or did the new maid's hair suddenly change color?

No glimpses of the evil Bond villain this week.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

That scene with Kitty and Hanson made my skin crawl.

Especially when the age was stated, when he tried to rape  her.

Must agree about Ned, it's getting tiresome.

That young Harpy working for Dezmelda irks my soul.

[JudyObscure]

9 hours ago, Zella said:

Ned is tiresome, but I must admit, it does crack me up to see Ross forced to be the voice of restraint for a change.

George's descent into madness has gotten far more intense than I expected, though I knew the results would not be pretty. Man, you know your methods are barbaric when freaking Cary Warleggan is put off by it. (Favorite moment of the episode was Cary constantly having to think on his feet and make excuses for George's absence and mine rescues he knows nothing about . . . tasks he's hilariously awful at.)

Will add that I find the depiction of Cecily hopelessly anachronistic, like her wandering around with no chaperone. 🙄

Agree with all this. Cecily makes me laugh out loud with her girl power attitude and sweeping  lines about not liking religion at a time when you were seriously suspect if you questioned a single line of the Apostle's Creed.

I also thought it was unlikely that Demelza would be ready to compare herself to a prostitute just because she made the first romantic move toward Ross. No Demelza, marrying for love is not the same thing even if it does result in some financial security. 

I  remember Demelza walking home to her abusive father rather than stick around as Ross's servant-with-benefits. That seemed like a woman of high morals to me. If it was a calculated move in a game for money, it wasn't written that way of the time.

I hope the show's writers don't ruin Winston Graham's characters for this final season.

[dubbel zout]

10 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

I like Demezla, but while education is important, it takes so much more to be able to succeed especially in this time and place.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty naive of her. She knows she got lucky with Ross, at least. And I like that Morwenna is involved, as she's been doing nothing (show-wise) for too long.

10 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

No glimpses of the evil Bond villain this week.

Who's this? Is it the guy —Hanson? I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who—after Ned and Kitty? Because he was at Dwight and Caroline's party as well as in the pub where Ross had to continually tell Ned to shut it. (And hee to Ross having to be the one to tell people to dial it back.)

[eleanorofaquitaine]

45 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Yeah, I thought that was pretty naive of her. She knows she got lucky with Ross, at least. And I like that Morwenna is involved, as she's been doing nothing (show-wise) for too long.

Who's this? Is it the guy —Hanson? I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who—after Ned and Kitty? Because he was at Dwight and Caroline's party as well as in the pub where Ross had to continually tell Ned to shut it. (And hee to Ross having to be the one to tell people to dial it back.)

I presume hoodlumsheep means Wickham, the government spy who is trying to recruit Ross, not Hanson. 

[Magnumfangirl]

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

I hope the show's writers don't ruin Winston Graham's characters for this final season.

In some ways they already have.  I wish they had done the time jump and stuck with the books.  

[TigerLynx]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Yeah, I thought that was pretty naive of her. She knows she got lucky with Ross, at least. And I like that Morwenna is involved, as she's been doing nothing (show-wise) for too long.

Who's this? Is it the guy —Hanson? I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who—after Ned and Kitty? Because he was at Dwight and Caroline's party as well as in the pub where Ross had to continually tell Ned to shut it. (And hee to Ross having to be the one to tell people to dial it back.)

I think Bond Villian refers to the guy whose face we didn't see last episode, but we did see him holding his pet.

I didn't like the prostitute comparison, but the writers also glossed over some very ugly realities.  Women had to marry for survival, and because it was expected (as in very little choice to say no) of them.  There were very few jobs for men let alone women, they paid very little, and if a woman couldn't find a husband, she could end up being forced into prostitution.

Edited October 14, 2019 by TigerLynx

[nodorothyparker]

Man, you could make a drinking game out of taking a shot every time someone frets over how impulsive and hot-headed Ned is or how he isn't likely to lead Ross anywhere good.  Even Ross was getting in on the act at one point before each of them took turns feeding off each other in going off half cocked.  I'm not even going to touch watching characters who are supposed to 40 and at least 50 something playing watch me leap over this gorge.

Did Demelza watch Season 1?  Because we did.  Blithely going along with Tess basically calling her a whore is a pretty harsh read on how things transpired between her and Ross.  While I don't doubt that as a domestic upjumped from being near starving mining stock that Ross's higher station in life certainly did factor into the attraction, Season 1 Demelza was at the very least deeply infatuated with him and had him on a serious pedestal.  This was also the same girl who packed herself up and was trudging back to her shitty father rather than hang around as a housemaid with benefits when she thought she was still going to be a poor second run to Elizabeth.  To take that characterization from the hired help and speak of herself in such mercenary terms when every woman there knows that they all each had to do the best they could in marrying for security because their society offers them so few other options feels out of character for her.  As noninteresting as I generally find the Brothers Carne, they're not wrong in asking WTH Demelza even puts up with Tess beyond some misguided sense that she has to personally save everyone who didn't marry up.

Hanson was positively vile to Kitty as was the not so good doctor handing out barbaric medieval treatments for mental illness and espousing racial theory of the day used to help justify slavery.  It's tough watching the show go down the same road Harlots did this past season in exploring how the treatment for madness and depression in this era was generally worse than the illnesses themselves, but I won't lie that I wasn't howling watching George sprinting through the woods and across the open fields in his nightgown to make a beeline for Nampara just in time to see Ross playing maybe daddy to Valentine.  Again Ross, try to remember to be grateful that Demelza is generous enough not to make a thing out of that big pile o' awkward that came through your door. 

Uncle Cary was hilarious being completely out of his depths in actually having to try to do something for once other than make snide comments.  In short order he managed to lose both George and Valentine, be entirely oblivious to the mine rescue, and let himself essentially be blackmailed into funding Geoffrey Charles's military education.

I'm glad the women are seeing the possibilities in educating a class of children that common wisdom of the day wouldn't have bothered with for no other reason that it gives Morwenna something to do other than make doe eyes in every scene.

[Haleth]

Wow, those scenes with George's "treatments" were brutal.  I'd feel sorry for him but I anticipate he will return to his own mean spirited self after Dwight helps him recover.  At least the situation allowed Ross to wrangle some cash from Uncle Cary for Geoffrey Charles.

Ned is a loose canon, however of course it was Ross who punched Hanson in the gut.  

I wish Caroline had more to do.  I miss her snark.

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I wish Caroline had more to do.  I miss her snark.

I was originally kind of charmed when she'd funnel her feelings and opinions through her pug, but now that she's been married for a while, it annoys me.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Jeez, when Demelza is smiling ear-to-ear, watch out, cuz trouble is a comin’!

Oh yeah, that Tess is an awesome employee.  Lazy as hell, horrible/nasty attitude, permanent sneering bitch-face & burns your house down & insults her boss at every turn.  Demelza seemed to relish Tess basically calling her a scheming, gold-digging ho.  WTF?  Uh, hardly something to smile about or casually dismiss, Demelza.

So did Dwight & Georgie look about this close to making out by the cliff?  Well, at least the setting looked romantic & George was dressed for it . . .

As lousy an actress as Morwenna is, she is clearly good with kids.  Idk, little Ross Jr (er, I mean Valentine) is a kinda good actor — maybe he could give Morwenna & Drake some badly needed coaching?

[Zella]

40 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

So did Dwight & Georgie look about this close to making out by the cliff?  Well, at least the setting looked romantic & George was dressed for it . . .

Bahahahaha I'm dying laughing at this! 😂

[nodorothyparker]

Considering how much the show has leaned on the grand romance of the pounding waves and windswept cliffs in the past?  Sure, why not.

I did love Valentine piping up as Uncle Cary was flailing about trying to keep his stories straight on where exactly George is supposed to be that basically "Nope, he's upstairs.  He's lying for ... reasons."  The kid nailed that bit.

The current Valentine doesn't have the same hilarious mop of curly black hair as his predecessor, but show, if you don't want me to laugh don't put him in scenes with the much much fairer pair playing Ross's acknowledged children while the characters who know about or strongly suspect the whole Ross-Elizabeth-George mess look on.

[Ohwell]

4 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Oh yeah, that Tess is an awesome employee.  Lazy as hell, horrible/nasty attitude, permanent sneering bitch-face & burns your house down & insults her boss at every turn.  Demelza seemed to relish Tess basically calling her a scheming, gold-digging ho.  WTF?  Uh, hardly something to smile about or casually dismiss, Demelza.

I swear, I don't understand why Demelza continues to employ Tess, especially after she burned the house and could have killed Demelza and the children.  I'm waiting for Prudie to clock the bitch and send her packing.

[HoodlumSheep]

On 10/14/2019 at 10:09 AM, TigerLynx said:

I think Bond Villian refers to the guy whose face we didn't see last episode, but we did see him holding his pet.

Yep. Mystery man with his pet falcon (Or whatever bird of prey he is). Belongs in a Bond film.

[dubbel zout]

I have no memory of that man! LOL.

[Toothbrush]

I almost stopped watching & considered deleting from the DVR after Ross' Simone Biles-esque twisting leap across the chasm at Wheal Plenty. But I've come this far, so may as well stick with it.  

I have no knowledge of the books (and am sorry to read upthread that the show is not, thus far anyway, following it for the wrap-up), but I think we are in for kinder, gentler Warleggens when all is said & done. The Warleggens & Poldarks will be singing kumbaya around the dinner table at Trenwith before we know it. All of this after an emotional scene between Ross & George at Elizabeth's grave, probably in the rain. 

The anachronisms are seriously annoying. 

[RachelKM]

Sooooo.... The Warleggans are apparently living rent free in Geoffrey Charles's home and estate, but also feel no obligation to assist him?  George was never actually Geoffrey Charles's guardian, despite acting as de facto guardian at Ross's acquiescence.   Since Geoffrey Charles is now an adult, they are essentially squatters.  The least they could do is help financially. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by RachelKM

[dubbel zout]

I wish the show hadn't dropped that thread. Why didn't Geoffrey Charles come into his inheritance when he turned 18? 

[Llywela]

3 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I wish the show hadn't dropped that thread. Why didn't Geoffrey Charles come into his inheritance when he turned 18? 

Because there's no money attached to it, I guess - Francis left very little, and without a fortune to pay for upkeep, a great house like Trenwith is little more than a lemon. Basically, the Warleggans hold all the leverage in the relationship. Plus, the age of majority at the time would have been 21 rather than 18, so he's still a ways off that.

[dubbel zout]

9 hours ago, Llywela said:

Plus, the age of majority at the time would have been 21 rather than 18, so he's still a ways off that.

Ah, well, that explains everything. Heh. Thanks, @Llywela.

[RachelKM]

11 hours ago, Llywela said:

Basically, the Warleggans hold all the leverage in the relationship. Plus, the age of majority at the time would have been 21 rather than 18, so he's still a ways off that.

I understand that GC may not have reached the age of majority for his inheritance, but that doesn't change the fact that George had no rights to the home and he apparently wasn't even still supporting GC.  Although Ross stepped back and allowed Elizabeth and George to manage GC's estate and inheritance, I don't recall George ever formally petitioning or becoming GC's guardian. 

So my earlier comment stands.  Apparently Cary and George* have no compunction about living in GC's home, a home to which they have no legal claim, without paying rent (the proceeds of which would have given GC some money with which to pay for his commission) and also don't feel obligated to support him in any fashion.  

*Granted, at this point George is in the midst of delusion that Elizabeth is still alive.  But if GC is an adult and they are no longer caring for him, even Elizabeth doesn't have much basis for living on her son's estate, especially when George can afford a home.

[Llywela]

On 11/25/2019 at 6:28 PM, RachelKM said:

I understand that GC may not have reached the age of majority for his inheritance, but that doesn't change the fact that George had no rights to the home and he apparently wasn't even still supporting GC.  Although Ross stepped back and allowed Elizabeth and George to manage GC's estate and inheritance, I don't recall George ever formally petitioning or becoming GC's guardian. 

So my earlier comment stands.  Apparently Cary and George* have no compunction about living in GC's home, a home to which they have no legal claim, without paying rent (the proceeds of which would have given GC some money with which to pay for his commission) and also don't feel obligated to support him in any fashion.  

*Granted, at this point George is in the midst of delusion that Elizabeth is still alive.  But if GC is an adult and they are no longer caring for him, even Elizabeth doesn't have much basis for living on her son's estate, especially when George can afford a home.

To be honest, the real reason is: because TV. This season slots in between books 7 and 8 but tells its own newly invented story - what we are told in the novels about George and Geoffrey Charles during this period doesn't necessarily tie in with what has been shown on-screen. So really, the reason George is still living at Trenwith - the reason George and Elizabeth have been at Trenwith throughout - is because it is easier for the show to use an existing set/location than to establish a new one!