Poldark's on the horizon (looking broodingly out to sea...)

[MaQueen]

So, only a matter of a few weeks left before we can all, once more, immerse ourselves in the societal & economic dynamics of 18th century rural Cornwall perve at Aiden Turner's snug breeches and clenched jawline

Anyone else excited??? Am really going to make a vair serious effort to actually pay attention to the plot this time - it's something to do with tin mining, I think [hesitant]

And he's not even old. The portly vicar is positively baby faced. So may have decades yet of that behaviour in him.

RIPAuntAgatha. what a fantastic character.
The Morwenna storyline is awful but not baseless; Women had so little ways to support themselves in those days.

The bit about the funeral (or lack of one) didn't ring quite true. Where is Verity in all this?

Did Verity ever return from high tailing it off to Portugal to meet her missing husband?

Did Morwenna's sister make a loaded reply when Morewenna said something about being married to the Vicar "til death us do part"?

Poor Aunt Agatha, where is Verity.

How did Morwenna's sister know that showing the vicar her foot would send him running from the room?

I think she was flashing her cleavage as she bent down too.

She seems far more worldly than Morwenna!

I don’t think she was showing her feet, I think she was flashing her cleavage. She can’t know about the feet yet.

In the books little sister is a knowing little minx.

I hope verity comes asking questions

I expect George will now torture Elizabeth into madness

I did not like young mr armitage last night he was creepy

Ah yes cleavage not feet! I was just having a horrid flashback to the vicar and the other woman

I have 2 episodes yet to watch and don't think I can stomach what is about to befall poor Morwenna. If I was Morwenna's mother I would give George a bloody good hiding .. and Elizabeth. No one hurts my kids.

Is it just me, or do Ross and Demelza have a really dysfunctional relationship? He has no care for her and makes decisions as though he is a bachelor while she whinges about how he doesn't speak to her enough and so wants to make him jealous.

How can Hugh fall so madly in love with her. He has only met her twice?

Other than his great looks, how can she be SO easily tempted? A few months ago she was desperately relieved Ross came back from France. Only a year ago she considered leaving Ross because she, "wasnt content to be second best"? She went on about vows they had made to each other. Yet a few compliments from young Hugh and she's forgotten all that!

I mean is it just me or is there no consistency? One minute they are so in love, next they couldnt give a toss!

Yes good point where is Verity? Agree that the no funeral didn't ring true, surely Elizabeth would have organised something??

George is like a ridiculous pantomime villain, I boo every time he comes on screen

Poor Morwenna

I thought Rowella did know about the foot fetish thing. When Morwenna confessed about Drake didn't she say "Tell me of him, tell me everything"? I assumed Morwenna confessed the whole sorry saga then, no doubt glad to finally have someone to unburden it all to. They have glossed over quite a lot, especially the wedding night when I seem to remember from the book Osborne said a prayer then tickled her feet before raping her.

Yes maybe you’re right. I get confused juggling three different versions in my head!

OnePotato2Potato in the book this series is based on their relationship is very strained mainly due to the fallout of what happened with Elizabeth and demelzas suspicion that valentine is ross's. Ross does tend to go off and do what he likes and is very impulsive most of the time. I have read most of the books and I did spend a lot of the time irritated with ross. Armitage does fall for demelza very intensely very rapidly in the books too but he is a poet after all

Thanks Dulra

I'm very tempted to read the books, I'm sure it won't glide over things like a tv series would... In fact, to be honest, I've read reviews with spoilers so I know what goes on . I just find myself rooting for them to be happy but then there are too many obstacles for them to overcome.

I've got a very busy summer but plan on starting the books when the kids go back in September!

The last two episodes weren't bad. More going on and George been dealt a final blow by the Aunt before she passed on. Thank goodness for Rowella who is a bit more feisty than her sister, and good to see Damelza getting some romance.

While I'm ranting... Another thing that annoys me slightly is the attitude some characters have towards Christianity/religion in general. It's as though they are too intelligent to believe in a higher being but would this have been a prevalent attitude at the time? Especially being so open about thinking it's all nonsense. Rich and poor alike speak up about how they don't believe in God or how they are not dependent on God because they are too sensible etc

Demelza, Ross, Prudie, Zacky Martin, Tholly's daughter come to mind.

Anyone else sense this too?

I don’t know, with a couple of exceptions they all seemed pretty God-fearing in the books. I know Methodists were seen as trouble makers hence the mistrust of the group that turned up at Sawle church (coupled with a dislike of Demelza’s brothers) and Ross’s lack of patience with them, but I don’t think there was any anti religious feeling generally.

I've thought that too OnePotato. I'm sure they would almost all have just gone along to church and believed in those days. That's why even small villages had such big churches.

Yes, the TV series differs a bit from the books in the way religious scepticism is shown. Modern sensibility creeping in?

I didn't think Ross was all that 'God fearing', which is why he had doubts about Demelza's brothers and their preaching at first. I've been having a skim through the books to refresh my memory of the bits the tv series has missed out (so I can annoy Dh with my grumbling ), and there's a part in The Black Moon where Demelza actually asks him what he thinks and he makes quite a speech of it. I've just been back and looked it up.

"What are your religious views, Ross? Do you have any I wish I knew." "Oh - practically none, my love." He stared into the sulky fire. "I imbibed from my father a sceptical attitude to all religions; he considered them foolish fairy-tales. But I don't go so far as that. I have little use for religion as it is practised, or for astrology, or for belief in witchcraft or omens of good or ill-luck. I think they all stem from some insufficiency in men's minds, perhaps from a lack of a willingness to feel themselves utterly alone. But now and then I feel that there is something beyond the material world, something we all feel intimations of but cannot explain. Underneath the religious vision there is the harsh fundamental reality of our lives, because we know we must live and die as the animals we are. But sometimes I suspect that under that harsh reality there is a further vision, still deeper based, that comes nearer to true reality than the reality we know."

"Hm," said Demelza, rocking gently. "I am not sure that I know what you mean but I think I do." "When you are fully conversant with it," Ross said, "pray explain it to me." She laughed.

This was after Demelza had asked about letting her brothers build a church on their land and Ross wasn't too keen at first thinking it 'an awkward favour to be asked'.

I agree it's not really 'anti-religious feeling' though. I think it's more to do with Ross's restless and sceptical personality and I suppose he's seen more of the world than most of the locals so he's bound to have some different views on such things. He's still happy to go to weddings etc and have his children christened.