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]

Well George is partly a monster because of Ross's constant buliying of him at school - didn't like when they all laughed (including saintly Drake) about the toads. Elizabeth and Agatha and GC would have been destitute isf not for George. Strange that Ross seemingly champions the poor in a noblesse oblige way but George who is from a poor but made good is so rotten ot the peasants.

I didn't really believe the stand off scene with Tholly - would Demelza's religious brother take up arms? and would the starving crowd disperse because Ross says - look chaps, in 5 or so years when I can stand as an MP, we'll start to sort it - Really? Does that happen in the books?

Drake looked pretty good later that day considering he was bashed unconscious ! Do you think Demelza regretted her pity shag? It didn't seem to have much passion. And Prudie who egged Demelza on and ratted on Ross looked all demure and shame faced when Ross asked if Demelza was out and told him they had had a "visitor" - she could have kept quiet about that!

'Strange that Ross seemingly champions the poor in a noblesse oblige way but George who is from a poor but made good is so rotten ot the peasants.'

Tbf George isn't bothered if they starve so why would they have any affection for him, at least Ross feeds them. George and his fam have pulled that ladder of success up behind them. They despise the poor and hate to be reminded of their humble origins.

Sorry I read your post wrong. I thought you were saying the peasants should look more kindly on George and he's 'one of their own'.

Ignore me

And no there wasn't much passion in the sand dune shag. I bet it was all a bit humpy and awkward with sand in every crevice.

No squoosh you are right - I did not express myself well. Ross bullied George for being from a lowly background at school but usually champions the poor (and married Demelza). Agatha told George he was bullied by Ross at school because he tried to hide and deny his lowly origins instead of owning them. I don't know - it just seems that the writer has tried to make Ross and George's motivations a bit complex but then just makes George a total pantomime villain.

I think I just get a bit fed up in period dramas/novels with the main aristos being portrayed as kindly and having the best interests of their subordinates in mind at all times - Ross, The Granthams in Downtown, the protagonist in A Horseman Riding, The Cazalets etc. The idea that the poor inferiors can't manage things for themselves without their "betters" largesse. The Cameron/Osbourne and to some extent Blair regimes smacked of that - that we need public school toffs to take the lead and sort things out for us, as if we are not as clever and more childlike than them. The Nouveau Riche characters are often portrayed as not understanding that responsibilities to the poor come with their privilege.

Sir Francis Bassett is very attractive and I love his voice. Reminds me of Philip Madoc if anyone remembers him.

so is Rowella pregnant? And was she trying to help Morwella, or is she just a minx?

I couldn't work this out either! Presumably she was doing it (yuck!) it to help her sister? Is she really actually pregnant? Did she really want to marry to the odd librarian man??

The actor who plays George is superb!

I think she and ginger librarian man may be equally cunning and conniving.

It's not like Ossie could demand to see the Boots pregnancy test. I'm sure in the book Morwena was worn out with looking after his daughters as well and the house wasn't nice.

Weren't they living in Truro, so miles away from Trenwith? Morwenna was deeply disturbed by all that had happened and Drake was told to forget her and move on, not hang about outside her house. She was also much more involved with the 2 little girls. Where have they gone?

My 10 yo last week asked me if Rowella was trying to keep Ozzie away from her sister to protect her, which I thought was good reasoning from a child.

Sir Francis Bassett is very attractive and I love his voice. Reminds me of Philip Madoc if anyone remembers him.

Yes I'd have a bit of Sir Francis too. He's dishy and has principles to boot. Winner all round

Interesting how the characters on TV are so different physically from those in the novels.There Elizabeth is very fair, fragile and dainty, Caroline is a fiery redhead and Demelza is dark-haired. Not sure Demelza's 'red' hair is very convincing on TV. George is the bull-necked son of a blacksmith, not the rather fey and aristocratic-looking TV version.
Elizabeth swore on the bible that she hadn't 'given herself' to another man - she's still convinced she was an unwilling victim of Ross's rape advance.

Meant to add.. the series' so far have covered almost 7 of the Poldark novels. Lots more to come.

Caroline is one of the best characters in the books. Independent, sardonic witty. This version has made her dull as hell.

Unfortunately I Rowella's motives for shagging the vicar were all about her own gains. She never seemed to show any real affection or sympathy for her sister. She just saw a pervert who would be easy to manipulate. I expect the pregnancy is a bluff. The affair gave Morwenna the chance to regain some strength and fight back but does seem a bit unbelievable that habitual rapist would give up that easily. Guess it shows how pathetic he is.

Two wrongs don't make a right and all that but I must admit I enjoyed seeing Ross getting a taste of his own medicine as he lay there waiting for Demelza to return. Has he finally realised he can't take her for granted?

I don't remember Prudie egging Demelza on the have her fling with Hugh, I don't remember her knowing anything about it. Might be wrong though.

AndromedaPerseus, it's funny you should say that about the portraits. I actually remarked to Dh that the girl who plays Rowella is the first person I've seen who looks like paintings we've seen in stately homes etc. She's got that pale skin and big-eyed look, and also it's the hands. I've always thought the hands in the paintings look a bit un-natural, as if the artist has tried to make them look more dainty than they really are, but Rowella's do look like that!

Pixel

Yeah she did because she saw Ross briefly kiss Elizabeth in church a week or two back and she said to D oh well Ross is up to things so why can't you be (not those exact words but you get the gist)

I haven't read the books and I have lost patience a bit with the series, I hope next season is better. I feel it is written very much from a man's perspective, morwanna's (sp?) sister wouldn't let that awful vicar touch her, she might tease him and maybe even lead him on a bit to give her sister a break from him, but no way she would have sex with him, after all unlike her poor sister she is not obliged to. For a woman in her circumstances to lose her reputation and risk pregnancy with a married man she didn't even like, ludicrous. What woman would threaten to kill her own child, to avoid having sex with her husband?
And the one time demelza is unfaithful it's a pity shag, what woman does that, couldn't she just have had her head turned. OK rant over, it just feels like it was written by a man who knows nothing about women at all.

She has sex with him in the book so why would they change it for TV? The books are written more from Demelza's perspective than anyone else in my opinion, but this TV series is very different.

Winston Graham wrote about women wonderfully, better than about the men in a lot of cases. What he wasn’t very good at was writing happy marriages. In the much later books Dwight and Caroline are very much an afterthought because he simply didn’t know what to do with them once they were settled. (There’s a way to go yet though ).

Re Morwenna’s threats, I really don’t think they’re showing just how much she despises and is disgusted by Ossie. And the child is his mini me. She has zero connection to John Conan in the books and that with her mental state makes it totally believable that she would harm him rather than let Ossie near her again. She’s in a desperate place.

Yes I didn't think the bit where she hugged the baby and apologised to him was true to the book. She had no feelings towards him really other than horror at his similarity to Ossie.

Deadringee in the book Demelza doesn't bonk Lt Armitage. She goes to his room at a party but cops out and runs away.
And Morwenna's sister DOES shag Ozzie.

WHY would Rowella shag Osbourne though?! I can't work out her motivation. Is it purely so she can blackmail him?

Herat I think you might be getting mixed up with Captain McNeil a few years before. She did run away from him at a party (I wouldn’t have. I would have stayed and shagged him ). She did have it away with Soggy Hugh the Wet Haddock with a load of seals for an audience. Him I definitely would have kicked into touch, impending blindness or not!