'Poldark' Recap: Season 5, Episode 5

Previously on Poldark: Ned, who is getting more irritating by the day, leads a rag tag group of protesters to Trenwith to guilt George Warleggan into reopening his mind, an argument he’d probably have been more open to initially if Ned hadn’t broken his arm first. As for George, he seems pretty much over his recent, possibly years-long mental decline, thanks to Dwight’s magical doctoring skills, and honestly did we expect anything that might be mistaken for nuance? Oh, and our aged-up Geoffrey Charles is in love with the racist slave trader Hansen’s daughter Cecily, only her trash dad has decided she should marry George instead. Yikes. (Need more details: Check out our Episode 4 recap.)

The fifth episode of Poldark’s final season is far too busy for its own good, cramming at least half a dozen storylines together into this hour. Some of them are charming and emotional (Christmas in Cornwall, literally anything to do with Morwenna), and some of them are honestly a hot mess. (George’s complicated attempt to entrap Ned and Ross into what appears to be treason? IDK.)   And one of them – the revelation of trash Hansen’s secret partner – is a total dud.

So, remember that guy they’ve been showing us creeping around the shadows of London, ominously stroking his pet falcon and doing everything short of laughing maniacally like Doctor Evil? Well, you’d be forgiven if you thought that unidentified person was going to turn out to be important in some way, given that Poldark seemed to really want you to think that. Instead, it’s a dude named Merceron, who I legit had to look up on Wikipedia because I was the human embodiment of that Keke Palmer “Sorry to this man” meme when the episode dramatically revealed his face. Who cares?