Poldark Recaps

Previously on Poldark: Vile George decides to offer Morwenna in marriage to a particularly awful and odious man named Reverend Whitworth, just because he has rich family connections. This plan runs into a small roadblock in the form of Morwenna who, possessing free will and insisting she doesn’t love this creep, runs into Drake’s arms the first chance she gets. Elsewhere, Ross saves the day by helping to bring grain to starving villagers and giving a bunch of former Wheal Leisure employees jobs after George fires them. And Warleggan wonders why people like Ross best.

You can read the rest of our recap from last week here, if you need more detail.

This week’s episode of Poldark is slightly less fun than last week’s, if only because the really long boring battle scenes where people fire guns at each other in poorly lit confined spaces are back, and they add less than nothing to the show. 

Previously, on Poldark: Ross stages an overly dramatic trip to France, where he gets kicked out of the country and fights a pack of dudes all so he can get a list confirming that Dwight’s being held prisoner there. Elsewhere, Drake and Morwenna flirt adorably some more, Demelza helps her brothers secure a meeting house for their church, and George becomes the worst magistrate in the world in record time.

It seems worth saying: This week’s episode of Poldark finally seems like a return to form. There are multiple interesting subplots, some swoony romance, and Ross manages to actually act like a hero again for the first time in what feels like a year. More of this, please, show, and thank you. 

Previously, on Poldark: Season 3 kicked off by introducing us to a bunch of new faces, including Demelza’s two eye-candy brothers, Sam and Drake, as well as Elizabeth’s sweet, but poverty-stricken cousin, Morwenna. In the way of star-crossed youths everywhere, Drake and Morwenna immediately hit it off, as tensions continue to rise between Trenwith and Nampara. Elsewhere, Elizabeth continues to hope that her vile husband won’t notice that her baby is due about a month earlier than she told him it would be, and throws herself down some stairs to provide an excuse for her son’s early birth. In happier news, Dwight and Caroline finally tie the knot, but he’s only gets 24 hours to spend in England before he’s back on a boat and getting taken prisoner by the French. Time for Ross the rescue, obviously! 

(Need more than just a paragraph? Check out last week’s full recap here.) 

So, it seems fair to say that Season 3 of Poldark really is going to be a whole new thing, this time around. Episodes seem deliberately less focused on Ross, at least at this point, and actively encourage us as viewers to invest ourselves in other characters. I think this idea is working, as I’m actually curious to see where the show goes this season, and I’m actively thinking about things other than the various ways that Ross Poldark has made me angry of late.

Previously, on Poldark: There’s way too much to fit here. We’ve got recaps if you need a refresher on anything that’s gone down so far on the beautiful Cornish coast. (And yours truly hasn’t recapped anything around here since Victoria, so bear with me while I get back in the swing of this, y’all.)

For a variety of reasons, Poldark Season 2 had some rough patches. The series’ main character didn’t always behave like a hero. Its central romance fell apart, and though the couple came back together by the end, we’re not quite sure if their relationship can possibly be the same afterward. (Or, at least, I’m not.)

Happily, though, something about this season feels as though its changed. Maybe it’s that the show finally seems to be opening up to a world beyond the drama of Ross and Demelza’s relationship. Maybe these new characters are the breath of fresh air the show needed. Whatever it is, it’s true that even though we’re only an episode into this season, the changes already seem to be for the better. Here’s hoping, at least. 

Previously on Poldark: Ross waffles some more about his feelings for Elizabeth and Demelza. For her part, Demelza has had quite enough of Ross’ awful behavior, and lets him know about it. She also takes herself to a house party where she tries to commit some revenge adultery with Captain MacNeil. She can’t go through with it in the end, but she can’t seem to forgive Ross either. (And his attitude is not helping.) Elsewhere, Elizabeth gets tired of putting her life in limbo for Ross, and marries George Warleggan. And I debate whether I can start a petition to ban all men in Cornwall, and let the women of Poldark build their own matriarchy.

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here. 

Previously on Poldark: Elizabeth agrees to marry Vile George Warleggan, because she’s a broke widow with a child who’s out of options. Ross, as you might expect, doesn’t take well to this news and barges over to Trenwith to confront his ex about her choices that have no impact on his life at all. The two of them end up sleeping together, in an act that’s in an uncomfortable grey area, consent-wise. (Surprise: Ross is the worst!) Elsewhere, things are looking up for a moment at Wheal Grace when the miners discover a significant tin deposit, but a cave-in destroys all their hopes. (And kills a couple of people.) Dwight gets a letter from Caroilne, asking him to stop writing to her. And Ross admits to Demelza that he “had no choice” but to sleep with Elizabeth, and she knocks him flat.

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here. 

Previously on Poldark: Ross and his miner friends locate Mark Daniels, but his knowledge of Wheal Grace doesn’t help them find any copper. Dwight and Caroline make plans to run off together and get married, even though he’s struggling with leaving his village life behind. Elizabeth has complicated feelings about Ross. Demelza weirdly seems angry at Elizabeth for existing than she does at Ross for being a jerk. Dwight discovers the identity of the informer that’s been telling the local soldiers about the smugglers running in and out of area coves, he leaves Caroline waiting to go help his friends. The soldiers and the smugglers scuffle, but all the locals manage to get away without being captured. Well done, Dwight! Unfortunately, Caroline doesn’t think so, and heads off to London with her Uncle Ray. She says she expects she’ll never see Dwight again, since its obvious his art is really with his patients and their village.

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here. 

Previously on Poldark: Demelza is irritated that Ross is spending so much time helping Elizabeth, who’s still reeling in the aftermath of her husband’s death. The Warleggans call in Ross’ debt, and the threat of debtors is real when he can’t pay. Happily, Caroline Penvenen, who has come into her majority, decides to secretly buy out Ross’ loan so he doesn’t have to go to jail. Caroline’s romance with Dwight is also moving along. Her Uncle Ray tells him to leave his niece alone because she’s above his station, but Dwight and Caroline continue to go on what appears to be daily rides together and talk about what their life together might look like. Oh, and Ross and Demelza finally make up when he buys her some pointless and expensive stockings. Yay?

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here. 

Previously on Poldark: The timeline of our story jumps forward roughly a year. Vile George Warleggan and his equally Vile Uncle arrange to purchase Ross’ debt from the bank, with plans to call it in and ruin him. Elsewhere, Ross and Elizabeth have a weird personal conversation at a big dinner party, where they talk about their feelings for each other in front of like 20 other people. Which is apparently not weird at all. Elizabeth says it’s definitely possible to be in love with two men at once, and they skirt around admitting that they still wish they had gotten a chance together. Caroline and Dwight reunite and talk about how bad they both are at dating. They also manage to kiss though, so things turnout okay. What does NOT turn out okay is Francis’ storyline because he ends up drowned. 

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here. 

Previously on Poldark: Desperate to get out from under the thumb of Vile George Warleggan, Ross and Francis decide to go into business together and reopen the mine at Wheal Leisure. They’re pretty excited about it, and it’s very cute to watch the whole Poldark clan mend fences and reunite with one another. Francis even decides to finally forgive Verity for marrying Andrew Blamey! Elsewhere, Dwight Enys teaches Caroline Penvenen about how hard it is to get medical treatment as a poor person. As a result, she donates several batches of oranges to help those villagers stricken with scurvy and she and Dwight flirt some more. Elsewhere, Demelza goes into labor in a rowboat, before being rescued by Ross and giving birth to a boy.

Need more details? You can find last week’s recap here.