Poldark Season One: How Does It Match Up To The Books?

Episode 6

Episode 6 is fairly by-the-book, even if everything is weirdly out of order. We get more snippets of Francis and Elizabeth’s lifestyle sans Grambler much earlier placed alongside Keren’s dissatisfaction with her new husband and gravitation to Enys, while Warleggan’s ball takes up most of the episode.

The devil is in the details for these scenes, and I want to talk most about the ball. If you recall, what’s meant to be a happy occasion is turned dark due to Jim’s death in the horrid conditions of his cell. Ross doesn’t want to go to the dance at all, but Verity insists, since reappearing in society will remind those he defied to try and save Jim that he is still a gentleman, and hard to get rid of.

This is one of the first times that I’m disappointed by the lack of small touches in BBC One’s series. To begin, there’s Demelza and Ross’s relationship throughout. Her reasons for wanting to go to the ball and Ross’s acceptance of them are muted in the series. So too are the pains he goes to for her dress and necklace. Then, there’s their fight on the dance floor. It actually resolves itself, somewhat, in the novel with an acknowledgment that today has been a really hard day and they are both being loud and difficult. It sounds like…well, like two married people having a fight. I missed that in the series, and it results in a steeper downward slide into their falling out in the next episode.

We also miss the outcome of Ross calling out Sanson’s cheating. In the novel, the result is that everyone sees his cheating was real. In the series, we only get Ross’s accusation with no pay-off, making it more understandable when everyone gangs up on him for his outburst later. There’s a heavy emphasis on his drunkenness and his anger during these scenes, while we see less of Demelza’s various suitors and attempts to stay afloat. The focus is all on Ross, where it should be equally on Demelza.

And last, let’s talk about Aunt Agatha again. She’s a bit superstitious in the books, and the series has interpreted that via her tarot cards, allowing them to foreshadow certain events and build suspense. It’s cool, but I’d still rather nix the cards for more lines like her lazy response to Francis’s query, “What is wrong with the women of this family?” Her correct answer: “The men.”

Next: Episode 7