Poldark Season 2 Recap: The Trial of the 18th Century

Poldark returns to the American airwaves with sex, death and the Trial of the 18th Century, and Poldark is tried for last season’s cliffhanger.

And we’re back for another round of Snarkin’ on Poldark! It’s been over a year since Aidan Turner smoldered darkly on our screens and doffed his shirt at completely hilarious moments. But after the BBC delayed the return of Season 2 to the fall, PBS had no choice but to run it almost as soon as humanly possible afterwards, with only enough delay to smash together the first two episodes (and then wait for the Emmys to pass) before it could start airing.

For those who might not remember, when we last left our hero, he was in the middle of a literal cliffhanger on the side of a cliff (Poldark is nothing if not on the nose with these things.) When we return, Ross is being dragged away to face…Ross Poldark (the 1975 vintage version, natch) who sends his younger self off to be tried and acquitted over the next two hours.

Acquitted? SPOILER ALERT! Except not, since, what with Aidan Turner having the bulk of the lines over the next eight episodes, this outcome is simply a given. It’s simply a matter of how we get there.

“Ross, how do we get there if I don’t have a hat?”

(Image via BBC)

In PBS’ defense, with the outcome already assured, the choice to smash these episodes together into a grand two hour season premiere a la Downton Abbey makes sense. Having watched it BBC style as two episodes over the course of two weeks, by the middle of hour two, the need to get on with it already was becoming obvious. PBS manages, with the usual, almost unnoticeable slimmings of scenes to make that just a bit less of a wait.

"Warleggan: “You look well.”Aunt Agatha: “I do not! And neither do you. Pasty-faced. Consequence of sitting too long indoors fingering coins.”"

Unfortunately in doing so it rushes the entrances of a pair of new and important characters. On the side of evil, we’ve added a character in the form of Tankard, the Wormtail to Warleggan’s ever more evilicious Voldemort of Cornwall. (If he looks familiar, that’s because you last saw him as a minion to General “Bill Weasley” Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.) On the side of good, we’ve added Caroline Penvenen, she of the well placed pug. (Actress Gabriella Wilde was rather obviously pregnant during filming.) Book readers know why orphan Caroline, ward of Ray Penvenen, will be important later down the line. For now, let’s just admire her and Doctor Enys meeting cute, shall we? That poor twit Unwin Trevaunance (what a name) doesn’t stand a chance.

“Please look at the pug, not the way my dress hangs.”

(Screenshot image via the BBC)

Also unfortunately lost in the rush to justice being served, the major cliffhanger that sat at the end of episode 1 on the BBC, as we were left wonder on the State of Francis. Had he really offed himself so early in the season? Or would the show honor the books and make his powder too wet to fire? The poor Brits had to wait a whole week for the answer, us Americans had to wait ten minutes.

"Unwin Trevaunance: “That must be the crowd clamouring for me! Will you join me outside?”Caroline: “Why not? I do enjoy a baying mob.”"

But these quibbles aside, the joy of returning to the progressive virtues of this male bodice ripping historical fantasy cannot be ignored. Especially as the realities of the extreme conservatism continue to ruin lives in the UK and possibly soon over here as well. And of course, once more, The Tourist Board of Cornwall would like to thank the BBC’s principle photography team for all they do to fill their county’s coffers.

“The hats and hairdos of Poldark”

(Screengrabbed Images via BBC)

Personally, I would like to thank Elizabeth and Demelza and all they do for hats, the same way that Ross Poldark does for abs. I’ve missed Demelza’s determination and wiley wits that get her into the upper class rooms that would close themselves to her if they had their druthers–even if this time her meddling actually nearly did her husband in. (Win some, lose some.) Heck I even missed the drunken louts of Jud and Prudie, especially once Jud turned hostile witness on the stand. We even got a Verity cameo, even if her job was mostly to allow Francis to be extra asinine. (We could have told you that without Aunt Agatha’s fortune teller cards.)

"Elizabeth: “Not once have I known you forecast an outcome that was remotely cheering.”Aunt Agatha: “I’m not divining the future. I’m entertaining myself with a game of snap. Go to Bodmin, Elizabeth.”"

With one health scare for Francis down, Elizabeth refusing him sex scenes when it is clearly the time in which the episode pauses for sex scenes, and his days probably numbers, the choice to evil up Warleggan to the point where his lack of mustache to twirl is a glaring oversight is interesting. As is the choice to have Elizabeth doing the grooming of him to try to get Ross found innocent. One would almost like to grab Francis by the lapels and scream at him that he has to live in order to keep that from being Elizabeth’s second marriage.

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But the trial has come and gone! Ross is freed, Francis survives, Elizabeth looks confused and Demelza….is with child. Because of course she is. We look forward to the drama of that coming out next week.