Poldark ends the only way it knows how: with four bangs, three reunions, two babes and a thwarted revolution. And Demelza triumphant, praise be.
After a season with many more lows than highs, tonight’s finale had to pack a lot of loose ends to tie up, a lot of unfinished accounts to settle and of course the Showdown We’ve All Been Waiting For. Tonight’s title fight between “Gorgeous” George Warleggan and the Barechested Brawler himself Ross Poldark has been two years in the making. And after shot after shot of George practicing his own vision of Fight Club in the parlor over the course of the season, we knew it would all come to a head tonight.
"Jud: “Them Frenchies had the right idea.”"
Perhaps what was not quite foreseen was how the situation would play out. With Ross’ marriage in shambles, and Elizabeth now married to the Warleggan Mob, we were treated to a sight not seen since the very beginning of Season 1: Ross re-Red Coated and planning to run away from his problems, ratehr than face them head on. But we know that would never do. And when word comes that Jud–JUD! of all people–has decided to go stage his own version of the French Revolution, with Trenwith as stand in for Versaille, Ross turns out to be riding into the courtyard not to lead the charge against George, but to stop it. (The irony, since at the beginning of the season, the elites were convinced Ross would be the one fomenting revolution.) Not because he cares so much for George. But no one wants Elizabeth’s head off in a basket. (Even if that means it would be easier to take it out and ask it who the father of her baby is. That might be easier than her facing the answer with dread. “Make it who’s ever you want, I’m super dead!”)
Image via BBC
Does George appreciate Ross’ rescue ride? Of course not. It’s showdown time. And a showdown between Ross and George…well, you remember how that went last time for George, right? I really hope he’s getting his money back for those fighting lessons from Wormtail, because they don’t go any better this time either. No, his nose isn’t broken, but as Ross rides off George is trying to hold back tears of pride wounded deep. And that’s not including the fact that, if it weren’t for the speedy actions of some bewigged servants, George might have come out of this bout looking like Poldark‘s very own version of Sandor Clegane, as Ross seriously considers offering Elizabeth’s scarecrow of a husband a little fire.
"Poldark: “My idiocy has been spectacular.”"
Instead of leaving Warleggan as ugly on the outside as he is in his soul, Ross ends up riding off with Demelza for the second major fight that’s been brewing all season, as the two of them have it out once and for all over his
rape of
infidelity with Elizabeth. (Man, changing that really changed some of these later scenes. The throwdown between Demelza and Elizabeth for instance becomes All About Righteous Demelza instead of something far more complex.) But if you were thinking this would be the end of Ross and Demelza, you haven’t read enough bodice rippers. Instead, Ross finally says aloud what all of us have been thinking: that he has been a spectacular maroon all season, and perhaps even since the very beginning of the program. And Demelza, bless her fierce, proud, steadfast and true little heart, takes him back yet again, to try once more in Season 3.
Image via BBC
Demelza and Ross aren’t the only ones who are going to try again. Our third major bang of the evening comes from the joy of Enys and Caroline, reuniting again, and it feels so good. And only after a couple of episodes’ delay. Bergerac may have relished telling Enys that Caroline would shortly be engaged to someone who was not him, in punishment for having his diet of sugar and wine ordered cut off, but Caroline once again has other plans. There’s only one problem–that signing up for the Navy that Enys went and did. Let’s all hope said turn at sea will be short, and his time at war survivable. And that just because Gabriella Wilde will no longer have a baby bump to hide does not mean the end of Horace the Pug.
"Caroline: “The ones who suffer most are those who ignore their heart’s desires and spend the rest of their lives regretting it.”"
Speaking of pregnancy bumps, that was a hell of a spread they strapped to poor Verity wasn’t it? At least one character is happy to be spawning. (And after all the drama and sadness around her, it’s good to see Verity happy, damn it. We’ve all but overlooked her these last few weeks in recap world.) Meanwhile, in our other thunderclap of a pregnancy, Elizabeth may have doubled down her commitment to George after his run in with Ross, but it’s Aunt Agatha who’s doing the math. And reminding Elizabeth that George has ten fingers and can count on them the six weeks she held him waiting, and realize they are equal to the six weeks early that baby could very well arrive. Let’s just hope it doesn’t have long, dark brown corkscrew curls as well. That’s going to be hard to explain.
Image via BBC
Speaking of our curly haired hero, and Demelza’s prize for surviving this season, that whole tin mining thing might work out for him after all. In our fourth and final major dramatic plot turn, after every sign suggesting that this new mine was a boondoggle of foolishness, they have struck gold… err, well tin, anyway. As gods as their witness, may Demelza never have to take smuggled goods under her floorboards again. “Against all odds, we struck tin!” He delivers that line in such a way that one almost expects Phil Collins will include it in the soundtrack. Take a look at him now.
Next: Poldark Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: She Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You
And that wraps up our second season of the Poldark reboot, as we close pretty close to the end of Book 4, Warleggan. With this second season delayed this year by the BBC from spring to fall, filming Season 3 is already well underway. The question is if the BBC will decide that going up against Season 2 of Victoria next fall would be a fool’s errand and air Poldark Season 3 in spring of 2017 instead. Either way, it will be a good year’s wait over here on PBS until we see Trenwith and our Poldark clan again in 2017.