Poldark: 3 questions for season 5 episode 5

We’re on the final stretch of Poldark season 5 and with just three episodes to go, we’ve got a few questions that still need to be answered.

We’re on the final stretch of Poldark’s fifth – and final! – season and with just three episodes to go, we thought we’d ask a few of the burning questions that have yet to be addressed.

1. Is George up to his old tricks again?

Given that the preview to the fifth episode of Poldark’s fifth season contains a truly classic George Warleggan moment, you might hope that all of his previous troubles have passed for the time being.

But that, unfortunately, does not bode well for his long-time adversaries; namely anyone bearing the name of Poldark.

Indeed, it is his relationship with Ross that provides the classic George moment in the first place.

“He is the hero. I am the villain,” he tells his Uncle Cary rather jealously in the preview. The solution according to our esteemed man of extraordinary chin height?

“Revenge.”

Yes, because that’s a word that every hero’s sentence ends in. It’s almost an aspirational level of petty, but we can’t imagine we’ll feel that way once the episode actually airs.

Because what exactly does this revenge constitute? Will his strong dislike of his stepson, and Geoffrey Charles’ dreadful handsome uncle, be enough to persuade him into the marriage of Cecily Hanson arranged by her father and his nefarious ally Ralph?

Knowing George’s level of petty, absolutely.

2. Is Drake going to get into difficulties…again?

Drake Carne arrived on Poldark during season 3 and he has spent the rest of that time getting into difficulties. For someone whose entire demeanor is akin to a puppy’s, it is extremely hard to watch.

However, up until now, Drake’s myriad array of problems has largely been of someone else’s making. But not this time. Drake has a severe lapse in judgement, one so big that even Demelza, a woman used to the lapses in judgment of men, is flabbergasted.

First, some context. Morwenna, his beloved wife who is struggling to connect with him as a result of her abuse at the hands of her first husband, has found new purpose in setting up a toy school for the local Cornish children. But that proximity to the wee ones has only heightened her feelings for her own estranged son. A product of her time with Ossie though he may be, she always loved him, and actually, it’s taken rather a long time for the series to address it, but better late than never.

Long story short, she’s been visiting her lost little lord, and Drake found out, and now seems to have abducted him in order to please his wife, without thought of what could happen to either of them when the baby’s grandmother (a ruthless member of the upper classes, in case we’d forgotten) finds out.

Now we said he’s a puppy, but this is classic a kitten leaving a dead mouse in the kitchen as a prize for its owner, isn’t it? John Conan being far preferable to a dead mouse, of course, but still – Morwenna didn’t ask.

Life is going to get a lot more complicated for the Carnes this week and it’s all because Morwenna married a tower of baby animals in a blacksmith’s apron.

Swings and roundabouts, really.

3. Will Ross ever be able to resist a fight?

The fact that Ross Poldark is loyal to a fault is one of his most attractive attributes but when it comes to Ned Despard, his loyalty seems a little bit more like willful ignorance.

Yet again, having mostly escaped the wrath of Sir George last episode, Ned is throwing punches and catching hands, and from Ross’ bloody nose in the preview, we can only assume he’s having a go too.

All this whilst Dwight’s handy voiceover warns him that whatever happens to Ned does not happen to him alone.

Will Ross be able to save his friend, even from himself? Or will his loyalty be tested? Find out this Sunday when Poldark continues.