Poldark season 5 episode 6 review: Ned and gone
Oh no, Poldark season five has claimed its first casualty. And to make matters worse, Ross has been thrown down a well. Can our hearts take any more?
Let’s start with the most shocking moment of this week’s episode of Poldark, shall we? Show us someone who didn’t startle at Ross being knocked out in the closing moments, and we’ll show you a liar.
Just as we were winding down from the drama, and watching an unforgiving close-up of our boy sobbing, we saw naught but a shadow as it took out Ross and truly put the cliff in cliffhanger. We barely had time to appreciate that the show had allowed its ultra-masculine hero to show his emotions before the moment was stolen away. We, for one, shall be suing.
Demelza isn’t even expecting him back yet — and with his track record, will she even worry? Truthfully, we probably won’t lose any sleep over it, but we can’t say we don’t love the drama.
Drama was not in short supply this week either, as the season claimed its first significant demise. Alas, poor Ned. We may have wanted him gone, but not like this. Never like this. We’d have far preferred him to have been restored to his position in Honduras and living out the rest of his years content with Kitty and their child. But what would Ross have learned then?
That’s it, really, isn’t it? We said a few weeks ago that it looked like Ned was Ross’ canary — there to warn him of the danger of not exercising caution. Dwight’s been telling Ross for weeks — nay, years — that his lack of it would get him in trouble and now Ross has had to watch as his beloved Colonel fell prey to the same flaw.
It, unfortunately, made Ned a frustrating character to watch this season (Ross’ lack of caution was at least tempered by the fact we have known him for more than 40 episodes), but we have to admit we shed a tear when he refused Ross’ offer of a prison break.
“Leave me here, and go finish what I could not,” he said nobly, after letting Ross and Dwight go to the effort of actually breaking him out 90 per cent of the way. Ned, your timing is impeccable, never let anyone tell you any different.
Still, Ross did look particularly great in his Prison Heist outfit. His hair, tucked in that hat? We’re absolutely here for it.
Not content with having a hand in Ned’s trial, sentence and final execution, Merceron and Hanson were back at being the absolute worst by ruining poor Cecily’s life too. Poldark long ago gave up on giving them any redeeming qualities whatsoever, so now they are Cornwall’s answer to the creepy fox and cat from Pinocchio, with precisely the same amount of nuance.
Their scheming ways were thus overshadowed by two characters we actually do care about: George and his stepson Geoffrey Charles. After displaying stupid levels of honour (or honourable levels of stupidity) last week, he and Cecily came up with a much better plan of thwarting her upcoming Warleggan nuptials. This time: sex.
Knowing full well that George’s Kryptonite is having a Poldark father his child, Geoffrey Charles planted seeds of doubt (…and other things) by telling his stepdad he’d slept with Cecily already.
George had none of it and that marked the end of that affair. But Hanson isn’t down and out yet – who knows what nefarious plans he has now. Could the GC and Cecily be due a trip to Pleasure Island?
As for Cornwall, don’t worry, Demelza is holding down the fort. She has a crisis of her own to deal with, one that probably would have been Plot A back in season one when times were simpler and Despards not dying. Anyway, people are stealing from the mine and she’s going to find out who.
Long story short: it’s……Jacka’s account.
The (cliff) peaks
Visit Greenwich: You might be mistaken into thinking that Aidan Turner was the main actor in this show. Turns out it is, in fact, the London borough of Greenwich, which is not only the site of Ye Olde Parliament, and now Ned’s execution, but also presumably an assembly of tricorn-hatted fans. Poldarkians, unite!
Geoffrey Charles’ own-brand tea: Geoffrey Charles has absolutely no time for discretion, as he deploys a rather large truth grenade this episode, merely to anger George (absolutely fair considering George is doing much the same thing to him). Ross would be proud, and prouder still upon finding out that the grenade is about how much Elizabeth loved him over George and the GC’s own dad. Weird flex, but he’s not wrong, is he?
Kitty: Committer of the best period drama swoon we’ve had in years, actress Kerri McLean was at her best this week, although most of her acting was again reacting to whatever nonsense Ned did. Seeing as she had to watch him die this week though, perhaps that can be forgiven. Kitty’s strength and resilience has always been the saving of the Despards, and now her husband has gone, perhaps there might be room for more of it in future. Here’s hoping.
Morwenna and Drake: Following Morwenna’s abrupt “recovery” last week, the pair are making up for lost time, very much getting the most out of their marital bed, as it were. Deserved, really.
Next. Poldark season 5 episode 5 review: Despard's downfall?. dark