Episode 2 of Season 4 set the stage for big changes ahead in the lives of a number of characters in Poldark.
First of all for Ross (Aidan Turner), whose surprise victory over George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) in the Parliamentary election means he’s heading to London for the better part of the year, hundreds of miles away from his family in Cornwall.
Secondly for Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), who in a sense lost both of her loves—Ross, who will now go to Parliament, and Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse), who succumbed to his illness. While it seemed like she was finally ready to get over Armitage in Episode 1, even burning one of his letters to her, she was at his beck and call in the end and was downright inconsolable upon his death. No matter how angry I was with Ross after cheating on Demelza with Elizabeth (Heida Reed), and his dismissal of it all afterwards—the way he has handled Demelza’s relations with Hugh and seeing her pain over losing him has made me look at him much differently now. Same goes for Demelza—whatever sympathy there was for her over Ross’s attachment to Elizabeth is all but gone.
Third, Ross’s political ouster of George means their ongoing feud has become even more toxic. What lows George will resort to as payback for this remains to be seen.
Fourth, while a big change hasn’t yet come for Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) and Osborne Whitworth (Christian Brassington), he was seen in Episode 2 visiting a brothel. Upon leaving he runs into Morwenna’s sister, Rowella (Esme Coy), who tells him she wasn’t actually pregnant with his kid. He’s furious, of course, but upon being called out for scamming him, she feigns indignation that he’d suggest such a thing. They depart and she turns back, flashing a mischievous smile. Clearly, their story isn’t done—and neither is Morwenna’s with Drake, it seems, as the two had their first private conversation since her marriage.
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