Aidan Turner (The Hobbit) returns to BBC One this autumn as Ross Poldark, alongside Eleanor Tomlinson as his wife Demelza, in ten new episodes of the Cornish period drama.
Ross Poldark is back to settle his differences, but at what cost?
Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon here.
Pre-order Season 2 on Amazon here.
Episode 1
Sunday 4 September 2016, 9pm
George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) is building his case against Ross (Aidan Turner) so Pascoe forces Ross to prepare a will in case the worst happens – while Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) visits their neighbour Ray Penvenen (John Nettles) to gain an ally.
Francis (Kyle Soller) seeks reconciliation but Ross refuses, and Francis takes this badly. Elizabeth (Heida Reed) attempts to negotiate a ceasefire between Ross and George too, persuading George to offer Ross his help in influencing the court. However, Ross rejects this offer as well, seeing that the price of friendship with George is too high.
The court case takes place in Bodmin, which is overwhelmed with crowds who are there for the county election. George is funding a candidate, Unwin Trevaunance (Hugh Skinner), in the hope of extending the reach of his own influence; however, Unwin is more concerned with his pursuit of Ray Penvenen’s niece, Caroline (Gabriella Wilde), who herself has taken a liking to Dr Dwight Enys (Luke Norris).
Francis, consumed with guilt for betraying Ross, tells George what he really thinks of him before making his way into Dwight’s lodgings and attempting to kill himself. George offers to stand up for Ross in court if he will accept his friendship, but Ross refuses. Demelza tries to meet Justice Lister to tell him that George is perverting justice but George has the doormen prevent her from entering.
Ross begins to realise that he may well be hanged tomorrow…
Episode 2
Sunday 11 September 2016, 9pm
The election results are announced and Unwin is tied for the second seat but the mob has reached boiling point and Unwin Trevaunance (Hugh Skinner) is attacked. Elizabeth (Heida Reed) travels to Bodmin knowing if she does not she will not be able to stop worrying about Francis, or Ross.
George (Jack Farthing) eavesdrops on Demelza’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) conversation with Justice Lister, intervening to reveal she is the wife of the trial’s defendant and attempting to influence the case.
Dwight discovers Francis very much alive in his room and persuades Francis not to try again. Meanwhile the prosecution ties the rioting of the previous night to Ross’ behaviour and presents a series of witnesses supposedly comprised of Ross’ friends. However, when Jud (Phil Davis) is on the stand, he comes out with an unexpected account of events.
Ross prepares to make his speech – one prepared by his Clymer – but goes decidedly off-script, sticking true to his principles. Despite Justice Lister wishing to make an example of Ross’ revolutionary ways, will the jury of Cornishmen rally to save Ross…
Episode 3
Sunday 18 September 2016, 9pm
Ross (Aidan Turner) plans to expand Wheal Leisure and persuades the other shareholders to invest in a new tunnelling scheme.
Meanwhile, Unwin Trevaunance (Hugh Skinner) decides that he will plant his political flag by cracking down on lawlessness, particularly smuggling. Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) continues to hide her pregnancy from Ross, believing that he does not want the child.
With the interest now due on the promissory note Ross secured from Pascoe, Ross and Demelza have to find £400. Jud (Phil Davis) is attacked for recanting his testimony in court and left for dead. Ross accepts Francis’ (Kyle Soller) invitation to spend the Harvest festival at Trenwith, united now by a shared hatred of George Warleggan.
Francis reveals to Ross he has £600 set aside which he plans to invest in mining. Dr Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) is called to Killewarren and discovers that Caroline (Gabriella Wilde) has a fishbone lodged in her throat. He removes it, impressing her, but on his way home discovers that George (Jack Farthing) has acquired more shares in Wheal Leisure.
Later, Elizabeth reveals that George gave Francis the £600, making Ross suspicious as to George’s purpose. Demelza overhears the pair flirting before going to bed where Ross joins her. They argue and Demelza reveals that she is pregnant.
Episode 4
Sunday 25 September 2016, 9pm
Ross begins to think that exiled miner Mark Daniel might have come across a copper lode when hiding out in Wheal Grace.
Meanwhile, knowing he could bankrupt them at any time, Elizabeth (Heida Reed) attempts to keep George (Jack Farthing) sweet – but finds his proposition to spend more time together behind Francis’ back too high a price.
Caroline (Gabriella Wilde) thinks to impress Dwight by buying oranges for his patients – and succeeds. Meanwhile Trencrom (Richards McCabe), the local crime-lord, offers Ross £200 to allow him to use Nampara Cove for smuggling and Ross invites Demelza’s anger by accepting.
When George shows up at the Wheal Leisure shareholder meeting and attempts to come between Ross and his cousin, he and Ross end up coming to blows.
Returning home, Ross discovers Demelza struggling to get ashore in the throes of labour. Can he reach her in time?
Episode 5
Sunday 2 October 2016, 9pm
Demelza cautions Ross to distance himself from the smugglers, following arrests and talk of an informant, but they still need the money.
The Warleggans have become aware of Ross’ promissory note and plan to purchase it to crush him once and for all. Dwight is troubled by a patient, Rosina Hoblyn, who has a lame leg, but he finds himself distracted by the return of Caroline Penvenen who is expected to announce her engagement to Unwin Trevaunance at a dinner for the local gentry.
At the party Elizabeth captures Ross’ attention by admitting she will always be a little in love with him and Caroline rejects Unwin before asking Ross about his friend Dwight. Ross and George spar verbally and George returns home determined to acquire Ross’ debt.
Meanwhile, Francis believes the mine has struck copper. He returns to the mine alone to investigate…
Episode 6
Sunday 9 October 2016, 9pm
Francis’ final breakthrough at Wheal Grace reveals nothing of value, so Ross meets with Trencrom to locate Mark Daniel and see if he can locate the copper in the mine.
Trencrom strikes a deal to build a secret cache at Nampara where he can store contraband, putting much needed money in Ross’ pocket but adding unwanted risk. Dwight is hailed as a hero for restoring Rosina to health, to Caroline’s amusement.
George calls in Ross’s debt, which means Ross will almost certainly go to debtors’ prison. Meanwhile, as Ross spends more time looking after the widowed Elizabeth, Demelza fears she is losing him.
Dwight is ordered by Ray Penvenen to stop meeting Caroline but defies him and, though advised against it, Ross sells his remaining shares in Wheal Leisure in order to purchase Geoffrey Charles’ shares in Wheal Grace anonymously – his last means of protecting Elizabeth and Geoffrey Charles.
Episode 7
Sunday 16 October 2016, 9pm
Caroline convinces Dwight they must elope for a new life in Bat, as Ross sails with Trencrom to meet with Mark Daniel.
Caroline is forced to pull her plan forward but it is threatened when Rosina dislocates her knee again. Dwight believes he can treat her and still rendezvous with Caroline; however, he and Demelza become suspicious that Charlie Kempthorne is the informant when they learn he has avoided the smuggling run. Dwight confronts Charlie, and a fight ensues.
Demelza realises Ross will be walking into an ambush and attempts to warn the boat, but McNeil and his soldiers arrive at Nampara, leaving her under guard. Dwight incapacitates Charlie and escapes as Caroline sneaks out of Killewarren to meet him. Dwight attempts to warn Ross but is too late. Will Ross find a way to evade the soldiers?
Having paid men to harass Trenwith with the aim of driving Elizabeth to him for protection, George arrives at her home and posts his men to guard Elizabeth, who is both shocked and grateful for George’s attention. Dwight is released by the soldiers, but finds Caroline has already returned to London…
Episode 8
Sunday 23 October 2016, 9pm
Ross and Dwight face a magistrate’s trial for their roles in the ill-fated smuggling venture. On top of this Dwight reveals that his marriage with Caroline is cancelled and he is thinking of joining the navy.
Ross admits to Demelza he has sold their shares in Wheal Leisure to give Elizabeth the money, and it looks as though Wheal Grace must now close.
George sends false tin prospectors to Trenwith to spook Elizabeth, but their presence enrages her mother so much that she suffers a stroke. Elizabeth calls for George’s help, who tells Elizabeth that he can provide her with everything she needs if she agrees to marry him.
Disaster strikes as the new mine collapses and Ross returns to Nampara, devastated, to find a letter from Elizabeth explaining she has agreed to marry George. Though Demelza tries to stop him, Ross rides through the night to Trenwith, intent on seeing Elizabeth…
Episode 9
Sunday 30 October 2016, 9pm
Demelza refuses to speak to Ross and expects him to return to Elizabeth, abandoning her and Jeremy.
Elizabeth and Agatha believe the same and Elizabeth writes to George to postpone the wedding. George rides to Trenwith to make Elizabeth agree to another date, ensuring his plans are not usurped. In Truro, Tonkin invites Ross to join him in a prospering shipbuilding partnership.
Meanwhile, Demelza accepts Sir Hugh Bodrugan’s invitation to his ball, where she finds Captain McNeil, inviting him to her room, having justified the possibility of adultery as something Ross has driven her to. Ross finds Demelza on Hendrawna Beach but hasn’t the words to build a bridge between them.
Ross is beckoned to the mine where they have cleared the collapse and come upon the richest lode of tin Henshawe has ever seen – may Ross soon may be free of debt?
Episode 10
Sunday 6 November 2016, 9pm
Elizabeth tells George that she is carrying his child and George continues to mark his territory by erecting fences around Trenwith, denying commoners passage across his property.
Dwight learns of Caroline’s new engagement and enlists in the navy. Ross decides he must mend the rift between Caroline and Dwight before it is too late.
Ross is called to Trenwith by George, suspicious that the purchase of Geoffrey Charles’ share in the mine was fraudulent. Pascoe reveals to Ross that George will seek to bankrupt him through court proceedings.
Demelza is assaulted for trespassing on Warleggan land provoking the villagers to march on Trenwith with vengeance in mind – will Ross be able to disband the mob?
Elizabeth, meanwhile, is forced to face the possibility that her pregnancy might not, in fact, be the result of her union with George.
Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon here.
Pre-order Season 2 on Amazon here.
Watch the Season 2 trailer…
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