Poldark: Review of Episode 6

Triumph. Tragedy. Poldark Episode 6 was filled with both. For once, Ross experiences professional victory as his smelting company makes a killing at an auction.

Meanwhile, Demelza offers support to Jinny as she counts the days until her husband Jim’s release but frets that prison life has changed him.  Demelza also offers advice to Karen Daniels regarding the dangers of rumors, but of course the actress turned miner’s wife would rather continue her dalliance with Dr. Enys.

The episode causes Ross to again look upon the gentry in disdain after Jim Carter dies from disease and poor treatment in prison while Ross and Dr. Enys attempt a jailbreak. Unfortunately for Demelza, this means he’d rather eat the copper in his mine than attend a Warleggan ball. After Verity reminds her cousin of the ramifications he faces because of the Carter prison break, Ross is forced to relent so he and Demelza attend the ball.

The highlights of the episode all occur at the Warleggan ball a.k.a Demelza’s coming out into society. While she’s the belle of the ball, Ross plays the drunken fool. When the wonderful Robin Ellis appears as Reverend Halse, (The magistrate who sentenced Jim Carter to prison) Ross’s disdain bubbles to the surface.

Elsewhere, Verity and Captain Blamey have their own coming out as they make their relationship public much to Francis’ chagrin. Why are the Poldark cousins getting in everyone’s face at this ball?

The party shows how deceitful the rich really are as Ross exposes a Warleggan crony as a cheat. You can expect retaliation aplenty over this.

Overall, Episode 6 was the best episode of the series thus far setting up various storyline pieces on the series’ chessboard and leaving viewers wondering what will happen next.