Poldark Recap Series 2 Episode 7 A Quiet Life

Image from Poldark, streamed via iFlix

Director: Charles Palmer

Writer: Debbie Horsfield

Original Air Date: 16 October 2016

There was a sense of foreboding throughout this episode, and not just because of evil George's manipulative warnings to Elizabeth about a peasant uprising. Ross, desperate for a chance to turn things around before Wheal Grace was forced to shut down, decided to hitch a ride on the smuggler Trencrom's ship to meet with Mark Daniels. Whilst he hid in the mine after accidentally killing his wife Keren, he claimed to have seen a massive lode of copper. The trip was for nought, however. Ross and his team had already gone where Mark pointed, and gotten what little it yielded. 

On their trip back, Ross was on hand to help the smugglers unload their cargo onto his beach. They were not aware that the soldiers waited in the shadows, until one of them spotted the fire Dr. Enys built to try and warn them. With Demelza's help, Ross was able to hide in a deep cache inside their library whilst the house was guarded, and later searched.

It was Rosina's fiance Charlie who has been betraying the free trading crew for two years. When Charlie faked an illness as an excuse not to join the crew that night. Dr. Enys went to him to confirm his suspicion. The two men fought, and Dr. Enys was able to get away, and warn Ross.

Dr. Enys, however, was not able to make it to his rendezvous with Caroline. The two of them had decided to elope and get married. Carolone reasoned out that, though her Uncle Ray would be furious about it at first, in a year's time, he would calm down. Dwight, who still carried Keren's death on his conscience, did not like the subterfuge and wanted to just go to Caroline's Uncle. Caroline began to doubt, that perhaps Dwight regretted more than the manner of their leaving, that he truly did not wish to desert his Cornish life. After a tearful Caroline waited all night with Horace for Dwight who never came (he was arrested and had to spend the night in jail), she decided to leave for London with her Uncle and broke things off with the doctor. The letter she wrote him broke my shipper's heart. She referred to herself as an infatuation, and that Dwight's real love were his patients. Oh, you two.

Image from Poldark, streamed via iFlix

Following the disappointing meeting with Mark Daniels, Ross mused about feeling old and living a quiet life after Wheal Grace has closed. He gambled hard and lost. Yet a man like Ross would probably never be satisfied with the kind of quiet life he envisioned on the ship. He would always want to better what he touched. That kind of aspiration often came with a good bit of trouble.

Before I close this, I want to write a few words about Elizabeth. I understand what it is like to be tired of being strong all the time, to want someone to be there to just take care of things, so I try not to judge Elizabeth too harshly. However, when you are the only one around who keeps looking for someone to save you, then it is time to take stock of your life rather than ask why this man or that has not come to offer his assistance.

Evil George is evil, but there is a reason why Elizabeth is vulnerable to him. Elizabeth wants to be comfortable. Elizabeth wants to be cared for. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with that, when things got just a little too frightening (for two to three days!), she was already begging for George's rescue.

Prudie forgot about Elizabeth's note to Ross, then later lied and told Elizabeth and Demelza that she gave the note to Ross. Demelza, who has been displeased with all the attention Ross has been giving Elizabeth, offered no comfort when Elizabeth thought that Ross had deliberately ignored her. With one protector gone, Elizabeth wrote to another, evil George, because even after everything that has happened, she still has not clued in on his evil. Oh Elizabeth. You might want to check on Aunt Agatha's pistol. She just might aim that on your beau, the next time he comes calling.

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Strays

■ There was more talk of an upcoming war. 

■ More George Warleggan evil --- On a property he recently acquired, he wanted to increase rents, evict the tenants, demolish the property, then build the Warleggan bank. Such a gentleman, this one.

■ George managed to frighten Elizabeth by his repeated messages asking her to ensure her doors and windows were secure, and making it appear as though peasants would be entering her yard looking for tin.

■ Dwight: 'Leaving like this, it's a great sorrow to me.' Aw, Dr. Enys really loves his life in Cornwall.

■ Demelza totally dodged Caroline's question on whether husbands could be relied upon.

■ Charlie the informer was found dead on the beach. Who killed him, or if he killed himself, it was not known.

Image from Poldark, streamed via iFlix