Mining Poldark

Cue the action music — Ross Poldark, reluctant hero, is riding into action in France. He's successful, bringing home Dr. Dwight and the dashing Lieutenant Hugh Armitage, but what ongoing consequences will his recklessness bring?

Bad harvests, poor judgements and evil vicars — this is the world that newborn Clowance Poldark has entered in to. Meanwhile, in France, Dr. Dwight does his best to treat his fellow prisoners, leaving us all to wonder when the good times will return to Cornwall.

It's a veritable spring break at Trenwith, as George and Elizabeth and baby Valentine ship off to Truro, leaving Aunt Agatha, Geoffrey Charles and Morwenna home alone. It's a joy, but Ross's French reconnaissance mission is just the opposite.

Generations of Poldarks have been local magistrates, Ross is told — but that line of local service ends with the man from Nampara. Plus, young love is blooming at Trenwith, but prospects look less than rosy.

On this first episode of the third season of Poldark, there's a lot of new blood in Cornwall. Baby Valentine Warleggan arrives, 'early,' and so do two of Demelza's dashing brothers and a kind young Chynoweth cousin. With all the new, Mining Poldark listeners should never fear — Robin Ellis and Barrett Brountas are still here to give the full picture, all season long.

An angry mob sets upon Trenwith (and it's not just Ross Poldark). As our second season draws to a close, George and Elizabeth finally wed, Dr. Dwight and Caroline fall back in love and the Cornish villagers ask for justice. Yet another batch of problems seems set to spring up in Cornwall. Come along and unpack with us.

Demelza steps out for a change, and we can't say we blame her — but could anybody blame Elizabeth for waiting for Ross to come back to Trenwith? Everybody waits for Ross, including our co-hosts.

It's perhaps the most controversial episode of the entire five season run of Poldark, and rather than spoil the plot points, we'd say it's important to take a listen as our co-hosts let the episode fully breathe.

Ross goes smuggling, and mostly fails on all fronts — as does Dr. Dwight in his pursuit of Caroline. We learn about the dangers of trusting village strangers, and smuggling remains a bad idea for everybody.

If there's a grieving widow, there's a desperate suitor there to claim a prize. George Warleggan swoops in to Trenwith, offering Elizabeth a shoulder to cry on. We'll cry, too, in our latest discussion.

At the very moment when cousin Francis finally reentered everyone's good graces, he leaves this world behind, drowning in a disastrous mine accident. Elizabeth suggests she still might care for Ross, and our hearts stay broken forever.

The old Poldark mine, Wheal Grace, opens its doors yet again, and the Poldark family expands with the addition of wee baby Jeremy. Francis continues to reform, finally accepting Verity's marriage to Captain Blamey. Can the reform streak continue? We'll consider the options.

Francis pulls together and hosts a lively harvest celebration, reuniting both sides of the Poldark clan in opposition to the hated Warleggans. Ross, meanwhile, ignores the glad tidings and makes his true feelings known. What is he thinking? We try and sort out the Poldarks in all their confusing complexities, together.

He's innocent! He's innocent! (Which we all already knew of course, but it's nice to see the 18th Century Cornish justice system agreeing with the facts for a change). But the trial itself is worth a closer look — and our co-hosts do just that.

Ross refuses all aid and awaits his judicial fate — and our podcast co-host, Robin Ellis, aka the Reverend Dr. Halse, offers little help. Francis takes his woe into his own hands, and Dr. Dwight meets a bright young thing new to Cornwall. We're back in action, and everything is happening all at once. Welcome to season two!

Talk about a season finale! Putrid throat comes to Cornwall, and baby Julia is taken before her time. The Carnmore Copper Company fails, a Warleggan ship crashes on Poldark land a mob of hungry poor folk takes what they want from the ruins. Of course, Ross is blamed for the riot, and we end on a clifftop with a grieving Demelza watching her husband led away by soldiers. Here's to season two, right?  

Verity is Mistress Glumps no longer, as she runs away from Trenwith and becomes Mrs. Andrew Blamey. It's good news for Verity, but bad news for Ross, as Francis (correctly) blames Demelza for arranging the wedding and tattles on Ross' elusive Carnmore Copper Company. Remember this episode — it's important.  

Maybe public social functions aren't where Ross Poldark shines, but his wife, Demelza, is the talk of the town at a fancy Warleggan ball. Not that we blame the morose Ross — his efforts to save Jim Carter from jail are for naught, and young Jim dies in his hands. 

Ross' best friend, Dr. Dwight Enys, arrives in Cornwall in order to study health conditions in miners, and he arrives just in time to help deliver one particular miner's first child, baby Julia. On the wealthy side of town, cousin Francis loses everything, and the family mine is shuttered.

For the hero of a swashbuckling romantic drama, Ross and company spend an awful lot of time searching for rocks underground. But good news! They've found copper in the mine. And even better — Demelza is pregnant. 

Podcast co-host Robin Ellis makes his first appearance in this episode of Poldark, playing the noble Rev. Dr. Halse, a local judge with a bone to pick with Ross. Could it be, perhaps, that the Rev. knows what becomes of Ross as the series goes on? We'll find out! Plus, a surprise marriage you probably were expecting. 

It's ball season in Cornwall, and (almost) nothing good happens to our heroes at a gathering of the county nobles. Cousin Verity meets an alluring sea captain, sure, but Ross and Elizabeth's obvious lingering chemistry gives Francis something to worry about. And we're given our first real taste of George Warleggan, Poldark villain. And worst of all, a duel!

On this very first episode of Poldark, we meet all the key characters who will come to shape the series — Ross, Demelza, Elizabeth, Francis, Verity, Aunt Agatha, George,Prudie. We also meet our Mining Poldark podcast hosts — Robin Ellis, who the original Ross Poldark in the 1970s adaptation of Winston Graham’s novels, and Barrett Brountas, a MASTERPIECE staffer and Poldark superfan. Come along on our journey as we explore the entire scope of this beloved series, episode by episode!

You already know the story…boy meets girl, pride meets prejudice, all in a beautiful wrapper: the dramatic Cornish cliffs and dazzling sea. And as we get ready for the final season of Poldark, we here at MASTERPIECE are starting a new podcast we’re calling Mining Poldark, so you can relive the romance, the adventure and the exploits of our flawed hero all over again.

Hear co-hosts Barrett Brountas and Robin Ellis — the original Ross Poldark from the 1970s adaptation of Winston Graham’s classic novels — preview the new podcast. New episodes launching soon — subscribe now!