Favorite Poldark Scenes: Our Experts’ Top Picks
They spoke, we listened! After tackling every episode of Poldark to date, and breaking them down scene by scene, Mining Poldark hosts Robin Ellis (the original 1970s Ross Poldark, and Reverend Halse in the current series) and Barrett Brountas (MASTERPIECE’s resident Poldark expert) have chosen their favorite scenes from all five seasons. Did your favorite scene make their list?
Don’t forget: You can listen to every episode of Mining Poldark now and relive all the epic romance and heart-pumping drama of the series!
- 1.
Season 1: The Dress
Barrett Brountas: One of my absolute favorite moments is the notorious dress scene of Season 1, Episode 3. It’s a Cinderella story but instead of a glass slipper going on, it’s a silk dress coming off, and I can’t say much about it, fanning myself and blushing as I type, but my experience was basically Tra-la-la, I’m watching this beautiful period drama with a great location and compelling characters and interesting dramatic storylines and—WHOA! I did not see this coming (…or at least coming so soon in their relationship) This show is hot and I am here for it.
LISTEN NOW: Season One, Episode Three: An Unexpected Proposal
- 2.
Season 1: Christmas at Trenwith
Robin Ellis: Everyone is there. The Warleggans, Francis and Elizabeth, Aunt Agatha and Verity. The tensions to come and the joys. Demelza, literally, comes out of the shadows and in spite of her extreme nervousness impresses everyone with her wit, poise and singing voice! No longer the kitchen maid but mistress of Nampara. Ross is visibly moved and we are too.
LISTEN NOW: Season One, Episode Four: We’ve Got Copper!
- 3.
Season 2: Ross & Elizabeth
Barrett Brountas: My favorite scenes in Poldark are those completely unexpected moments, and in that spirit, an intimate chat between Ross and Elizabeth at Season 2, Episode 5’s holiday dinner party ranks high. This dinner party follows Francis’ rebirth as Good Francis—he has a new and delightful lease on life, and in his tossing of hay, his tousling of Geoffrey Charles’ hair, and the spark in his eye, we have forgiven him EVERYTHING. So it’s in this context, when we’ve finally become Team Francis and are on board with the Trenwith Poldarks, that Elizabeth slyly reels Ross back in with her coolly posited question, “Cannot a woman love two men?” I was just about as shocked by this as Ross, whose “OMG OMG, just be cool” reaction to her very explicit insinuation left him speechless, with microexpressions of bafflement, panic and hope fleeting across his face…And guys, Demelza is right there at the table! It’s a great moment, and one that everything, once again, turns on.
LISTEN NOW: Season Two, Episode Five: Francis! Francis! Francis!
- 4.
Season 3: Drake & Morwenna
Robin Ellis: Drake, Morwenna…and Geoffrey-Charles, plus toads! Demelza seems to have changed her tune about the love brother Drake has for Morwenna—“tis my suspicion nothing’s lost–‘til we say so.” Drake is bucked by this and persuades Morwenna that sometimes society’s rules have to be ignored in pursuit of happiness; which is a duty after all.
We have a feeling this won’t end well.
It develops into a gorgeous love scene and one of the longest scenes so far.
LISTEN NOW: Season Three, Episode Six: Pity Morwenna
- 5.
Season 3: Elizabeth vs. George
Barrett Brountas: My absolute favorite, give me a minute and I will evangelize the living daylights out of this show scene is the Season 3 finale’s confrontation between Elizabeth and George, when she forces him to state his suspicions about Valentine, and then shuts them down like a total boss. George, convinced that Valentine is Ross’ child, had been freezing her out, and Elizabeth knows that everything in her and her children’s futures depend on her ability to convince him and re-frame his accusations. The scene begins with George holding all the power and ends with him sobbing and begging Elizabeth’s forgiveness. I love how Elizabeth, whose scenes often consist of sitting and looking pretty, summons an utter, unrelenting, incandescent ferocity that reduces George to a sniveling mess. And I love how George, even as he’s entirely disarmed, is still trying to manipulate the narrative and scramble for the upper hand. The performances are amazing and the drama turns at a new peak. It’s Poldark at its best.
Robin Ellis: Perhaps Elizabeth’s finest hour. Part play acting, part genuine frustration with George’s behavior, she takes the bull by the horns and in a magnificent operatic display of pent up anger, reduces George to a simpering mess. Something we’ve been looking forward to witnessing!
LISTEN NOW: Season Three, Episode Nine: Elizabeth And Ross Step Up
