‘Poldark’ episode 8 (finale) review: Death, Ross and Demelza’s tears, and more in jam-packed hour

After watching tonight’s season 1 finale of “Poldark” on the BBC, we cannot help from wondering one simple question: Wouldn’t this episode have been better split into two? This hour was at times devastating, and above all absolutely jam-packed with content.

The saddest moment of the episode is easy to pinpoint: The death of Julia, and seeing the pain on Ross and Demelza’s faces soon afterwards. One of the people that these two held the most dear is now gone, and they must figure out the right and proper way to move forward. This moment was so tragic it manages to completely overwhelm the confession that it is Demelza who Ross truly loves more so than Elizabeth. Hey, at least George loves Elizabeth … right? Well, nobody really likes George, so good luck with that.

Still, George may not be the least-liked character many, given how Francis has managed to prove himself to be time and time again the greatest coward of the series. He does still have a chance at redemption, though; after Demelza’s encouragement, she is going to try to use him to revive the Poldark Mines, and create some sort of happier future moving forward.

At the moment, we certainly do need the promise and hope of something bright. No doubt that this episode was finely-constructed, and the performance of Aidan Turner was heart-wrenching. Of course, we do like to see finales that end with things that do not include the death of a child, massive debts, and then George finding a way to get Poldark arrested for a variety of charges. This is where we are now at the end of the season. Best of luck with that cliffhanger! It’s a rough one. Grade: A-.

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