‘Poldark’ episode 1 (series premiere) review: The remake arrives
We had a chance to first take a look at “Poldark” when the series aired in Britain earlier this year, but its premiere tonight on PBS offers up an opportunity for us to be able to dive back into the series once again with fresh eyes. We’re going to discuss in this article mostly the basic plot setup, so we do not necessarily think that the spoilers are enormous. With that said, be sure to read on knowing full well what lies ahead! We would not want to be responsible for ruining something more you.
We feel like one of the show’s strongest assets is its simply premise: You have Ross Poldark (played expertly by Aidan Turner) a man returning to his native Cornwall after fighting in the Revolutionary War. Years have passed, and very little is the same. There are new family dynamics, money issues, and he finds out the woman that he loves in Elizabeth now has a variety of complications that he did not anticipate. This is a very different world for him, and the tin mining industry is going to prove to be distinctly different, as well.
One extremely fascinating character right away in the series is Demelza, who Poldark learns quite a bit about in surprising fashion in the premiere and their story is also set up to be almost immediately interesting. There is an element of classic literature in their relationship, a la two characters meeting under very surprising circumstances.
One other thing that this series does incredibly well is carve a beautiful aesthetic. The coastline serves as a perfect setting for the series, and it is a nice way to differentiate itself from many of the other British programs that tend to accentuate more buildings and concrete rather than natural beauty.
We imagine that we will get more in-depth about specifics of the series as time progresses, but for Americans hoping to watch tonight we imagine that there is a lot to enjoy. Many Brits on Twitter were fixated on a certain aesthetic that is Turner, and maybe some ladies and gentlemen will watch just for that. However, there is also a strong action and dramatic component to the show, and we don’t feel like there is anything else on television quite like it. Grade: B+.