Will Poldark season 3 ever be the same after latest death?

There is a new episode of Poldark season 3 airing on BBC One this weekend, and this is one that’s going to feel strange. For the first time, Aunt Agatha won’t be a part of the series, and won’t be there to snipe at George Warleggan and get under his skin. She was hilarious, she was biting, and in the end, her death was horribly depressing.

Beyond great humor, what Agatha ultimately brought to the show highlighted the depths of George’s awfulness. She showed the extent to which he will go to make Ross Poldark miserable. He took away her birthday party, and then went far out of his way in order to discredit her notion that this was her 100th birthday coming up. There was no reason for him to do any of this other than that he was a terrible person wanting to do terrible things to the Poldark family, but lo and behold, he still did it. Ross and him suddenly weren’t going to become BFFs just because he invited him over to see Agatha — it could’ve actually helped the two devise some sort of spirit of cooperation and kinship. Basically, it could’ve been good for Cornwall, and there are many different things at the moment that Cornwall definitely needs. Having two influential men at the center of it who don’t hate each other is a start.

While Agatha served the purpose of exposing George, and also illuminating the potential truth about Elizabeth’s baby, there is another question now to wonder: Where will the discord come now? With Agatha, you had almost a secret agent infiltrating his home and getting the insight as to where his head lied emotionally. Maybe Elizabeth can become this more following Agatha’s death, but she would have to be fully awakened as to the abuse that he laid upon her. She’s been so willing to put on blinders to accept her position of status and her fairly comfortable life. In the end, she even settled for what happened with poor Geoffrey Charles, who certainly didn’t deserve to be pushed aside for the sake of Valentine.

Beyond her, where else could the new Warleggan foil come from? Morwenna is now trapped elsewhere with Whitworth a.k.a. Awful McAwfulface, and we don’t see that relationship falling apart immediately (even though we’d like for it to). Meanwhile, Drake’s been almost killed thanks to George, and we don’t quite see him willing to come around there. The same can be said for Sam. Ross is obviously still out there and he remains a significant thorn in the side of George, but he’s not going to head over to his home and start needling him … even if that would be kind of funny.

Alas, Agatha will be missed — she was a brilliant character, and there is no true heir for what she brought to the table.

Do you think that Poldark will ever feel the same without Agatha, and do you think that her death — awful as it was — proved necessary to show how awful George truly is now? Sound off below!

Meanwhile, head over here if you want to read our full review for this past episode, and remember that we’ll be back tomorrow with full promo analysis leading up to the next new installment coming on the air. (Photo: BBC.)