POLDARK: The Unexpected Benefactor {Recap}

Poldark finally showed the audience the true motive of one of this season’s enigmas: Caroline Penvenen (Gabriella Wilde).

When we first met her, she reminded me of all of Jane Austen’s villainous women: vapid, shallow and more interested in her wealth than in the suffering of others. That initial reaction has changed, however. A few episodes ago, she used some of her expected inheritance to bring in citrus for the poor sailors that Dr. Enys served to help them.

Last episode she declined an offer of marriage from the Cornwall MP, Unwin Trevaunance (Hugh Skinner), seeming to have fallen for Dr. Enys (Luke Norris). Reunited this week after seven months since she last left Cornwall, all seemed to suggest she’d take Enys’ hand and forget all the consequences from her uncle.

But, not of that actually happened. True, she does seem to be guarding her relationship with Enys more after her uncle disapproves of the marriage and threatens to withhold most of it, but she does also know of the troubles of Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) and the loan that is due to George Warleggan (Jack Farthing). She plays a very anonymous white knight to Ross, promising to buy his loan and setting up a less onerous repayment plan/interest rate, should she never be known.

Having grown a heart towards the poor and towards the good people who are doing hard work, but not succeeding, Caroline Penvenen seems to have changed to character (though not all of it – she still probably loves her pug more than she’d love a man) to be more and more like the part of Cornwall we spend so much time caring for and rooting for.

Without being named, she can’t risk the ire of the Warleggans (thankfully, though I’d love to see a battle between she and George) and perhaps this change of heart will make her someone that Enys can perhaps marry for love as well as finances.

Poldark has four more episodes this season on Masterpiece, which airs at 9PM/8 Central on Sundays on PBS.