The Droughtlander Get Through It Initiative Presents: Poldark Episodes 1&2, A Recap

Hello my lovely followers. I've not updated this blog in quite a few weeks, since Outlander ended, and have been very busy house hunting but today I intend to recap and explore the world of Poldark. I call it the Droughtlander Get Through It Initiative because we've got way to much time on our hands with no new Outlander and no scenes or sneak peaks. So then, I shall discuss Poldark.

Now usually, as Americans, we see only the winning side of the war for Independence. This is completely different in that we see it from the point of view of a British soldier named Ross Poldark. He recognizes that the war is a waste of time and returns home only to find his beloved Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis, and his dear father dead, and his mine all dried up. He has nothing. No love, no fortune, and only a bit of land with tenant houses falling apart and two lazy servants. It's a rough start for sure, for a man coming back from the war in the colonies and he drinks quite a bit. Drowning ones self in sorrow is certainly the best way to do things I imagine. But seriously though, his house is a fucking wreck when he gets home. He gets his revenge by tossing some cold ass water on those two lazy bones and makes them clean the house "til it shines like the top of the Chrysler building."

Also, the male servant has quite the accent. "T'ain't right, t'ain't fit, t'ain't fair, and t'ain't friendly." Also he really needs to discover what a toothbrush looks like. -Shudder-. 

I will say in comparison to the great job done so far as setting and costume design by Outlander, this Masterpiece Classic Production obviously suffers from a very limited budget. Ross' scar looks like someone drew it on with a sharpie but then again, we can't all have fantastic budgets like Outlander. 

Much like Outlander, however, it shows beautiful scenery and setting. Cornwall as much a character as Poldark and his dear Elizabeth. Elizabeth seems to want to marry Ross, but her mother manages to convince her that Ross is broke as hell and it's better to be rich with a good and adoring husband than a poor one that she might love. 

I have learned that mining is very much the core of Cornwall economics. When mine's dry up there is nothing left and your house falls into debt. 

Needing money, Ross goes to Market day in town and nearly sells the ring that had belonged to Elizabeth, and what he had kept for himself during the war, and while there, comes across a redheaded girl fighting to get her dog back from the fighting pits. She's obviously well abused by her father and older brothers and so Ross offers her a job as his servant and is none to gentle about the initation. 

I mean, he ducks her head under a pump and scrubs her red hair clean. The old lazy servants don't like her but Ross Poldark, honestly, doesn't give two shits. He's pretty rough and gruff, but one can tell he actually has a kind heart. Considering the life he's come to find after nearly getting himself killed in the colonies, I don't blame him for being a little less than friendly and more like your local friendly porcupine. 

His Uncle offers him money to relocate and he seriously considers it but after fighting off Demelza's crazy ass family. Seriously they are the Cornwall Rednecks, and if this were set in Appalachia, they'd be chewing tobacco and rearing up their chainsaws. Well, Ross and the old servant win the battle and beat them off and Ross retrieves Demelza after she runs off. Not exactly sure if that's legal or not, but hey, it's fiction. And so ends episode one. 

Note: At the end of this episode Demelza really made me think about The Swiss Family Robinson. Her costumes and accent reminds me well of Roberta before Ernst and Francis realized that Roberta was actually a woman. Also it's such a shame that Poldark has a season two because the girl that plays Demelza would be PERFECT as Brianna Randall Fraser but I digress. 

So we begin episode two. So now then we know that he decided to stay instead of heeding his Uncle and moving on to London and Demelza is his kitchen maid. I had got the distinct impression before watching this show that she was his bond servant but I guess I was wrong. They certainly did make that impression. It starts off with a mine being closed and suicide by Lord Bassett. we see a lot of Elizabeth thinking about Ross and Ross thinking about Elizabeth. Also, those two servants are still lazy cows and making Demelza do all the work and aren't to pleased with her. 

Verity, Poldark's cousin, wants him to attend a ball with her and she falls for a Captain whilst there and Elizabeth and Ross dance so well together and George puts thoughts of jealousy in Francis Poldark's head. Rightly so considering Elizabeth and Ross are hung up on each other. By the end of the night, Poldark wants Elizabeth, Elizabeth wants Poldark and so Poldark visits with the same whore that's fucking George and Elizabeth deals with a stare down of her husband. 

And then we get to see the sexiness that is Aiden Turner as he dances. We're all Demelza at this point, watching his naked ass swimming around. One of the times that I wished this was rated M for Mature so we could see some sexy man's naked backside. 

Francis is supposed to be making a deal with Ross opening a mine but his jealousy gets the better of him and so he refuses to join the discussion, instead playing cards with George and George manages to sucker the poor idiot. In the end Demelza manages to get quite a bit of fish and Ross get's his investments and he buys Demelza a pretty cloak and a nice dress, way better than the rags she was wearing. And then Elizabeth shows up and Demelza is so jealous. Poor thing. Judas, the old crotchety servant, really needs a kick to the face. 

Turns out that Verity is in love with a man that beat his wife to death but Verity tells him it's all really an accident and that she trusts the man so Ross helps Verity out like the good cousin he is. But then Francis and her daddy find out. Fucking A. Francis in all his glory is fucking losing it and challenges Verity's love to a duel. They both get shot but Francis gets the worst of it and in the end Verity loses her love and I don't think that's fucking fair. Poor girl get's a chance at happiness and her idiot brother takes it away. 

Good thing that Francis doesn't die, though the idiot deserves it for being so damned foolish and for shoving his sister around like a rag doll. Not fair that Verity has to give up her love just because her brother is a damn idiot. 

And then we find out that Elizabeth is pregnant and Ross looks like the rug is pulled out from under him but then decides to put himself to work in the mine. He tells Demelza she can return to her family if she wishes but she tells him that her home is here now. 

I have to say the second episode far outdid the first and it's certainly fast paced. Then again, they have to cram a book into eight episodes rather than sixteen. I would definitely recommend this for people who enjoy Outlander and will continue to recap it until it's conclusion. No funny stories or anything like that, just can't wait until next week. 

Until then Sassenachs. :D

Portraying Rape: Outlander VS Game of Thrones

So I want to address a certain group of people who are crying out about the rape on Outlander versus Game of Thrones. As we all know, this season, Game of Thrones showed a non-cannon rape against Sansa Stark. There was outrage about this. I was one person that was outraged about the backward character development and shock-value violence against a woman on screen. Game of Thrones is all about violence and politics and has had a lot of gratuitous rape scenes not cannon to the books (Daenerys and Drogo on screen, Jaime and Cersei Lannister in Season Four). This rape of a main character was obviously a last straw for several people. There was reason for the outrage. It was seen as a lazy plot device meant to further along the story of Theon Greyjoy and ten steps back for Sansa Stark. Now people are complaining that Outlander fans who complained about the Sansa rape should be decrying the rape shown on screen of Jamie Fraser by Black Jack Randall. Calling those of us that aren't rallying against it, hypocrites. Why? Because we aren't screaming out about it.

The thing is, what happens between Black Jack Randall and Jamie Fraser is in the books. It's described in great detail, all of the things that happen between these two men. In the books, it was very visceral and difficult to get through. It was disturbing and gut wrenching. It was sob-worthy. It was also very key to the character of Jamie Fraser, who is influenced by this event for the rest of the series, most especially in book two, three, and four. It was cannon where the Sansa scene was not.

I think the real issue is, while Game of Thrones used a gratuitous scene of sexual violence against a woman, the focus was not on the victim, but rather on the man forced to watch the exchange. The camera did not show the graphic depiction of the horror taking place for Sansa Stark, instead focusing on the tears rolling down Theon/Reek's cheeks at being forced to watch the exchange. He was the victim we were supposed to consider in that episode. Not Sansa Stark. Her rape was just a plot device to further Theon's story. 

Outlander handled rape differently. Instead of just panning away, it shoved it down our throats. It showed us how rapists get off on the power they have over their victims. It showed BJR trotting away from a broken and shattered Jamie with a look of satisfaction on his face. It showed BJR breaking Jamie down piece by piece by piece. Not only did it show the power of BJR, but it showed the vulnerability of Jamie. Sansa Stark's character was very weak in the beginning, spoiled, selfish and impulsive and she was on her way to becoming stronger before being victimized yet again in one of the worst ways a woman can be victimized. Jamie is shown as strong and manly and stubborn from the very beginning. From what I can tell this episode was meant to show how even strong men, who are stubborn and proud can be broken down and waste away into a shell of their former selves. It shows how rape, at it's most violent, can utterly destroy someone. Unlike nearly every other rape scene on television, it shows the gritty repercussions of what rape can do to it's victim. The haunting looks, the PTSD, the emotional and physical trauma of losing your will, and having someone else degrade you in the worst way possible.

You will get no outrage from me over what happened in Outlander. It was in the books and honestly, while terrible and horrible and disturbing, I knew that it was something that had to happen. Honestly though, it was handled better than what I thought it might. To take  that scene from the books and barely look at it, or pan over it quickly, cheapens that scene somehow. By showing it so much, by showing the screams and the torture and the breakdown, we are deeply affected by it. Jamie is deeply affected by what's happened to him, and by seeing it, we too, are left with that impression of him losing control and losing his pride and his strength. We understand how truly horrible he was treated, and his reasons for wanting to end his life.

If it had been handled differently, it might well of been a joke. Just like male on male rape has been treated as a joke in the past (think the jokes made about Deliverance). Hell, even male on male love scenes are poked fun at or treated with disgust by some of it's audience (outrage over homosexual scenes in Game of Thrones, and movies like Brokeback Mountain). It's very difficult for viewers to poke fun at this, to make light of it. And in a way that's good. From what I have seen, sexual assault victims of both genders, have said the scene portrayed is very similar to how they felt. That it was a terrible thing to watch, and perhaps triggering to some, but ultimately they appreciated it because it was a very honest representation of their own personal nightmares and was not treated lightly. 

So there will be no outrage from me for the honest portrayal of how rape affects it's victim. There was nothing gratuitous in this finale episode of Outlander. The violence and the rape, necessary if not hard to get through. It was a very real depiction of rape and violence. And for non-book readers, we tried to warn you without giving it away. We understand that you might want to not watch any more after this, that it might be to much for you. But for us fans of the books, it's part of the story. A necessary evil that was explored in a very respectful and honest way. At least that is my humble opinion on the matter.

Don't call us hypocrites though, for not crying out in rage and anger over the depiction of rape when we did so in Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones is an entirely different entity, geared more toward a male audience than a female one. While they are both rated M for mature, and fantasy shows on premium cable networks, that is about where their similarities end.

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