THE STRANGER FROM THE SEA

Eighth in the Poldark series, galloping into your easy chair from Masterpiece Theater. Graham does his best in the opening (very slow) chapters to acquaint newcomers with the story thus far: it's now 1810, and King George is having fits of madness--which affect both the stock market and the Peninsular Campaign on which Capt. Ross Poldark of Cornwall is now engaged. Meanwhile, parvenu George Warleggan (a Poldark in-law) is out to woo Lady Harriet Carter by becoming toweringly wealthy. And, also meanwhile, privateer gunner Stephen Carrington, whose ship has gone down, is rescued from a raft, brought ashore at Cornwall, and given haven by Ross' wife Demelza. (Stephen too wants to be a gentleman and romances glowing Clowance Poldark.) So, while Ross returns from Wellington's army and tries to help pass the Regency Bill by appealing to the Prince of Wales (soon to be Regent), Stephen and young Jeremy Poldark recover a French lugger with brandy aboard and attempt to sell their prize; Jeremy becomes possessed by the invention of steam power; Clowance is wooed by rich Lord Edward Fitzmaurice; and we are left dangling over her unresolved romance with Stephen. Tedium alternating with sparkling dinner parties and solid action: mostly for dedicated Poldarkians only.