Marco Polo - A Netflix Original Series (Season 2 Trailer)

[Captain Jin]

I just started season 2. Seen the first episode. I will watch the rest, but I wonder if this show is going to grab me at any point. I remember watching season one when it first came out, well all of about three or four episodes and it didn't really grab me. I left it for months, came back and watched a couple more episodes. Then only recently watched the last three or four over the last couple of weeks. I don't know what it is about this show. I like the subject matter but something about it just doesn't do it for me. I hope season 2 does. Sounds like you guys are saying it's better. I'd like to see the show get a third season and take off, if only cause it would be nice to see a hit tv show comprised primarily of Asian actors for a change.

[saxdude]

Man Kublai is so badass, they should just make a Genghis Khan series with this as a proof of concept.

[Roma_Victrix]

I just started season 2. Seen the first episode. I will watch the rest, but I wonder if this show is going to grab me at any point. I remember watching season one when it first came out, well all of about three or four episodes and it didn't really grab me. I left it for months, came back and watched a couple more episodes. Then only recently watched the last three or four over the last couple of weeks. I don't know what it is about this show. I like the subject matter but something about it just doesn't do it for me. I hope season 2 does. Sounds like you guys are saying it's better. I'd like to see the show get a third season and take off, if only cause it would be nice to see a hit tv show comprised primarily of Asian actors for a change.

This season is way ahead of the first one, although the last episode of season 1 was pretty cool, with the siege of Xiangyang and all.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

The best part about this season has to be the characters. I also like the in universe backstory. More development for Jingim and Ahmad was also good because these are key characters for the story.

[saxdude]

You know, I quite liked the fact that marco polo had an accent, it seems wierd for people wanting to speak perfect english.

[Copperknickers II]

You know, I quite liked the fact that marco polo had an accent, it seems wierd for people wanting to speak perfect english.

I agree. The show is set in China, so the Chinese should be the ones with the 'default' accent, and anyone else should have a foreign accent, as is the case. And I suppose RP is the 'default' accent for any English language drama set before the 1600s.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Me too I have nothing against it. Only the critics on like Rotten Tomatoes really complained. I think most of the viewers were just invested watching.

[Captain Jin]

On a side note; this show got me looking for that song from episode ten before the battle-- you know that Mongolian throat singing... well, I found the song... but I also found this. And I have to say, it really relaxes the hell out of me.

[TheDarkKnight]

.

Marco Polo has become the first official cancellation of a Netflix original

[Mhaedros]

Such a shame, this was one of the best historical shows I've seen, if not the best. And we can't even hope that Netflix picks up and revives it like we can when other shows get cancelled

[Roma_Victrix]

That sucks. It had so much potential and I personally enjoyed it. I loved the settings, costumes, the feel and look of the whole thing. The plot lines were pretty good as well. I guess Game of Thrones will be the only medieval type show (even though it's fantasy) that will be successful in this day and age, for some reason. The Last Kingdom is pretty good and available on Netflix, but nowhere near the budget of Marco Polo. Therein lies the difference and the reason the show was ultimately cancelled.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I am disappointed that they chose to do this. Presumably it was due to budget costs.
But I had actually warmed up to these actors and characters as well as the sort of in universe pseudo-historical lore. They had a good blend of action/Kung Fu, fish out of water, history, politics, philosophy, family drama thing going. That and the sets and costumes were freaking amazing.
But I'll be completely honest and admit that I have no idea where they were taking this or what they could have even done. I think they sort of wasted most if not all of their ammunition with season 2.
But I would rather watch this than GOTS. So I guess I am stuck with Vikings and Last Kingdom now and it is back to Chinese period pieces/dramas if I want my Asian fix. I mean I did watch season 1 of Marco Polo twice.
Should I watch Three Kingdoms a fourth time? Mongol again maybe?

[Knight of Heaven]

Ahhh that realy realy sucks....
second season was by far the better one for me.. and was obviously more "quiet" as viewers is concerned.... typical... masses behavior...

[athanaric]

Ahhh that realy realy sucks....
second season was by far the better one for me.. and was obviously more "quiet" as viewers is concerned.... typical... masses behavior...

I agree, but the second season really went off the rails in terms of historical accuracy.

[Knight of Heaven]

Im ok with them taking some liberties, as long as they arent very major, and storytelling breaking.

I see this as i see those countless historical fiction books. Good Fun, but to not take it too seriously on the historic perspective.

[athanaric]

Im ok with them taking some liberties, as long as they arent very major, and storytelling breaking.

Taking the legend of Prester John literally and having an army of Western European crusaders turn up in Mongolia (at the height of Mongol power, no less) isn't "minor liberties", it's actually pretty retarded.
There's also a curious lack of Turks throughout the series (they would've made more plausible adversaries than the crusaders, too).

I see this as i see those countless historical fiction books. Good Fun, but to not take it too seriously on the historic perspective.

I don't know of any historical fiction book that takes such leaps in plausibility. Mind you, I haven't read many of them. This kind of plot twist would've been better in a series featuring a fictional main character. When it comes to a well-known historical figure, people expect some degree of historical accuracy. Likewise for all the kung fu stuff they put in. Otherwise, I thought the series was fun, well acted and visually great. Definitely had potential.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

What about Kublai's brother, Hulagu, and the Il Khan in Persia who were Christians?

[athanaric]

What about Kublai's brother, Hulagu, and the Il Khan in Persia who were Christians?

Not sure what your point is. Pretty sure these guys never hired Europeans en masse to fight crusader style in Mongolia (because, apart from logistics, who's gonna defend the Holy Land in the meantime? The Muslims?).
No, I think the reason it turned out like that is because 1) crusaders are so iconic and because 2) no Western TV show can do without at least one moustache-twirling, British-accented, chauvinistic white guy as the villain in the long run.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

My point is that the show ignored them.

[Roma_Victrix]

Yeah, the plot went into a weird direction with the whole papacy trying to overthrow Kublai Khan thing, when in fact the papacy made multiple attempts and a concerted effort to form an alliance with the Mongol Empire in fighting Islamic sultanates (particularly the Mamluk one). It is no mistake that Frankish Crusader knights from the Levant were present at the 1258 Siege of Baghdad, fighting for the Mongols.