Lorenzo Richelmy
Benedict Wong
Joan Chen
Rick Yune
Amr Waked
Remy Hii
Zhu Zhu
Tom Wu
Mahesh Jadu
Olivia Cheng
Uli Latukefu
Chin Han

Created by:
John Fusco

2014-
Adventure, History
Netflix
TV-MA

“Marco Polo” features yet another lone white man in Asia. Do we really need to be introduced to a foreign land through the experiences of a white man anymore?

It looks great, but many TV shows do, nowadays. At the beginning of its first episode, the pace is just right. It’s intriguing. However, as that episode progresses, “Marco Polo” loses its grip on you. It meanders as it presents many different perspectives and times, spanning from 1270 to 1273. The point of these scenes isn’t as clear as it should be.

In some ways, it reminds me of Starz’s “Da Vinci’s Demons.” Da Vinci and Polo are both Italians with connections to Venice (Polo is a Venetian) and great intellects. So, it’s no surprise that Starz was the original developer of this series. But “Marco Polo” takes itself much more seriously than “Demons” does and is set about 200 years before da Vinci’s time.

Despite the first episode’s flaws, this show does have potential. The scenes between Marco and his blind Mongol fighting teacher (the Taoist monk Hundred Eyes) and the scenes that feature Kublai Khan do have a bit of magic. And, for the most part, the actors are game, especially the two who play the aforementioned Khan (Benedict Wong, who manages to convey intelligence and ruthlessness with ease) and Hundred Eyes (Tom Wu, who’s the epitome of hyper-aware).

Many critics find plenty of fault with this series … well, at least with the first episode. They also lavish praise on HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” a show on which “Marco Polo” supposedly has set its sights. While each episode of “Thrones” is much more polished than this series’ pilot, as a whole, “Thrones” doesn’t do much better in regards to pace or clarity.

Regardless, “Marco Polo” provides enough, at its beginning, for me to keep watching. I just hope that they find a way to bring all of the plot strands into better focus. Otherwise, it may become a dim reminder of “Thrones,” which, at this point, certainly can be equalled or even topped. …

As a whole, the first season of “Marco Polo” is inconsistent yet ultimately satisfying. … Well, it’s satisfying enough. The finale is the best part of the series. (Hundred Eyes finally gets to show exactly what he can do, and he doesn’t disappoint – not one bit.) I hope that the next season will be a continuation of that finale and not of the rest of the first season.

Verdict: OK to Somewhat Good

About: (Source: marcopolo)

Set in a world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, “Marco Polo” is based on the famed explorer’s adventures in Kublai Khan’s court.