Marco Polo on Netflix

[billythekid]

Netflix is launching a new series on Marco Polo. The trailer looks great. I read that all ten episodes from the first season will be available on Friday. Looks like they're going for something on the epic scale of Game of Thrones.

 

[junglehusky]

Grantland's preview is not kind.

But I'll still check out the first episode or two, at least.

 

[Walker11]

Grantland's preview is not kind.

But I'll still check out the first episode or two, at least.

Yea, I'll definitely give it a shot. The writer of the review is primarily known as "that guy who thought True Detective was bad."

 

[partial]

I'll check it out, most of the reviews i've seen today seem to say lots of fluff and not much substance. I guess we'll see if it's the kind of mindless that's fun and entertaining or pretentious and annoying.

 

[billythekid]

I was just reading the NY Times, not so favorable, review of the series. Though I must say, their main criticism of the show doesn't scare me away like maybe they thought it would, "The show’s most egregious flaw, though, is its exploitation of female characters. In the first episode, almost the only time any women show up, it is to disrobe and be sexually ravaged. But hey, Episode 2 gives women a little more credit: In one scene, a lithe young woman kills three burly warriors who were intent on violating her. The thing is, she is stark naked when she does it; they, of course, are not."

 

[temery]

I couldn't get thru the first episode.

 

[temery]

On second thought - I am now on episode three, and plan to continue. Slow start, but once I got to understand the characters, it got much better.

 

[Deepster]

I just watched the trailer. Was Marco Polo some kind of superhero that I didn't know about?

 

[8893]

I just watched the trailer. Was Marco Polo some kind of superhero that I didn't know about?

Yes. His secret power was to make people invisible to you when you closed your eyes in a swimming pool.

 

[coachcap]

Watched the first 2 episodes back to back on the "snow day" last Tuesday. Must say that the background sets are stunning. Will be watching future episodes piece meal. Wifey's prewatch assessment: "Of course there must be a female love interest to keep the story going." Then, presto, we are introduced to the princess setting off luminaries with the kids.

 

[SAMCRO]

Watched the first three episodes over the past few days and thought it's been pretty good so far. Worth the watch IMO. And there is always Zhou Zhou, Claudia Kim, and Olivia Cheng to keep your interest.

 

[coachcap]

Binge watching during snowstorms. Watched 1st 2 episodes 2 weeks ago, episodes 3 & 4 last week, then 5,6, & 7 on Monday. Wife & I are both hooked.

 

[Rinaldi]

Sorry, I'm just gonna stick with the original... the XXX version staring Rocco Siffredi. I confess...I'm a sucker for the classics.

 

[billythekid]

I found the series entertaining, but the Marco character was far and away the weakest aspect of the show. If they come back with a second season, I hope they can figure out a way to make him more interesting.

 

[Waquoit]

Did it show how he discovered spaghetti?

 

[coachcap]

So I finished up yesterday with episodes 9 & 10. (House of Cards is being released on Friday).
Sets & costumes were very well done.
Story lines were definitely inflated for the audience. Subplots were designed for the "I didn't see that coming" effect, even though they were painfully obvious-the exception being the finale's teaser ending featuring the wall fresco. That final scene will have viewers thinking: How could someone so trusted be so inherently dumb? That painting is a billboard of his intentions or is it? Should an unwanted visitor see it, his plan will be divulged. Or, is it an elaborate ruse to gain the trust of his "guest" to play with her mind & use as persuasion in some future scheme? Will that scene have the intended effect of having the audience clamoring with anticipation for a second season?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Finished Season 1 this week. I would give it a B or B-. Entertaining, but I see why reviewers had issues with it. The good was that for the most part the dialogue is decent and the plotlines are interesting. The actor that plays Marco Polo is week, but with few exceptions, I think the rest of the cast is excellent. Jao Sidao was an interesting and credible adversary to the Khan. I looked him up and the show's portrayal seems credible and layered for one of history's more interesting characters.

The bad, and this is a big bad. WAY too much kung . Was everyone in 13th century China a martial arts expert? The fight at the end of episode 10 was ridiculous. I am just going to pretend that all the kung scenes didn't happen, because I like the show more when I do that.

Also, the monk character would have been more credible if he wasn't blinded, or he didn't go into battle. The writers needed to do one or the other.

I do not get why Yusef did what he did in Episode 9.

 

[8893]

Haven't seen the series, but I love the GEICO commercial.

 

[billythekid]

I do not get why Yusef did what he did in Episode 9.

Watch season 2 and your questions will be answered. I enjoyed season 2 more than season 1. I think it's because there was less Marco.

 

[meyers7]

Yes. His secret power was to make people invisible to you when you closed your eyes in a swimming pool.

Haven't seen the series, but I love the GEICO commercial.

Love that commercial.

mi scusi io sono Marco Polo

 

[8893]

Love that commercial.

mi scusi io sono Marco Polo

I laugh every time I see it, even multiple times in the same night. It drives my wife crazy, which naturally makes me do it more.

 

[CL82]

Love that commercial.

mi scusi io sono Marco Polo

I crack up at that line... every time.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Season 2 was very good, but apparently the show has been cancelled. I suspect it was the "Rome" effect, where the show was just too expensive to produce, but I wish they had wrapped it up instead of just dropping it.

Furthermore, there is so much garbage on Netflix now (try to get through 2 episodes of Ranch, I dare you), that they should have dropped some of the flotsam and used that money for Marco Polo.