Marco Polo Recap 'The Wayfarer'

Image from Marco Polo, streamed via Netflix

Season 1 Episode 1

It has been so long since I last wrote a recap, I don't even know where to begin. So, I'll just get on it.

I avoided Marco Polo for a long time because of the rough reviews I read of it. I wish I could claim not to be affected by reviews but the truth is, given how little time I have outside of work, I do use reviews and word of mouth as filter in deciding what to watch. Thankfully, I did get around to watching Marco Polo, and I am glad I did. Is it a brilliant show? I wouldn't go that far. Is it immensely watchable? Absolutely. Is it peopled with compelling characters wonderfully performed? Yes.

As the title suggests, the show is centred on a young Marco Polo as he joined the father he barely knew and his Uncle as they tried to secure trade routes from the immensely powerful Kublai Khan. When they faced banishment for their failure to bring priests as the great Khan demanded, Niccolo Polo offered young Marco to be left behind as the Khan's servant. The Khan, impressed by Marco's lyrical description of the desert, agreed.

The first episode did what first episodes do -- establish the setting and introduce the characters. At this time, the only one left challenging Kublai's power was what was left of the Song dynasty. Secure within their high walls, China was ruled by a dying emperor with a very young son, and Chancellor Jia Sidao (a more overtly powerful Littlefinger, with mean Kung fu moves). Jia Sidao secures more money and power by selling off his sister's favours, his sister Mei Lin being the Emperor's favourite concubine and mother to his daughter.

Image from Marco Polo, streamed via Netflix

In the court of Kublai Khan, there is Empress Chabi, his most beloved wife, and his heir, the Chinese-educated Jingim. There is also Byamba (Kublai Khan's bastard son), Ahmad (Minister of Finance and practically an adopted son of the Khan), Yusuf (Kublai Khan's loyal and wise Vice Regent), and the Blue Princess, a captive royalty of a land captured and massacred by the Khan's forces (and the lovely lady Marco gets to make googly eyes with). 

Already a fan favourite and one of the show's most intriguing characters is Hundred Eyes, a blind Chinese monk held at Court to educate and train the Khan's sons, and who was tasked to train Marco as well. Hundred Eyes is so awesome, he got his own Christmas special.

At the time of this writing, I have already seen all 10 episodes. Having become familiar with the almost genial presence of the Khan, it was such a stark contrast to the mark of violence at the beginning of this episode, a village raided by the Mongols where they left corpses impaled on sticks. I'm not sure what was the point of the Khan's test to Marco -- walk past beautiful, n-ked women skilled in the arts of pleasure without touching them -- but there, that happened. The Wayfarer is not a particularly compelling beginning, but it was enough to make me keep watching, and I am glad I did.