Season 2 Episode 4
The fourth episode of the second season marked the return of Marco's father Niccolo, now in Acre with Pope Gregory X. With Niccolo's proximity to Christian power, it was clear that he was no mere trader. He left his son on the court of Kublai Khan for a reason. Now that the Khan's eyes had turned ever more firmly toward the West, Niccolo had ceased hiding behind the pretense of a businessman. He was part of the Pope's army and he had recruited Prince Nayan to the cause.
Prince Nayan is a figure of history, but due to the show's characterisation of him and my inability to get any sort of confirmation that there may even be a figment of truth to this, it is best to think of Prince Nayan of Marco Polo as very, very loosely based on a prince who lived at around the time of Kublai Khan. When the Pope asked him how he came to convert to Christianity, he said that he struggled with sins of the flesh (horrifyingly, we already know what this meant). When he could no longer control himself, he cast himself to the desert. It was there that he met Prester John. Prince Nayan claimed that though he walked for weeks, he felt no hunger nor thirst.
Prince Nayan was loyal to his Mongol roots. He argued that Kublai Khan was a friend to all religions. Niccolo argued that it was the Khan's very inclusiveness that made him a threat. In the end, Prince Nayan appeared to have been baptised (or baptised again) to the Christian faith. His final words were the episode's title, which hinted at an upcoming conflict with his nephew.
That the Pope's words may have won the internal argument Prince Nayan was having with himself was notable, because the Prince was shown to be a powerful force. Even proud Kaidu heeded his mother's advise and went to ask for the Prince's support, though Kaidu was less tolerant of other people's beliefs than Kublai. At a time when the Khan faced a threat to his rule through Kaidu's challenge, having another enemy in Prince Nayan was a danger.
For most of the episode, however, Kublai and Kaidu were able to set their differences aside and combine their forces to search for the missing Jingim and Ahmad. Kaidu quite honestly told Kublai that whilst he sanctioned the raid, the attack on the horses of Jingim and Ahmad were solely the work of his idiot son Orus. Kaidu swore that if Kublai's sons were not returned to him, he could take Orus and do with him as he pleased. Of course, we already knew that Kaidu had decided to make Khutulun the heir, not Orus, so it was not like he was offering an heir for an heir trade to Kublai.
The search for two men, one of them seriously injured, was a stark reminder of the vastness of the Mongol empire and the dangers of traveling through it. Jingim kept Ahmad alive, though Ahmad reached a period of his delirium where he talked about the father he could not remember and the mother he remembered vividly. He even spoke of the mural where he held the Khan's head on his hand (he did not mention the Khan, but we know what he was referring to). If Jingim were paying better attention, he would have realised that what he was glimpsing of was the turbulence within Ahmad, not the amiable brother he grew up with but the boy who witnessed war, who saw his loved ones killed, and who was then adopted by the very man who ordered the slaughter.
In the end, Jingim and Ahmad were found, just in time to prevent a bloodshed between Kublai and Kaidu. Their confrontation would have to wait until the Kurultai.
Strays
■ Batbayer, the stablehand who raped Kokachin at the direction of Empress Chabi, was found dead, likely killed on the orders of the empress.
■ Kokachin wondered if the disappearance of Jingim was punishment for what she and the Empress did. More accurately, what the Empress forced her to do and hide. Though Empress Chabi initially dismissed Kokachin's concerns, she, too, feared karma. To reverse the karma, she tried to be kind to Ling Ling and Mei Lin. Whatever kindness she would have offered Mei Lin, she was not able to say, because she spotted the Khan's furs in her room. The Khan was back sleeping with the woman who tried to kill her.
■ Kokachin introduced herself as Nergui, her real name, to the wife of Batbayer. Kokachin looked like her conscience was weighted with her secrets, and she was starting to lose her grip with reality. When Jingim came home, however, she pulled herself together and told him she was pregnant.
■ Byamba did not particularly like the thought of being a female Khan's husband, and was especially furious that Khutulun attacked his brothers without telling him. After Jingim and Ahmad were found, Byamba rode back with his father's troops.
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| Pope Gregory X. Image from Marco Polo, streamed via Netflix |
The fourth episode of the second season marked the return of Marco's father Niccolo, now in Acre with Pope Gregory X. With Niccolo's proximity to Christian power, it was clear that he was no mere trader. He left his son on the court of Kublai Khan for a reason. Now that the Khan's eyes had turned ever more firmly toward the West, Niccolo had ceased hiding behind the pretense of a businessman. He was part of the Pope's army and he had recruited Prince Nayan to the cause.
Prince Nayan is a figure of history, but due to the show's characterisation of him and my inability to get any sort of confirmation that there may even be a figment of truth to this, it is best to think of Prince Nayan of Marco Polo as very, very loosely based on a prince who lived at around the time of Kublai Khan. When the Pope asked him how he came to convert to Christianity, he said that he struggled with sins of the flesh (horrifyingly, we already know what this meant). When he could no longer control himself, he cast himself to the desert. It was there that he met Prester John. Prince Nayan claimed that though he walked for weeks, he felt no hunger nor thirst.
Prince Nayan was loyal to his Mongol roots. He argued that Kublai Khan was a friend to all religions. Niccolo argued that it was the Khan's very inclusiveness that made him a threat. In the end, Prince Nayan appeared to have been baptised (or baptised again) to the Christian faith. His final words were the episode's title, which hinted at an upcoming conflict with his nephew.
That the Pope's words may have won the internal argument Prince Nayan was having with himself was notable, because the Prince was shown to be a powerful force. Even proud Kaidu heeded his mother's advise and went to ask for the Prince's support, though Kaidu was less tolerant of other people's beliefs than Kublai. At a time when the Khan faced a threat to his rule through Kaidu's challenge, having another enemy in Prince Nayan was a danger.
For most of the episode, however, Kublai and Kaidu were able to set their differences aside and combine their forces to search for the missing Jingim and Ahmad. Kaidu quite honestly told Kublai that whilst he sanctioned the raid, the attack on the horses of Jingim and Ahmad were solely the work of his idiot son Orus. Kaidu swore that if Kublai's sons were not returned to him, he could take Orus and do with him as he pleased. Of course, we already knew that Kaidu had decided to make Khutulun the heir, not Orus, so it was not like he was offering an heir for an heir trade to Kublai.
The search for two men, one of them seriously injured, was a stark reminder of the vastness of the Mongol empire and the dangers of traveling through it. Jingim kept Ahmad alive, though Ahmad reached a period of his delirium where he talked about the father he could not remember and the mother he remembered vividly. He even spoke of the mural where he held the Khan's head on his hand (he did not mention the Khan, but we know what he was referring to). If Jingim were paying better attention, he would have realised that what he was glimpsing of was the turbulence within Ahmad, not the amiable brother he grew up with but the boy who witnessed war, who saw his loved ones killed, and who was then adopted by the very man who ordered the slaughter.
In the end, Jingim and Ahmad were found, just in time to prevent a bloodshed between Kublai and Kaidu. Their confrontation would have to wait until the Kurultai.
Strays
■ Batbayer, the stablehand who raped Kokachin at the direction of Empress Chabi, was found dead, likely killed on the orders of the empress.
■ Kokachin wondered if the disappearance of Jingim was punishment for what she and the Empress did. More accurately, what the Empress forced her to do and hide. Though Empress Chabi initially dismissed Kokachin's concerns, she, too, feared karma. To reverse the karma, she tried to be kind to Ling Ling and Mei Lin. Whatever kindness she would have offered Mei Lin, she was not able to say, because she spotted the Khan's furs in her room. The Khan was back sleeping with the woman who tried to kill her.
■ Kokachin introduced herself as Nergui, her real name, to the wife of Batbayer. Kokachin looked like her conscience was weighted with her secrets, and she was starting to lose her grip with reality. When Jingim came home, however, she pulled herself together and told him she was pregnant.
■ Byamba did not particularly like the thought of being a female Khan's husband, and was especially furious that Khutulun attacked his brothers without telling him. After Jingim and Ahmad were found, Byamba rode back with his father's troops.
Director: David Petrarca
Writer: Kate Barnow
Original Air Date: 1 July 2016
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