red snow Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Hmmm, so I should watch Peaky Blinders. Two people who share a lot of my tastes have recommended it now and I need a show to fill the gap that Vikings leaves in my schedule. I need to give the show another chance. I was underwhelmed by the premier but I've found several excellent shows tend to suffer from poor pilots. I'm happy we're getting a second season of MArco Polo. Hopefully the writers choose to make the Kublai clan the focus (which is what they essentially did anyhow) or find a way to involve Marco in their events in a less Marco-centric fashion. I honestly wished they'd just called this "the khans". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Peaky Blinders was decent imo. Season 2 was much much better than 1 and Arthur is a fucking rockstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talleyrand Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I went back and finished watching it. Second half was a definite improvement, not as horrible I some would have you believe but not good enough for its massive budget. The scenery was great and I would have rather have watched a show purely about Kublai and Chibi (done rather well by Benedict Wong and Joan Chen) than the one we got about Marco (done rather blandly by whatshisface) I wasn't really expecting the [spoiler] Yusuf to scapegoat himself, that was rather well shot too and quite good all round. [/spoiler] But Ahmed [spoiler] having a painting of him beheading the Khan was just pants on head retarded [/spoiler] But in the end it seemed to me like the show was slightly held back by not being sure what kind of show it wants to be. IMO but a series that ends in [spoiler] a hand to hand kung fu fight with backflips in the Imperial Throneroom between a blind monk and the baddie leader doesn't really seem to jell with the scene where a prisoner of war begs the protagonist to help as he and hundreds of his cohorts are pinned down and dismembered and turned into a weapon to be used against their home. [/spoiler] Either be the balls to the walls Wuxia film or the gritty realistic retelling of Kublai Khan (preferably the latter) it just seems to lose something by trying to be both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pliskin Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I don't think those two things contradict themselves. It's just a prerogative of Asian shows. They can be as serious as you can get but still feature Flying Kung-Fu. It's like an unbreakable rule. The real dilemma of the show is that it doesn't know if it wants to be a show about Kublai Khan or a show about Marco Polo. And we all agree that it needs to be the first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I don't think those two things contradict themselves. It's just a prerogative of Asian shows. They can be as serious as you can get but still feature Flying Kung-Fu. It's like an unbreakable rule. Lol, how is Marco Polo an "Asian" show. It is created by an American, the writing staff is American, the company that makes it is American, the lead actor is Italian and the story itself is inspired by a book written in French that was based on the stories of the eponymous Venetian traveller :P It's hardly an Asian show. There are some Asian actors in there, but the amount of bullshit Netflix's Marco Polo swings at us has nothing whatsoever to do with Asia. More with the Orientalist myths about that particular part of the continent (and how those myths can be used to fill out the boob quota). Either be the balls to the walls Wuxia film or the gritty realistic retelling of Kublai Khan (preferably the latter) it just seems to lose something by trying to be both The real dilemma of the show is that it doesn't know if it wants to be a show about Kublai Khan or a show about Marco Polo. And we all agree that it needs to be the first one. Both of these statements I agree with. The best things about this sorry excuse for a show were Benedict Wong's portrayal of the Khan and the realistic moments (as few and far between as they were) this show decided to throw in beside the bullshit wuxia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pliskin Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Lol, how is Marco Polo an "Asian" show. It is created by an American, the writing staff is American, the company that makes it is American, the lead actor is Italian and the story itself is inspired by a book written in French that was based on the stories of the eponymous Venetian traveller :P It's hardly an Asian show. There are some Asian actors in there, but the amount of bullshit Netflix's Marco Polo swings at us has nothing whatsoever to do with Asia. More with the Orientalist myths about that particular part of the continent (and how those myths can be used to fill out the boob quota). Lol, I know. It's still every bit an Asian show and works as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I don't think those two things contradict themselves. It's just a prerogative of Asian shows. They can be as serious as you can get but still feature Flying Kung-Fu. It's like an unbreakable rule. The real dilemma of the show is that it doesn't know if it wants to be a show about Kublai Khan or a show about Marco Polo. And we all agree that it needs to be the first one. It should have been called "the khans" I think Veltigar and myself were discussing elsewhere how a show about Subutai would absolutely rock. If they insist in keeping Marco Polo in the show (which I guess they have to) they need to make him a hell of a lot more relevant to the plot. At the same time I'd be happy if they split the focus in such a way that we do get unfiltered Kublai. One way of doing this is to send Marco off a wandering (which he's supposed to do) and he can have his merry little adventures while Kublai continues his politics and the like. Who knows Marco as a traveller getting into scrapes etc would be more interesting than him sitting around doing nothing for a whole season. Lol, I know. It's still every bit an Asian show and works as such. I know what you mean. Velt's comment is still funny but this is as "asian" as an American show gets without being an asian production. Unless they did a west coast version of hell on wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordos Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 A friend of mine on Facebook works in casting for this series. She told me I could come see the filming set when I go see her later this year but then said better not because she is too busy to show me around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DireWolfSpirit Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 I enjoyed the first season and will watch more of this when it comes back on.I'm a fan of Joan Chen.Not real sure about the historical accuracy with how Maro's father and uncle are portrayed?Overall though the show is entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 A friend of mine on Facebook works in casting for this series. She told me I could come see the filming set when I go see her later this year but then said better not because she is too busy to show me around. What a tease! I enjoyed the first season and will watch more of this when it comes back on. I'm a fan of Joan Chen.https://youtu.be/QeDtLS5lj2s Not real sure about the historical accuracy with how Maro's father and uncle are portrayed? Overall though the show is entertaining. I was listening to a podcast and there's even a legit theory that Marco Polo never went there and just made a load of stuff up. Here;s an article on it. If that's the case I think the show can have as much leeway as it wants :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncalagonTheBlack Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 Netflix to release Marco Polo Special on Dec. 26Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes will be available starting December 26"How did Hundred Eyes come to pledge his service to Kublai Khan? The upcoming Netflix special MARCO POLO: ONE HUNDRED EYES will tell the warrior monk's side of the story.Trailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Netflix to release Marco Polo Special on Dec. 26TrailerCool. This show was perfect for xmas time-filling in an overfed and slightly tipsy haze. I'll be watching it with my brother again no doubt.Damn, it's not the whole season though.The special will probably better than the regular show as it won't have Marco Polo in it. Weird how he's in the trailer though - I fear a "Hundred eyes tells Polo about his past" storytelling technique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pliskin Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 It's not really a trailer, it's just a featurette about the character. Those are scenes from season 1.The scenes with Marco I mean. At the end of the video, there are scenes from the special episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 It's not really a trailer, it's just a featurette about the character. Those are scenes from season 1.The scenes with Marco I mean. At the end of the video, there are scenes from the special episode.I meant more the interview with the actor. It was a weird mash-up of character featurette (where Polo's presence fit) and advertising the special on hundred eye's background (where Polo's presence makes no sense). Same for the rest of the cast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mladen Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Any news on Season 2? I need this coming out before April and chaos with The Americans, Vikings, Outlander, Daredevil, GoT... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Any news on Season 2? I need this coming out before April and chaos with The Americans, Vikings, Outlander, Daredevil, GoT... it really does need to come out at a quiet time (which is why december would have worked) because if it's released at the same time as any of those shows, I know what I'm watching first. I guess as long as it's not competing with other binge shows it's not too bad but I doubt I'd be watching a single episode while there was an episode of season 2 Daredevil left to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 It's still absolutely stupid that Hundred Eyes is blind I do get why they made a special about him though. With the exception of Kublai and Kuthulun, he was the only character that really made any impression at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 It's still absolutely stupid that Hundred Eyes is blind I do get why they made a special about him though. With the exception of Kublai and Kuthulun, he was the only character that really made any impression at all. I'm hoping the special will reveal his blindness is bullshit too. Otherwise the guy is Daredevil which is fine in Crouching Tiger hidden dragon but odd in a show that is trying to be realistic. It's like having Kublai's mandarins walk around with ipads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mladen Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 it really does need to come out at a quiet time (which is why december would have worked) because if it's released at the same time as any of those shows, I know what I'm watching first. I guess as long as it's not competing with other binge shows it's not too bad but I doubt I'd be watching a single episode while there was an episode of season 2 Daredevil left to watch.Yeap. I have just recently realized how stacked are March-April-May with TV series... Decisions, decisions It's still absolutely stupid that Hundred Eyes is blind I do get why they made a special about him though. With the exception of Kublai and Kuthulun, he was the only character that really made any impression at all. I am of opinion that everybody made the impression save the lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 This show never knew whether it wanted to be a historical fiction show, or a Fantasy show... I think either would have been fine... most would probably prefer the former ... but the latter could work if they committed to it .... instead they oscillated back and forth and it just came across silly... The budget looked to be huge but the showrunner was probably in over his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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