Marco Polo
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Marco Polo (2014) is a drama and action series from Netflix. It has built a run of 20 episodes. It premiered on December 12, 2014. Viewers rate it 8 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 2 seasons.
What Marco Polo Is About
In a world replete with greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, Marco Polo is based on the famed explorer’s adventures in Kublai Khan’s court in 13th century China.
What to Expect When You Watch
The format keeps each instalment self-contained enough to drop into, the full run covers 20 episodes, spread across 2 seasons and it leans into its drama/action roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Benedict Wong, Lorenzo Richelmy and Joan Chen to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Benedict Wong, Lorenzo Richelmy, Joan Chen, Remy Hii, Uli Latukefu and Zhu Zhu lead the cast.
Key roles include Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan; Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo; Joan Chen as Empress Chabi; Remy Hii as Prince Jingim; Uli Latukefu as Byamba.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama, action and adventure have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Netflix’s other originals, a 8/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2014 and carried by Netflix with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and action viewers.
How Marco Polo Compares
If Marco Polo lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/action lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Marco Polo comes from Netflix. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
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On the whole Marco Polo is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Benedict Wong and Lorenzo Richelmy doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/action roots, It has held up since 2014 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Marco Polo is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and action lane, at 20 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 8/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8/10. Watch it if you want drama/action you can settle into.
