Welcome to the full-spoiler discussion page for Season 2 of Netflix's Marco Polo. This is for those who've watched all 10 episodes of the second season and want to read my thoughts about plot specifics or comment down below about the finale or any other spoiler-ific aspect of the show. For my overall, non-spoilery thoughts, click here to read the Marco Polo: Season 2 review.
I really was enjoying Kublai and Chabi's violent plot right at the end to take out Kaidu and those who knew of secret regarding Khan's heir. In fact, their scene together in the season finale, when Kublai forgave Chabi for her deception, was really effective and endearing. Especially given how strained their relationship had been all season. A big theme this year, that really got hammered home (maybe even a bit too much), was how much being Khan involved awful and difficult decisions. And so for Kublai to finally see and acknowledge that Chabi also had to make similar choices for their family, and for him, was very heartwarming.
All of this, of course, made Marco's return to the camp - to once again save Kublai's life no less - more unbearable. I was looking forward to watching the Khan couple handle their own s***, as it were, and the show seems to be set on looking for ways to eternally endear Marco to Kublai. I liked the back and forth, the struggle between desperate and honorable, that both Kublai and Kaidu shifted between during the season - all of it leading up to the Kurultai. So to then have Marco come in right at the end, and the Christian army, to interrupt it all right when it was paying off, felt like a cheat. And also way to not deal with the fate of Khutulun just yet. It just felt like a season somewhat devoted to tough choices didn't make any toward the end.
Kokachin's death wasn't surprising, though I will say that death scene can still be impactful regardless of anticipation. And Chabi holding Kokachin's head under the lake water was a very chilling moment, and also a reminder of how interesting a character can truly become once they leave Marco's orbit. Kokachin's Season 2 story felt like a bit of a reboot/refresh given her decent into paranoia and madness, but it also made for some of the most compelling parts of this run. Her affection for Marco sort of returned right at the end of her story -- yes, that Season 1 love story that never landed right -- but for the most part her tragic second season journey was very good.
Ahmad's ultimate fate felt a little flat. It was wasn't bad, and I certainly enjoyed seeing him hang above the city gate, but given how the entire season pretty much was solely devoted to his schemes things just felt a bit lacking by the end. Once he sat on that throne, his story sort of dissolved. I guess I should say, once everyone figured out that he was behind everything, his role diminished somewhat because then he just felt more like a standard villain waiting for a boss battle.
Regarding Ahmad, the thing I remember the most vividly about his villainy was Kublai's anger and sorrow once he realized who it was that had convinced him to kill the boy - a moment that stands as the most powerful and disturbing scene from the first half of the season. Because there we saw a man famous for never regretting anything, and who'd stubbornly clung to a "I make touch choices - deal!" philosophy," really crack under the weight of guilt. And that wound up being the heaviest blow Ahmad struck the entire season.
I think the series ran into a semi-impossible shell game at the end when it came to "Who should kill Ahmad?" Because there were many suitors, but choosing one meant denying others. Should Kublai have done it? Jingim? Mei Lin did the honors and, yes, it made sense given their history and all she endured from him, but Ahmad had wronged so many people with his treachery that any number of people would have made sense. Hell, at least they didn't give the honors to Marco.
Marco Polo has always had impressive fight and battle sequences, but often its the smaller moments that count more. The spectacle of flaming white horses stampeding through Kaidu's camp was a nice callback to the swallows from the season premiere's first scene, but Kublai's speech to his men afterward, about those honorable horses sacrifice for the cause was great. Don't let those brave wonderful animals die in vain was the messaging and I loved it. Because, once again, Kublai made a very cruel and hard choice that caused pain, but this time he was admitting it and using it to motivate himself and others.
I mentioned this mostly back in my full season review, but the show now runs best when Marco's not around. I mean, he's a means to an end most of the time - a carrier of information or someone trusted with an important task, but overall he's not needed. We can now have an episode involving Jingim and Ahmad being stranded in a cave or a scene featuring a serious talk between Byamba and Khutulun about their future and Marco doesn't need to figure into it at all. He now fills in the gaps. He learns secrets and gives warnings and, depending on what the story needs, his words are heeded, but most of his stories this year were separate from everyone else, like his turmoil with his father or his one bland night stand with that singer.
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at http://ift.tt/1kiBJkp.
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