17-06-2025
Netflix fans rave ‘you've got to see it to believe it!' as ‘amazing' period drama leaves them begging for more episodes
Fans were left stunned after Netflix drama Marco Polo was cancelled after season two, despite achieving a staggering 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show, premiering in 2014, is inspired by the legendary Venetian explorer Marco Polo, and his travels around 13th Century Asia.
It immortalises the birth of the mythic Yuan dynasty, and the reign of its founder, Kublai Khan, who brought the Mongol Empire to its peak.
The show was praised by fans for bringing Asian culture back into the zeitgeist, and has even been compared to Game Of Thrones for its fantastical cinematography.
In 2015, the series was recognised by the president of Mongolia, who bestowed the production team with an award, for their positive portrayal of Mongolian culture and history.
The starring cast includes Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo, Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan, Joan Chen as Empress Chabi and Rick Yune as Kaidu.
One fan left a five-star review on Rotten Tomatoes: 'What, a, plot. What amazing character developments, the colours, the costumes, the acting, the story plot in between each character, what a VILLAIN ARC! Oh my god, you got to see it to believe this villain origin story, the cultural mix and religious fighting historical representation, the acting, the fighting scenes, the plot twists !
'The CLIFF HANGER !! The only negative thing about this season, is that it's the last. Was so annoyed to see there weren't any more with such a beautiful diversified talented and beautiful cast, plot, acting and imagery.'
The series reportedly cost Netflix $200 million over the course of the two seasons, and despite its sumptuous production values and historical intrigue, the show did not perform well enough on the platform to justify the cost.
Whilst Netflix hasn't shared viewership numbers, it was suggested that the series struggled to garner a following, and didn't achieve the desired ratings.
'Well acted and visually stunning. The second season can be better than the first, just spectacular... I just don't give 5 stars because of the ending that ends in an unexpected way, they canceled too soon!!! One of the best series ever!!!' wrote one reviewer.
'I don't know why they stopped this show. It's like Game Of Thrones but in Asia. I guess less people are interested."
In 2015, the series was recognised by the president of Mongolia, who bestowed the production team with an award, for their positive portrayal of Mongolian culture and history
However, some suggested the writing was subpar compared to the visual quality of the show,
'Amazing show at times. The writing was not equal to the show and I lost interest'
'The potential for converts isn't even up for discussion as Marco Polo delves into its byzantine, stylish second season, which has just enough nifty set pieces and cool characters to compensate (barely) for a humdrum wartime plot.'
For anyone curious to uncover the secrets of the Mongolian Empire, Marco Polo is available to stream on Netflix now.
