I have just finished watching episode 9. So many reviews and people have been hating on this series. Honestly, it is seldom that i watch something for nearly 9 hours straight....and this was one of them.
It all starts very slow, but it captures a beautiful and strange world. Its the story of a Venetian explorer who gets caught up in the power struggles of the Mongol empire.
The problem is that people try to compare it with game of thrones. Its not game of thrones, its a different genre, and it feels unfair to compare the two.
The production value is superb, the acting, while not the greatest, it feels right. A movie doesn't need to be a Shakespearean play with lots of drama, as some seem to think.
Honestly, if this series had been released before game of thrones, it would have had a whole different reception, i really do not understand this mentality of people to compare series with others that are entirely different in setting and even budget.
9/10 Make a choice for yourself and ignore the critics on this one. Just the visuals and the portrayal of a mystical and exotic east through the eyes of a European explorer are reason enough for me to look forward to the next season. I personally do wish to see more adventure instead of politics, as this is about Marco Polo the great adventurer after all!