North Texas Daily

Erica Wieting / Staff Writer

Treachery. Greed. Torture. Politics. Sex. These adjectives are common among most world cultures today.

They were also applicable nearly 10 centuries ago.

“Marco Polo,” a Netflix original series, came out in December 2014 and takes place during the brutal Yuan Dynasty in China, which lasted for almost a century, beginning in 1271.

The show is not for the faint of heart. A brutal impalement greets viewers in the first scene, and deceit and betrayal are soon to follow.

Named for the famous young adventurer, the show follows Polo’s journey across the famed Silk Road in China. As he navigates the tricky politics of Kublai Khan’s empire, Polo begins to learn the inner-workings of how the court operates.

Observing a feud between Kublai Khan and his brother quickly teaches Polo that no one is safe in the battle between empires. A fierce battle scene occurs within the first couple episodes of the season as tensions between empires dramatically rise.

The show follows Polo as he begins to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable for someone of his prisoner status. A relationship that develops between Polo and a certain royal figure proves to be perilous for more than one reason. Sexual intrigue is just another way American screenwriter Josh Fusco draws in viewers.

Fusco, who also wrote screenplays for “Hidalgo,” “Crossroads” and “Young Guns I & II,” directs the show. The first season has 10 episodes, each 50 to 60 minutes long.

So far the show has received mixed reviews. People’s Tom Gliatto said it is a “…a fun, body-flinging, old-fashioned epic,” while critic site Rotten Tomatoes called it “an all-around disappointment.”

Despite some dissenting voices, the show was renewed for a second 10-episode season in January 2015. Its release date has yet to be announced.