Marco Polo Episodes 7-8 Recaps: War Is Easy, The Waiting Will Kill You

When we last visited Camulac, Mei Lin had an arrow in the shoulder courtesy of Empress Chabi. The plot to kill Kublai Klan had failed. Now in a surprise move, the Empress begs for Mei Lin's life--not necessarily because she has sympathy for her as a mother but because Mei Lin can be used to get to her brother (ie the Cricket Minster). Next the Khan visits Hundred Eyes. He is instructed to take Marco, enter the walled city, kill Chancellor Jia Sidao, and report back on military weaknesses. Kublai presents Polo with a golden tablet. It will open all doors during their trip (this is similar to the table Marco's father carried).

Chabi requests a private meeting with the Blue Princess. Kokachin is suspicious as to her true motives. But the two seem to get along smashingly. The Empress is looking for another bride for Jingim and guess who is first in line?

Meanwhile Jing Fei lies to the Cricket Minister about Mei Lin's success. She told him that Mei Lin successfully killed the Empress. Jing Fei confides to the Dowager Empress the truth. Of course, the Red Lotus is no friend of Jia Sidao.

Speed Dating, Mongol Style

Khutulun offers to wrestle the best warrior in order to get the men to follow her into battle. The Khan's bastard son Byamba wins their wrestling match. It is later revealed that Khutulun gave up on purpose. She wants to wed Byamba to get closer to the Khan. I'm not sure how her daddy Kaidu feels about this. It seems a strange choice to me as well (especially after she bedded Marco for all of five minutes).

No One Will Notice Us If We Wear These Big Hats

Marco and Hundred Eyes make it inside the Song city's gates. They meet with Jing Fei and tell her Mei Lin is still alive. When she returns to the palace, the chancellor demands to know where she was. She says she was at the whorehouse. She fears for her future after the chancellor leaves. I fear for her as well.

The boy emperor is about to be crowned head of the Song kingdom. This means Jia Sidao is out. His calligraphy teacher tries to kill him. Hundred Eyes joins the fight (after wiping out all of the guards). Both fail. Hundred Eyes quickly retreats.

Sorry I've Been So Busy I Didnt Have Time To Wash Up

Jing Fei convinces Marco to take Mei Lin's daughter Ling Ling as they (Marco and Hundred Eyes) leave the city. Hundred Eyes joins them. Meanwhile a bloody Jia crashes the coronation. He says "are you ready to take the throne my emperor?" to the boy. The Dowager Empress is held as a prisoner under the guise of protecting her from more would be assassins.

Marco brings his drawings back to the Khan. There is a weakness in the wall. Kublai declares war on the Song (against the advise of a few of his advisors including Yusef). The Mongols ride out to battle. Wuchang falls. Next up is Xiangyang.

Back in the Emperial City, Tulga resurfaces saying if he cant have the Blue Princess, no one can. Za Bing intercedes but is killed. Kokachin shoots Tulga dead with an arrow. Now the poor girl has no one. Ling Ling is in Camulac too. The Empress' healer says he must bring the bones in her feet again in order to repair the damage of foot binding. Ahmad is keeping Mei Lin in his suite. He reports back to the Empress on his progress in gathering intel. We suspect he secretly loves Mei though. He later tells her he has Ling Ling. She begs him not to hurt her child.

The Joke's On You Cricket Minister

Yusef (the Vice Regeant) is sent to meet with Jia. He learns that Jia thinks the Empress is dead. Later, Kublai and Jia have a sit down. The Khan introduces his wife. Haaa, surprise! She's still very much alive. Poor Jing Fei has been found out. She could have escaped the city but stayed to help Mei Lin. Jia calls her a whore and says he loved her (that guys is seriously screwed up). She commits suicide with a sword.

Bye, Bye Jing Fei. You Were Gone Too Soon (But I Did Enjoy Your Last Dance Number).

Byamba tells Marco that Jingim and Ahmad believe he has some inexplicable strange hold on their father. They plan to accidentally-on-purpose kill him in battle. Byamba advises Marco to ride to the West before he ends up dead. The Blue Princess secretly visits Marco. She confesses that she is not a princess after all.

Marco sees that the Mongols are killing their Song captives and chopping them into parts in order to fling them over the wall and/or boiling them into a fatty substance that is burn (and is very hard to extinguish). This strikes him (and me) as extremely cruel. Marco is advised by Hundred Eyes against protesting. War is not for the faint of heart.

Riding Into Battle

It's battle time. The Mongols push ahead and breach the weakness in the wall. But it turns out to be all a trap. Many men killed. Psych! Jai Sidao has baited the Mongols and won. Kublai tells the army to retreat. Marco Polo was already in the hot seat with almost everyone besides the Khan. Now his last/best alley may have just turned against him as well.

Episode 7: The Scholar's Pen
Episode 8: Rendering

Favorite Quotes:

"Why use a battering ram when an arrow will do?"-Empress Chabi to the Khan.
"War is easy. The waiting will kill you."- Byamba to Khutulun.
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."-Jia Sidao.
"Limp away now messenger."- Jia to Yusef.
"Warm airs constricts leather, metal, armor shrinks."- Kublai to Chabi when he cant squeeze into his armor because he's gained too much weight. That was funny.
"There is no good in anything until it is finished."- Kubai quoting Ghengis Khan.
"One Khanate, one Khan, one China, one Emperor"- Chabi to Kublai
"Master Marco pointed our army into a trap."- Jingim.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). I've said it before but if you get through the first three somewhat boring episodes, the rest of the series is great. I cant wait to see what happens at the end of the season. Here's where we are currently. To my surprise Mei Lin is still alive. Marco is also alive but it's not looking good for him right now. We still dont know who the mole inside the Imperial Court is. And of course the Cricket Minster is confirming at every step that he is nobody's fool.