It’s a visually stunning re-imagining of Catholicism hopped up on Cherry Coke Zero as we take you through the recap of HBO’s The Young Pope Episode 1.
Growing up Catholic, we were taught that the Pope is the most pious, most holy man of them all. He is as close as you can get to God here on Earth. And right out of the gate, HBO’s new limited series The Young Pope Episode 1 promises us a man who is anything but. Why? One of the first things he says to a crowd of faithful pilgrims is, “We have forgotten to masturbate!” Let’s jump right in.
Not So Pious
We start on a shot of a naked baby, crawling among other sick and dying babies. From the massive mountain emerges newly-elected Pope Pius XIII (Jude Law), moments before he gives his first speech as Pontiff. In a sort of fever-dream fashion, he moves around the room, eyeing all the nuns and cardinals gathered for his coronation. A sort of wry smile crossing his lips from time to time as they gaze upon him in awe. It’s almost as if this 47-year-old Pope realizes what power he’s about to wield in the name of religion.
We have our answer the moment he steps out onto the balcony over looking St. Peter’s Square. The crowd below erupts into praise upon seeing the new leader of the Church, and Pius XIII couldn’t be happier to soak in all the attention. As he raises his arms skyward in a very arrogant way, the heavy rains immediately stop. What feels like a sign of good faith has an underlying darkness to it. The Holy Father’s exaggerated arm movements and cries for gay marriage and sex for pleasure silences the crowd, even causing some Cardinals to faint on sight.
Of course, we soon realize God is on our side a little bit, and it was all just a dream for Lenny Belardo, the birth name of the man who has become the youngest pope in history.
A “See” of Defiance
This series, written and directed by Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino, so far has focused less on the religious aspect of things, and is setting up a show that will get to know the man behind the stunning white robes. Pius XIII settles into his new gig at the Holy See, and we can already tell he intends to do it his way. “There’s a new pope now,” he tells long-time papal secretary Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando) after casually lighting up a cigarette inside the palace.
We soon learn the Cardinals who helped Lenny get elected assumed he could be easily manipulated, doing the whims of a very small group. Yet one of Pius XIII’s first acts as pope is demanding the Papal Tiara be returned from Washington D.C., instead of focusing on more holy issues. We see the inner workings of the church, which is far more political in this universe than perhaps the halls of Congress. Lenny constantly seems lost in thought, knowing it’s making all the attention in the room go right onto him. And with one billion followers in his flock, he knows he’s got a piece of the world’s ear. We just don’t know how much he plans to deviate from God’s light.
And when we see Lenny’s mentor Cardinal Spencer (James Cromwell) attempt suicide in a bathroom shortly after the election, we know all hope may soon be lost.
Religious Duality
Lenny as pope seems to constantly be at odds with himself. First of all, on the surface, he’s quite liberal. He has no problem telling off a kindly old nun as “too friendly and familiar” (and making her cry in the process), demands a Cherry Coke Zero to start the day, and casually smokes all around the Vatican. Another tip off? He even says flat out he has no sins to confess. But there’s very little wiggle room for him, as he wants strict adherence to the more conservative parts of the church’s guidelines. This level of internal conflict is bound to produce some hypocrisies along the way.
We saw this exact occurrence when Cardinal Voiello thought Pius XIII was making a “telling joke” about his papacy. Lenny shot back coldly, “Jokes are never telling. They’re jokes.” But towards the end of the episode, he admits to the Vatican confessor Don Tomasso (Marcello Romolo) that he doesn’t believe in God. As the father clutches his heart in horror, Pius XIII simply says, “I’m joking.” We can expect to see more contradictions in plain sight from this pope. Although they may be obvious to those beneath him, how can they even say anything to a man who is basically God?
Making Sense of it All
First episodes can sometimes be a little muddled as we try to learn exposition and who these characters are. Shows like this tend to be more of an artistic expression, and it does a beautiful job at that. The costume design looks as authentic as Law’s real-life counterpart wears. And what feels like a nod to Pope Benedict XVI, we even get a glimpse at Pius XIII’s ruby red Prada loafers as he struts through a Vatican garden.
Law’s acting is exceptional. He remains serious, with pinpoint accuracy at his own selfish needs, and can pull off a flawless Brooklyn accent while doing it. We didn’t get to see as much of Diane Keaton as Sister Mary as we would have liked. Watching her arrive in Italy via helicopter was the only time Lenny had any sort of warm emotion on his face. We learn she took him into an orphanage at a very crucial time in his life.
Because of Lenny’s own dysfunctional childhood and abandonment issues, Sister Mary had to act as a mother and father to him. Now that she’s a part of His Holiness’ council we’re sure to see how this relationship came to be the more we go forward. After all, Lenny tells a Vatican monsignor, “It all comes back to the mother” as they gaze upon Michaelangelo’s Pietà.
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Go Now in Peace
The Catholic schoolgirl in me is crying out “Blasphemy!” when Pius XIII lights up a cigarette, but the lapsed Catholic adult who is typing this now can’t wait to see and hear more. The Young Pope airs every Sunday and Monday at 9 p.m. eastern until all ten episodes have aired. We’ll see you tomorrow for more.