The Young Pope” is an unpredictable and dazzling new TV series from HBO. It may have been hard to cope with the endless memes that preceded this dramatic soap, but consider the scope. Those who give the show a chance, rather than just mope, will find it goes beyond tropes. The bottom line? This pope is pretty dope.
This series is about Lenny Belardo, who has just been chosen as the new pope.
As the title suggests he is the youngest pope in history, but his youth masks a scheming mind that seeks to battle the established church hierarchy. He quickly proves he’s more likely to say nope to the various church leaders who just can’t cope rather than focus on hope.
Jude Law gives a compelling performance as Belardo. His take on an American accent makes him sound like Bill Murray, but he nevertheless does a good job at delivering menacing monologues.
Law’s range is on display throughout the first episode and especially in scenes where he employs a rope-a-dope strategy by letting a rival dictate terms of his pontificate.
“The Young Pope” also has a lot in common with an azeotrope, a mixture of two liquids that has a constant boiling point. This series is basically a mixture of a European filmmaker’s imagination and “House of Cards.” The constantly boiling high stakes and characters’ passions threaten to spill over. Power can be a slippery slope.
Acclaimed Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino created “The Young Pope.” He directs every episode and brings some great visual strangeness to this series. The aerial shots of Rome will delight even the most unhappy misanthrope.
You do not have to be Catholic to enjoy “The Young Pope.” The emphases on intrigue and Machiavellian ruminations make its appeal universal. The scheming that goes on is as interesting as that of “The Sopranos” or “Game of Thrones.”
The music of this series is eclectic. Music supervisor Lele Marchitelli makes great use of xylophones and didgeridoos to create a unique sonic environment.
It is a good avant-garde counterpoint to Sorrentino’s decadent color palette and scope.
The supporting cast is excellent. Diane Keaton shines as the kind Sister Mary. Silvio Orlando is a great antagonist as Cardinal Voiello. Marcello Romolo plays a simple priest that Belardo manipulates into serving as his spy.
This series is not for everyone. Sorrentino’s surrealist imagery and serious themes might put off viewers hoping for a lighthearted romp. Humor on this show comes in small, striking doses. My favorite example is Belardo’s favorite breakfast: a cherry Coke Zero.
“The Young Pope” places a stethoscope to the heart of a dark yet intriguing protagonist. I do not know what lies in that heart, but Sorrentino makes me anxious to learn what Belardo intends to do. I have hope the rest of this series will be at least as dope as its first episode.
Jesse Pasternack
jpastern@indiana.edu
@jessepasternack
