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The Young Pope - Jude Law as an American Pope - Airing 2x a week Sunday/Monday on HBO

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Just marathoned through this over a week. Wife didn't really like it and stopped watching after 2 or 3 episodes but I was absolutely transfixed. Its so different from anything else on TV, in terms of story beats, cinematography, music, themes, etc.

Very, very European especially in the music, directing, and the "tempo" of the story. Would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in Italy, religion or a different TV experience, while really not much actually happens plot wise it generally is pretty fun to watch, and only 10 episodes. My favorite bits of the show are actually the Cardinal Secretary of State just talking in Italian with various other characters.

Loved the opening theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2btMNaFmYZk

I had to know what all the 10 paintings are from that
http://www.dailyartdaily.com/young-pope-paintings-opening-explained/

my favorite stupidest thing (spoilers for the entire season, but ends up not true)
I had read earlier speculation that the Young Pope was actually the anti christ, so kept expecting that kind of reveal throughout the season. I'm glad they didn't go that way, we already have Lucifer airing to fill that side and it woulda made this show ridiculous.
 

Blader

Member
Hmm, maybe Law can't/won't commit to a second season of the show so Sorrentino is reorienting it as
Lenny is dead after all, hence a follow-up with a new pope
. Which would be pretty disappointing if that's the case. Jude Law was entirely that show.

More details from Variety:

Lenny Belardo, the tormented American pontiff played by Jude Law in Paolo Sorrentino's ”The Young Pope," is pope no more.

HBO and Sky have teamed up on ”The New Pope," a new limited series to be directed by Sorrentino that will not be a second season of ”The Young Pope."

Although Sky, HBO and Sorrentino have clearly decided to keep things under wraps, it's clear that ”The New Pope" is conceived somewhat similarly to anthology series such as ”Fargo" and ”True Detective," which changed casts in their second seasons but retained elements of the first season's original world. Sources say there will be certainly be elements in ”The New Pope" that refer strongly back to ”The Young Pope," and some of the characters from the earlier show will return for the new series.

The big question, of course, is whether Lenny Belardo is dead.
Sources say that a reappearance by Law in ”The New Pope," albeit in a much smaller role, has not been ruled out.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
One of the (conspiracy) theories I read just a few moments ago is that this may be caused by a less warm reception in the US due to the controversial material of the show (which is actually silly because The New Pope wasn't a show about making fun of religion or the pope's office). They may be doing a new show (season) with a less controversial pope. Anyway we'll find out in about two years.
 

DOWN

Banned
I'm sad at the idea of no season 2
One of the (conspiracy) theories I read just a few moments ago is that this may be caused by a less warm reception in the US due to the controversial material of the show (which is actually silly because The New Pope wasn't a show about making fun of religion or the pope's office). They may be doing a new show (season) with a less controversial pope. Anyway we'll find out in about two years.
Yeah at first glance it seems like it could be poking at faith, and my parents stopped watching after the first episode because of that. But watch the series and you can tell it is made actually to respect faith.
 
I can't imagine a lot of people watched it in the US, period, and while there were some controversial topics I'd think a strong, super conservative Pope would have been popular among the religious. Although maybe that actually backfired in the US and young people didn't like that unambiguous morality from Pope Lenny. Dude was straight up brimstone and fire for most of the show.

Keep in mind there are two popes RIGHT NOW: the previous pope abdicated and still resides in the Vatican City, mostly out of sight and mind. So its not that crazy there might be two popes. I'd love a series similar to Borgias where we go back and look at one of the more crazy pope times, like right before the Medici's when there were 3 popes or the council of Nicea or the Byzantine split or Pope Joan or something. I guess Sorrentino isn't the guy who wants to do that. His Italian aesthetic to everything is very cool though.

A future pope story where the pope is a woman would be interesting too.
 

Frost_Ace

Member
I'm really glad that Sorrentino is making more TV. Kind of sad that Law won't return but I think the show said everything it needed in season 1.
 
Maybe it will be an anthology series with each new season?

The Young Pope
The New Pope
The Good Pope
The Old Pope
The Bad Pope
Etc.
 
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