I'm definitely into this. I really liked The Young Pope and if this new iteration of the show is anything like that first series/season, it'll be outstanding.
I just noticed that's John Malkovich in the first pic above (with Sharon Stone). Apparently Jude Law is also in this new season, so I'm definitely eagerly waiting for this one. I checked online and there still isn't a premiere date set yet.
Incredible! The trailer told me absolutely nothing about the show but I'm 100% sold. Any guesses on what "Coming Soon" means? I think it was a January show last time around?
HBO used to do more of this. I remember specifically some really inspired trailers for Six Feet Under that showed no footage and were just incredibly artistic....(they are dated, but the show is like 20 years old.
I'm 10 minutes into the first episode of the new season and LOVING it. The story, the soundtrack, the breathtaking direction & cinematography, costuming, performances, the whole thing. I'm alllllllllllllllll the way in on this season & can't wait to hear BM's coverage!
I will definitely have to watch that again (and perhaps S1, too), It was a bold choice to go the entire episode mostly without Jude Law and John Malkovich. The most technically impressive work was the camerawork during the conclave -- I was almost getting dizzy. I did appreciate showing the conclave, something we only heard about in S1. The rituals of Catholicism fascinate me, and while the politics were interesting, I did think that act dragged a bit, although I adored the twinning of Voiello with his archival, Hernandez, foreshadowing the "twinning" of Don Tomasso with Pope Francis. What a bummer that he turned out to be more like the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant. Power reveals.
One thing I did not like was the new title sequence. Are they going to keep this? Because, for one thing, it's not interesting -- it's slow af, and it's mixed messages, at best. S1's was so great, with Lenny smugly sauntering by all these famous religious works that wilted from his narcissism and brutishness. The show has always played with sex and piety (I loved the "confessions" of the cardinals -- some were shocking and heartbreaking), and with church figures as just human beings. I liked the nuns being like teenagers and smoking and putting on makeup and dance shoes; however, their faux-lesbian dancing in translucent nighties felt very male-gazey, unlike Diane Keaton playing basketball poorly. I love Sorrentino, but he does have a thing for the virgin/whore dichotomy , and I don't know what he was saying with the one non-conforming (i.e., normal-sized) nun off to the side by herself. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.
Other than that, I'm excited for a showdown between Law and Malkovich. I liked that show addressed many of the issues plaguing the Catholic Church: child abuse, pedophilia, celibacy, ludicrous wealth in the face of overwhelming poverty, and refugees and immigrants. S1 was written before Trump, but Sorrentino saw the rise of far-right wing populism and fascism spreading across Europe and in the USA. Lenny was a response to that. I wonder if these are the kind of issues that S2 will address (unfortunately, authoritarianism is still super topical). They were definitely hitting the point that Lenny is idolized now. Perhaps we'll get some religious extremism factions fighting with each other.
Well that didn't take very long, as expected. Rule #1, don't fuck with the Vatican's money, Hippie Pope!
Strong intro. Hilarious moments: the dove taking the speech, just the new pope himself talking, Viello & Hernandez saying they're so different and the comedic pause, Francis II sitting in his chair with his feet dangling, that one old cardinal straight up bursting into tears as Francis II lays down the law, home girl making fun of that cardinal's teeth hiding while giggling.
Got a great GoT Sparrow vibe from the Franciscan monks when they started thuggin' up the Vatican. Excellent cinematography. New intro is pure hot sex. Dark af montage of all the priests with their internal desires of what they each hope the new pope would be like....seriously dark. Nice little hypocritical moment when the "Mr. Strict Poverty" pope wants his Easter cake and to eat it too whenever he wants on demand. Nice nod to modern events with refugees coming into Europe.
I don’t get this show. The characters are so strange and unbelievable, like Wes Anderson turned up to 11. Line delivery is all over the place. I almost lost my mind in the speech-writing scene with the giggling guy. The comedy is like some Italian Monty Python that’s so silly it doesn’t fit the drama half of the show. I had all these complaints in the first season as well.
Also... I don’t know the circumstances around the filming of it, but the scenes with Voiello’s ward Girolamo are verging on super gross. Like can he give consent? Doesn’t seem to be credited as far as I can tell. He has no lines and no characterization. He’s just used by the show as a prop and by Voiello as a symbol for innocence.
Episode 2 though! I'm pre-nominating John Malkovich for best actor in a drama for the 2021 Baldies.
One thing I didn't understand - why was he unable to reach the little box by his bed, that Lenny moved out of the way? When he entered his bedroom and had his hand outstretched, reaching, I thought for a moment that he was blind - but he's clearly not. So what's going on there?
@Jim@Cecily@A_Ron_Hubbard Be looking out for a fun Pope related "surprise" I'm putting in the mail today. Nothing major but I think you'll get a kick out of it
@Jim, @A_Ron_Hubbard and @Cecily - I only got a chance to watch the episode 2 this morning so missed my chance to ask/comment. As someone who grew up Catholic, Italian, attended Catholic School in NYC, and went to church regularly until I hit my 30's, I can tell you that I really like this show and am in no way offended. I still believe in a higher power (what's in a name?) and the basic tenets of the new testament. It is the organized religion part I couldn't tolerate any more. The hypocrisy we see in the show is equal to the hypocrisy I experienced in life. The way gay people were treated, and are still treated, never made any sense to myself and many Catholics. Jesus tells us to love others as we do ourselves. Period. Zero caveats. Perhaps the loophole there is no one really seems to love themselves anymore. Honestly I sometimes think the show is being too gentle. I still have an occasional nightmare involving a mean, evil nun I had in third grade.
I am wondering - what's with the eyeliner? I know this isn't a very deep question, but Malkovich is killing it and that makeup takes me out of the moment. If it's a budge thing I say pay the makeup person more. Also, any guesses on how this New Pope will go terribly wrong? An edict that one twin per pair must become a sacrificial lamb?
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Space Pope approves this post
Now I'm gonna be pissed if the third installment isn't called "The Space Pope"
Seriously though, that trailer is all kinds of amazing and I can't wait for this, especially with John Malkovich co-starring.
https://youtu.be/G5iFPL1vBvE
https://youtu.be/HZGq8JO1fY8
https://youtu.be/dK13Mbs_pdo
Strong intro. Hilarious moments: the dove taking the speech, just the new pope himself talking, Viello & Hernandez saying they're so different and the comedic pause, Francis II sitting in his chair with his feet dangling, that one old cardinal straight up bursting into tears as Francis II lays down the law, home girl making fun of that cardinal's teeth hiding while giggling.
Got a great GoT Sparrow vibe from the Franciscan monks when they started thuggin' up the Vatican. Excellent cinematography. New intro is pure hot sex. Dark af montage of all the priests with their internal desires of what they each hope the new pope would be like....seriously dark. Nice little hypocritical moment when the "Mr. Strict Poverty" pope wants his Easter cake and to eat it too whenever he wants on demand. Nice nod to modern events with refugees coming into Europe.
One thing I didn't understand - why was he unable to reach the little box by his bed, that Lenny moved out of the way? When he entered his bedroom and had his hand outstretched, reaching, I thought for a moment that he was blind - but he's clearly not. So what's going on there?
I am wondering - what's with the eyeliner? I know this isn't a very deep question, but Malkovich is killing it and that makeup takes me out of the moment. If it's a budge thing I say pay the makeup person more. Also, any guesses on how this New Pope will go terribly wrong? An edict that one twin per pair must become a sacrificial lamb?