For the Vatican, the reaction was silent disapproval, which only fueled the show's mystique. Pope Francis reportedly refused to watch it, but Vatican journalists noted the series accurately predicted the infighting of the Roman Curia. Absolutely. In an era of predictable streaming content, The Young Pope Season 1 is a bold, risky, and intellectually challenging work of art. However, it requires patience. This is not a show to play in the background. It demands full attention for its slow, meditative pacing and allegorical storytelling.
Lenny Belardo is a believer trapped in an institution run by non-believers. The cardinals care about real estate, donations, and media optics. The people want a smiling grandfather. Lenny refuses to give them comfort. He argues that modern Christianity has become too comfortable, too therapeutic. He wants to reintroduce the fear of God.
Paolo Sorrentino crafted a haunting, beautiful, and often hilarious paradox: a story about a man trying to find God in a house that has forgotten Him. By the time the credits roll on the final episode, you will not be sure if you have witnessed a miracle or a tragedy. That ambiguity is the point. The Young Pope Season 1
Whether you are a believer, an atheist, or simply a lover of high-art television, The Young Pope Season 1 is essential viewing. Light a cigarette, pour a Cherry Coke Zero, and prepare for the most unforgettable Papacy in TV history. ★★★★½ (4.5/5) Where to stream: HBO Max / Sky / NOW TV
He is supported by a stunning ensemble: Diane Keaton as the nervous, well-meaning Sister Mary (his surrogate mother and now his advisor), and Scott Shepherd as the ambitious Cardinal Voiello, who serves as Lenny’s Machiavellian foil. Paolo Sorrentino directs The Young Pope Season 1 as if Michelangelo directed a music video. The cinematography (by Luca Bigazzi) is sumptuous. Every frame is a Renaissance painting: rays of holy light slicing through velvet curtains, a kangaroo hopping through the Papal gardens (yes, a kangaroo), and the Pope walking on water at the end of episode one. For the Vatican, the reaction was silent disapproval,
When The Young Pope Season 1 premiered in 2016, it did not simply walk onto the television landscape; it glided across the Vatican gardens in a cloud of incense and cigarette smoke, leaving viewers bewildered, offended, and utterly mesmerized. Created by Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino ( The Great Beauty ), this HBO-Sky-France Ô co-production is less a traditional religious drama and more a philosophical art-house fever dream.
Unlike his liberal rivals who anticipate a "people's Pope," Pius XIII is a conservative hardliner. He refuses to appear in public, denies the Vatican's business managers access to funds, and openly mocks the concept of mercy. His first act as Pope is to deliver a hellfire sermon to cardinals who assumed they could puppet him. He declares God does not exist to provide answers, but to leave riddles. In an era of predictable streaming content, The
More importantly, it changed the aesthetic of prestige television. Suddenly, every drama wanted Sorrentino’s slow-motion, synth-infused, surreal style. The show was so successful that it spawned a second season titled The New Pope (2019), featuring John Malkovich as a rival pontiff, though fans often argue the tight, self-contained arc of Season 1 remains superior.