'The New Pope' premiere to pick up after 'The Young Pope' cliffhanger with Pius XIII in coma
'The Young Pope', a show by HBO that came out in 2016 saw Jude Law portray the role of Pope Pius XIII (born Lenny Belardo). The show received wide appreciation for its perceptive sketch of a newly appointed pope Lenny Belardo (Jude Law), who refuses to accept the liberal philosophy that his predecessor followed.
Instead, he has a conservative religious view, which he claims is a result of his parents leaving him to grow up in a Catholic orphanage to pursue a hedonistic lifestyle. Lenny who takes the name Pius XIII after he is elected as the pope also refuses publicity. As the newly elected pope, his only confidante is Sister Mary, the nun who raised him.
Once she arrives and takes over the position of his personal secretary, she is set up as the chief rival of Cardinal Voiello, who is Vatican's Secretary of State. Cardinal Spencer, the one who lost the Papal election, also happens to be Lenny's mentor, however, the Vatican is full of lies, manipulation, and betrayal.
The entire season boils down to how Pius XIII as a pope roots for conservative religious beliefs and the many people who oppose his views and try to bring him down. In fact, Lenny is forced to threaten Cardinal Voiello with ex-communication to bring him under control.
Only then does Cardinal Voiello swear loyalty to the young Pope. Yet, their animosity doesn't end. The Cardinal even tries to set up the new Pope to take a fall for an alleged sexual relationship with his assistant.
He gets Esther, the wife of a Pontifical Swiss Guard to work for Lenny hoping that something develops between the two, which he can then use as a bargaining chip. Lenny, however, manages to sidestep the trap and continues to be a thorn on the Cardinal's side.
From stopping new priests' approval to making preposterous demands of the Prime Minister of Italy, Lenny is doing things that Cardinals around him, including his friend Cardinal Dussolier, are unhappy about. From there to facing the loss of his friend and visiting a new country where he receives a condemning note from a local priest, Lenny faces many obstacles that he overcomes with finesse.
Towards the end of 'The Young Pope', Lenny makes substantial changes in the people that he would surround himself with. He sends Sister Mary to Africa where he tells her to take Sister Antonia's place because he is unhappy with her.
He also appoints New York's cardinal Gutierrez as his new assistant to take over from Sister Mary. Lenny was impressed with how the Cardinal dealt with Cardinal Kurtwell, who was assumed to be blackmailing the pontiff.
After cleaning up the mess created by Kurtwell, Gutierrez receives a promotion while Kurtwell is banished to Alaska. In the last episode of the show, when Lenny decides to arrive at Venice, where he not only reveals his face but also delivers a homily, he moves the people at the basilica and the cardinals.
However, just when things seemed to work out, Lenny spots a couple in the crowd who reminds him of his parents and he passes out. The show ended there, leaving audiences frustrated about the ending. However, with 'The New Pope', we can now learn what Lenny would do going forth.
The official synopsis of the premiere episode is "Following his sudden heart attack, Pope Pius XIII (Jude Law) lies in a coma while his followers fervently pray for a miraculous recovery. As the threat of terrorism and the potential risks of Pius’s idolatry loom, Secretary of State Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando) is pressured to bring a new pope to power and, with the conclave at a deadlock, makes a hasty move that throws the Church into even greater chaos."
HBO's 'The New Pope' is set to premiere January 13 at 9 p.m. ET.
