The Young Pope

[CAST-BONE]

Season premiere tonight, looks interesting.

 

[temery]

Absolutely terrible. I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes.

 

[Fishy]

First, I'll agree - the first 20 minutes was freaking weird.

Second, if you stuck with it, it wasn't bad after that. Not sure it's good, but it wasn't bad.

 

[CAST-BONE]

First, I'll agree - the first 20 minutes was freaking weird.

Second, if you stuck with it, it wasn't bad after that. Not sure it's good, but it wasn't bad.

Exactly my analysis as well. Jude Law kept me in it, and crawling out of a mound of babies was, interesting.. but if dry religion drama and no action continues, ill be dissapointed.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

My initial reaction is that the Pope character not credible, and I think Jude Law is miscast. I will give it one more episode.

 

[8893]

I was intrigued at the concept and I like Law well enough, but then I saw him on Colbert the other night. He said he knew nothing about the Pope, wasn't raised Catholic, etc. and tried to read the Bible to get an understanding but it didn't do anything for him. At a loss, he said he called the writer to ask for ideas to better understand the character, and the writer told him just to stick to the script, which he did. Didn't give me much hope for the series.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I was intrigued at the concept and I like Law well enough, but then I saw him on Colbert the other night. He said he knew nothing about the Pope, wasn't raised Catholic, etc. and tried to read the Bible to get an understanding but it didn't do anything for him. At a loss, he said he called the writer to ask for ideas to better understand the character, and the writer told him just to stick to the script, which he did. Didn't give me much hope for the series.

No matter what one's feeling is about Catholicism, there is an elegance to the church and to its ceremonies, but this character seems to undermine that elegance completely. There were two ways to play the character and make it credible: 1) make him refined and subtle, as one would expect from any man that rose up the ladder of an organization so hierarchical and steeped in tradition, or 2) make him the "peasant pope", as the gentle outsider that started with nothing but is still a man of God. Either direction would still allow for a lot of flexibility with the ultimate plot of the show. Either direction would also allow for a Pope that questions the foundation of the religion, which seems to be where the show is going.

Instead, Jude Law is playing it as if he was someone out of a Guy Ritchie movie. I think an English Pope is unrealistic to begin with, and it seems ridiculous that some of the character's behaviors would not have been caught somewhere along his ascension to the Papacy. Maybe some of this will come together with the next episode, so I will stick with it a little longer.

 

[8893]

No matter what one's feeling is about Catholicism, there is an elegance to the church and to its ceremonies, but this character seems to undermine that elegance completely. There were two ways to play the character and make it credible: 1) make him refined and subtle, as one would expect from any man that rose up the ladder of an organization so hierarchical and steeped in tradition, or 2) make him the "peasant pope", as the gentle outsider that started with nothing but is still a man of God. Either direction would still allow for a lot of flexibility with the ultimate plot of the show. Either direction would also allow for a Pope that questions the foundation of the religion, which seems to be where the show is going.

Instead, Jude Law is playing it as if he was someone out of a Guy Ritchie movie. I think an English Pope is unrealistic to begin with, and it seems ridiculous that some of the character's behaviors would not have been caught somewhere along his ascension to the Papacy. Maybe some of this will come together with the next episode, so I will stick with it a little longer.

Haven't seen the series (and probably won't), but having been raised Catholic (and attending Catholic schools through high school), I agree. I also agree about the absurdity of an English Pope. Having spent a lot of time in England this past summer, one theme that rang clear throughout was the almost universal British sense that man was above the church, which is antithetical to everything to do with Catholicism.

 

[coachcap]

After watching the 1st 2 episodes, I get the feeling that the title character is suffering from manic depression, crisis of faith, & the enormity of pressure of the burden that has been cast upon him. He is at the same time trying to right the historic wrongs that exist in the church's hierarchy. By rebelling against the Church's infrastructure, he is trying to act as a true leader & not be just the puppet face of the Church. I'll give it a couple of more episodes before making a decision on whether to cut ties.

 

[ZooCougar]

I liked it. Missed the first 30 minutes of the second episode. It's a slow burn kind of story. It will be good for a mini series like "The Night Manager" but maybe not as a series. At first I felt the show had a real emptiness to it, but by the second episode I felt that was by design. It's a show about a bunch of people who haven't really lived.

I'm by no means hardcore religious, just enough to get my son baptized. It's interesting because I had my son's baptism this weekend and the Priest who did it is a pretty young dude still in his 30's. His sermon was about one of his trips to the Vatican. Afterwards making small talk, he told us some crazy stories about what he encountered in Vatican City and some of the idiots he had to deal with in Seminary. This show was right on time.

I was intrigued at the concept and I like Law well enough, but then I saw him on Colbert the other night. He said he knew nothing about the Pope, wasn't raised Catholic, etc. and tried to read the Bible to get an understanding but it didn't do anything for him. At a loss, he said he called the writer to ask for ideas to better understand the character, and the writer told him just to stick to the script, which he did. Didn't give me much hope for the series.

He is at best an unconventional Pope. I would say that the lack of knowledge might actually help him in this.

 

[ZooCougar]

No matter what one's feeling is about Catholicism, there is an elegance to the church and to its ceremonies, but this character seems to undermine that elegance completely. There were two ways to play the character and make it credible: 1) make him refined and subtle, as one would expect from any man that rose up the ladder of an organization so hierarchical and steeped in tradition, or 2) make him the "peasant pope", as the gentle outsider that started with nothing but is still a man of God. Either direction would still allow for a lot of flexibility with the ultimate plot of the show. Either direction would also allow for a Pope that questions the foundation of the religion, which seems to be where the show is going.

Instead, Jude Law is playing it as if he was someone out of a Guy Ritchie movie. I think an English Pope is unrealistic to begin with, and it seems ridiculous that some of the character's behaviors would not have been caught somewhere along his ascension to the Papacy. Maybe some of this will come together with the next episode, so I will stick with it a little longer.

He's an American Pope. You obviously didn't even watch the show and you're just talking out of your butt again.

 

[businesslawyer]

First, I'll agree - the first 20 minutes was freaking weird.

Second, if you stuck with it, it wasn't bad after that. Not sure it's good, but it wasn't bad.

Exactly this. Would I watch the first episode again? No, probably not. But it has the potential to develope from that episode to something very entertaining. I'll give it some more time.

 

[businesslawyer]

My initial reaction is that the Pope character not credible, and I think Jude Law is miscast. I will give it one more episode.

We all watch and love GAme of Thrones, and this is what is not credible?

 

[ZooCougar]

After watching the 1st 2 episodes, I get the feeling that the title character is suffering from manic depression, crisis of faith, & the enormity of pressure of the burden that has been cast upon him. He is at the same time trying to right the historic wrongs that exist in the church's hierarchy. By rebelling against the Church's infrastructure, he is trying to act as a true leader & not be just the puppet face of the Church. I'll give it a couple of more episodes before making a decision on whether to cut ties.

He went through some traumatic stuff and he seems to want to use the Papacy to get back at the world. I guess his traumas will be revealed in later episodes.

 

[8893]

He's an American Pope. You obviously didn't even watch the show and you're just talking out of your butt again.

I know you were responding to Nelson, but fwiw my reference to a British Pope was based on the fact that Law is British; and I obviously haven't watched it, either.

 

[temery]

Reading the Bible is one of the last things I'd recommend if someone wants to know about Catholicism. I'd suggest a week shadowing a priest, and watching both Borgias series, beginning to end.

I was intrigued at the concept and I like Law well enough, but then I saw him on Colbert the other night. He said he knew nothing about the Pope, wasn't raised Catholic, etc. and tried to read the Bible to get an understanding but it didn't do anything for him. At a loss, he said he called the writer to ask for ideas to better understand the character, and the writer told him just to stick to the script, which he did. Didn't give me much hope for the series.

 

[8893]

Reading the Bible is one of the last things I'd recommend if someone wants to know about Catholicism. I'd suggest a week shadowing a priest, and watching both Borgias series, beginning to end.

Not sure if I'd say one of the last things, but I get your point. My point about Law was more to highlight his absolute lack of any sense about it whatsoever, and he was almost dismissive about it, like "Yeah, I just don't get this Pope thing at all." Just seemed arrogant and kind of rubbed me the wrong way I guess.

 

[Fishy]

Instead, Jude Law is playing it as if he was someone out of a Guy Ritchie movie. I think an English Pope is unrealistic to begin with, and it seems ridiculous that some of the character's behaviors would not have been caught somewhere along his ascension to the Papacy. Maybe some of this will come together with the next episode, so I will stick with it a little longer.

I'd agree - it's as if whoever made the show has absolutely no concept of how a pope comes into being, but figured it'd work out somehow and no one would notice.

It's basically House of Cards, Vatican Edition.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I know you were responding to Nelson, but fwiw my reference to a British Pope was based on the fact that Law is British; and I obviously haven't watched it, either.

I did watch it, and I thought he was English because he speaks with an English accent at times, although as I think about it, the accent kind of came and went. I was more confused on why Diane Keaton was involved since she is American. Now that makes a little more sense.

It doesn't change the fact that Jude Law is only a cockney accent away from being Bricktop from Snatch.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Watched the second episode. Exacerbates the plot problems from the first episode by having the Pope go nutty in his first address. No one checked this guy out somewhere along the line? He is the Pope after all.

 

[ZooCougar]

This show is really quirky, but it has my attention. Of course "John From Cincinnati" had my attention too.

I think the scene in the second episode when Pious hits the button and the Nun comes in to tell him it was snack time was pretty hilarious.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This show is really quirky, but it has my attention. Of course "John From Cincinnati" had my attention too.

I think the scene in the second episode when Pious hits the button and the Nun comes in to tell him it was snack time was pretty hilarious.

I am concerned about the "John from Cincinnati" risk every time I start investing time in an unusual show. To this day, I am not sure if John from Cincinnati was awesome or terrible.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The show feels over directed at times, like all the slow moving, bright scenes with the cool background music will distract us from the fact that none of the characters other than Cromwell's are really credible and the plot is moving at a snail's pace. The Pope is not credible, the Cardinal Voiello is a decent character, but not quite credible as the background master manipulator, and the the other Cardinals are bumbling fools. I still don't understand what Diane Keaton's role is. The plot line where the blond is going to try to seduce the pope is kind of ridiculous no matter what happens, because anyone that got to the level of Pope would see that coming a mile away.

I will probably stick with it because it does not completely suck, but this is pretty disappointing for an idea that had a lot of potential.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Funny part, if you are familiar with the history of the papacy, this guy isn't that far fetched.....other than being of Western decent. It is a slow burn, but we have all seen good series have a slow start out of the gate. I will give this one a couple more episodes.

 

[Fishy]

I am concerned about the "John from Cincinnati" risk every time I start investing time in an unusual show. To this day, I am not sure if John from Cincinnati was awesome or terrible.

John from Cincinnati was terrbly awesome when it wasn't being awesomely terrible.

Other than that, I basically agree with your stance on The Young Pope.

He's not credible, but when I set that aside, I actually started to rather enjoy the show in the fourth episode. It seems to have direction now for me.

(And I agree on Keaton - don't know why she's there. But that's my take on almost everything she's done.)