The Young Pope
The Young Pope is stirring trouble, but that doesn’t mean we can’t forgive him.
Internet streaming service Showmax is blessing viewers with the unmissable 10- episode first season of drama series The Young Pope (2016- current). So what makes it a must-see, regardless of your faith? Well, there’s the ridiculously awesome and accurate costumes and sets that put fans in the middle of the Vatican City. Plus, there are twists, turns and backstabbing around every corner for drama fans. But what’s going to grab viewers’ attention most is main man Pope Pius XIII, played by the devilishly fabulous Jude Law. Born Lenny Belardo and former Archbishop Of New York, Pope Pius is thrust into the limelight as leader of the Catholic world. But that comes with stress and pressure, so we’re okay with The Young Pope committing a minor “sin” or two. How do you argue with a “spiritually divine leader” who says that “every rule has exceptions”? We learnt a few things…
1Though shalt be allowed a slight ego Pius is one of the most famous people on Earth, so surely he’s allowed a bit of a superiority complex? It’s not like he’s setting bodyguards on unsus- pecting followers who just want to touch him. Using his position as God’s representative on Earth means that it’s okay to press that nifty little buzzer under his desk to summon a minion with a half-baked excuse about “nap time” or “time to take your afternoon vitamins” to end a particularly boring meeting early…
2Though shalt be allowed to throw the cat among the pigeons The Catholic church is steeped in tradition. But that’s ancient history for Pope Pius. He has new ideas, new thoughts and a new way of doing things. Does that upset his cardinals, bishops and the Vatican publicist? Of course! Does he care? No way! In fact, he’s not even bothered about the chef who’s been brought in to prepare his meals. Instead, Pope Pius has a can of Cherry Coke and a smoke for breakfast and no one can say otherwise.
3Though shalt be allowed a vice or two The Young Pope needs to relieve the stress of running one of the world’s most important faiths. For Lenny, that’s two things: playing tennis and smoking. Sure, the latter isn’t the healthiest option, but hey – he wasn’t always a man of the cloth and once your body is used to nicotine, it’s difficult to give up. At least he’s counterbalancing it by getting some cardio training on the tennis court, even if he’s still wearing his vestments and a wide-brimmed hat that make running around like Roger Federer almost impossible.
4Though shalt be allowed to wield thy power without prejudice He’s the pope… and that means Pius has a lot of power. And it’s not like he asked for the job – he was handed his seat by the papal conclave, a gathering of powerful cardinals who vote for their new leader. Would it not be wrong to do the job you’ve been charged with and lead by example? So when Pope Pius chooses to send troublesome church elders to remote destinations, like, oh say, Alaska, no one should argue and they should do as they’re told. They’ll even be given gloves, a warm overcoat and a firstclass plane ticket…
5Though shalt be allowed a little white lie every now and then When he takes office, precious few in the Vatican are aware of his past. And we’re not talking about an arrest or something small. Pope Pius really is spiritually divine and in his youth, he literally saved lives just by touching people. That’s been kept hush-hush by his most trusted ally in the church, his “adoptive” mother-figure Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), who also happens to be his new private secretary.