For me, episodes one through five did an excellent job of setting up the characters, rhythm, mood, basic conflicts and action to follow so that we could come along on this wild and beautiful ride. We already knew Lenny Belardo and Voiello from The Young Pope but we needed to appreciate the necessity for a "NEW POPE" and we also needed to be drawn into the development of Sir John Brannox's character.
In episode six, the story picks up tempo and rolls into a dark, sometimes surreal and borderline Lynchian dimension which is frequently both uncomfortable to watch and brilliant.
Jude Law is not just easy on the eyes. He yet again proves that he is a consummate actor and by all reports, a deeply dedicated professional. Malkovich is a cinematic icon and Silvio Orlando is now and forever Voiello.
But one of my great joys is occasionally witnessing a stellar, deeply moving performance by an actor who had previously completely eluded my radar. It doesn't happen very often but now that the dust has settled and there has been time to reflect, I find that I am still haunted by two powerful scenes from one and the same series.
Episodes six and seven showcase two of the strongest performances by supporting actors in any productions I have seen so far this year. Chronologically they are the opening scene of ep. 6 in which an incomparably mysterious, sinister priest, Leopold Essence, engages Sofia Dubois in a tete-a-tete in the midst of the Vatican cafeteria. It is a scene that makes your skin crawl while making you want to leave wherever you are watching it from but you're too mesmerized to move. Ok, time to breathe again. I'm sure the actor J. David Hinze really isn't like that. Right?...Right?..
In ep. 7, the doctor's wife, Ewa Novak takes Lenny to task, relentlessly challenging, pushing and cornering him to somehow compel him to perform a miracle to save her son. It is heart-wrenchingly difficult to watch as a mother leaves it all on the table, including her faith, in the deepest depths of desperation. We are experiencing a living, grieving Pietà with the virgin mother holding her own dead son in her arms. It is so authentic and truly moving that some people may feel the urge to pull away to protect themselves. I know I did. But it's more than worth it to see it through to the end with your secret stash of tissues nearby. Amazing acting by Yulia Snigir. Why aren't we seeing more of her?
In a way, I sometimes think it's easy to get on a mega-star's bandwagon because you know they have many fans and probably many detractors so you're somehow safe being moved by what they do. But it's refreshing to me to see that there are new performers out there (at least new for me), waiting to be discovered, who can really shake things up and get me to reevaluate my expectations.
I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to revisit these two scenes.
