THE YOUNG POPE Review

Article first published as THE YOUNG POPE Review on Seat42F.

HBO presents the highly anticipated series THE YOUNG POPE beginning this evening. An international joint production that already aired in Italy, the UK, and Ireland to high ratings and much acclaim, it tells the story of Lenny Belardo, a young American man elevated to the highest office in the Catholic Church by people who think they’ll be able to manipulate him. They turn out to be vastly mistaken.

Jude Law (the Sherlock Holmes movies) is terrific in the title role. Lenny is a supremely pious man, perhaps the reason he chooses the title Pope Pius XIII, who is free of scandal and sin. What he isn’t free of is arrogance and judgment, which he carries in spades. Unpredictable in the office, Lenny alternately turns to a few trusted mentors for advice, and also does his own thing entirely. He wants to make the church more conservative, while caring little for personal glory. He’s a zealot, and a potentially dangerous one at that.

THE YOUNG POPE does have you rooting for Lenny, though, because many of those around him are worse. Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando, The Caiman) is corrupt and manipulative, and serves as the main villain of the program. Sister Mary (Diane Keaton, The Godfather, Annie Hall) is loving, but acts a bit above her station. Cardinal Michael Spencer (James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum, Six Feet Under) is a petty man who sees betrayal where none exists. These are the only people shown with any power that could possibly bring Lenny down, but because of who they are, you won’t want them to.

On the other hand, there are also some very kind, very good people in the Vatican, such as Cardinal Gutierrez (Javier Camara, 7 vidas), and they want to help Lenny. This means, despite Lenny’s flaws, which are numerous, viewers are likely to have sympathy for him, as Gutierrez does, and see him, if not as a hero or a saint, then at least as a protagonist to cheer for.

The production is fantastic, with beautiful vistas and sets. It feels like it really is at the Vatican, and we get to peek at some areas that not many are permitted to see, so we don’t know if they are authentic or not. It feels like the it’s done right, setting a certain tone that mixes opulence and humility in the strangest of ways. THE YOUNG POPE really captures the dichotomy of that institution.

The pilot begins with a couple of sequences that will leave you wondering about the reality of the series. There is a surreal quality to many scenes, including one involving a large animal, that constantly has you wondering if we’re in Lenny’s dream. This is kind of cool for this particular series, as it gives it a hyper-real style that is needed for the story being told. I have no complaints about the presentation or the look and feel of the show.

The plot is more confusing. Two episodes in, I get who most of the primary faces are and am starting to understand certain dynamics, but it’s also hard to follow. I couldn’t easily explain the plot of what I just watched. Usually, that’s a strike against it. Here, it seems purposeful and part of the total package, in line with what the series creators are going for. The actors are terrific enough to draw you in, and the ride you’re taken on is engaging and fun, though certainly is not how I hope things are actually run in the real church.

In short, while THE YOUNG POPE is not without its flaws, and it extremely enjoyable to watch, and I’m excited to see where it’s going. THE YOUNG POPE premieres tonight at 9/8c on HBO.

Another "Step" For ELEMENTARY

Article first published as Another "Step" For ELEMENTARY on TheTVKing.

The following review was posted before the episode aired, and so is mostly spoiler free, dealing with relationships and generalities, rather than details of the case. Enjoy!

The second season premiere of CBS's Elementary, airing tonight at 10 p.m. ET, is called "Step Nine." For those not familiar with the twelve-step program that Alcoholics Anonymous and other addiction treatment programs like to implement, the ninth step is to make amends. This makes sense, as Sherlock Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) flies across the pond to help out former colleague Gareth Lestrade (Sean Pertwee, who used to co-own a production company with Miller, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, and Sadie Frost), intending to right past wrongs.

I call Lestrade a "colleague" because, as pointed out in "Step Nine," Sherlock doesn't have friends. That is, until he meets Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) last year. Before Watson, no one could see past Sherlock's abrasive attitude enough to care about him and help him out. This informs very much Sherlocks' relationship with both Lestrade and the authorities on the other side of the pond.

Sherlock feels guilty for Lestrade's down slide because he allowed Lestrade to take credit for Sherlock's work repeatedly. This suited Sherlock's purposes, as well as Lestrade's, but gave the latter a yearning for the spotlight that didn't serve him well when he no longer had anyone feeding him the answers. It's an interesting thing for Sherlock to regret, as one could argue it was a mutual relationship that wronged no one, but it also makes sense as a thing to make up for, as Sherlock does feel above everyone else, and that he had influence over the other man's actions.

While in London, Sherlock and Watson encounter Sherlock's brother, Mycroft (Rhys Ifans, The Amazing Spider-Man), who has moved into Sherlock's old flat, replacing the detective's possessions with his own. This riles up Sherlock, believing it to be a symptom of their longstanding rivalry. Yet, Watson sees something else in Mycroft, and works her way closer to him in order to gain greater insight into Sherlock.

This relationship is actually a two-way street because Mycroft quickly realizes that Watson has that special connection with Sherlock that no one else can ever have, similar to his own. These are two people who see a side of Sherlock that no one else does, and by combining what they know about him, they can form a fuller (yet still not complete) picture. This is definitely a couple of characters I want to see encounter one another again.

Mycroft has a secret that he isn't sure how to tell Sherlock. It's changed the way he feels about his brother, and spurs him to reach out. The way in which Mycroft does so is surprising, but feels right for someone who is kin to Sherlock. I'm hoping that Mycroft succeeds in beginning a new chapter with his brother, though given how Sherlock likes to keep things close to the vest, we won't likely know for sure if he's been successful for quite awhile.

That's what's disappointing about Elementary, though. There are rich characters and fascinating stories, but they are routinely pushed to the back burner for cases-of-the-week. Miller's talent is wasted in a standard procedural, and if it's not a sweeps-month episode, each installment tends to be numbingly boring, the same thing from week to week. The brilliant scenes are positively stunning, and everything else is drivel by comparison.

"Step Nine" is a good example of this. As excellent as the Mycroft and Lestrade bits are, much of the hour is given over to catching a singular criminal. This isn't strictly necessary; Elementary could have Sherlock just go over for a visit, or make sure that whatever he needed to do was dealt with quickly. They could even have made this a two-parter, leaving Sherlock in London long enough to have more interaction with the men from his past. Sadly, this is not to be.

And now, even though the opening of "Step Nine" is exciting and there are wonderful moments within, I wonder how long it will be before the next episode of the series deserving of praise airs. It likely won't be next week.

Elementary airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.