The Young Pope: Episode Nine
February 14, 2017 5:13 AM - Season 1, Episode 9 - Subscribe

Lenny debates abortion and shares a very special memory with Spencer; Gutierrez drinks vodka, goes ice skating, and sits in the last car on the train to JFK.

This was a hum-dinger of an episode, and Vulture and AV Club agree, even if it does tilt heavily toward melodrama.

Bonus: Lenny finally recounts the story of his miracle-work on Spencer's deathbed.
posted by uncleozzy (8 comments total)
 
SO MANY FEELS. James Cromwell and Jude Law really knocked it out of the proverbial park.
posted by Lucinda at 6:53 AM on February 14, 2017


Congratulations to everyone who bet the over on "ensoulment"!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:02 AM on February 14, 2017


Yeah, this episode was bonkers good. Even with the extreme melodrama and what felt like odd pacing choices in the first half, taken as a whole I think it's the best of the season (although I will admit that the final episode wrecked me, too).
posted by uncleozzy at 7:03 AM on February 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


There's so much I'm left chewing over, in this episode. I keep thinking about the hotel owner/manager, and the relationship Gutierrez builds with her. Why did she ultimately refuse to leave her room/bed?

It seems like a parallel is drawn between Gutierrez having the choice to return to the Vatican (where he is safe, cloistered, and able to hide from the world at large), and her choice to remain in her bed rather than face the pain and challenges of leaving. But I feel like there is more there, more to understand from it, to get from it.

She was a bit character, but such a good one. Her scenes with Gutierrez were so powerful.
posted by meese at 11:04 AM on February 14, 2017


GUITERREZ IS A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY COMING OUT OF ITS COCOON AND I LOVE HIM

He's so good with people, why doesn't he have some kind of a pastoral role, he'd be great at it
posted by vibratory manner of working at 11:07 AM on February 14, 2017 [6 favorites]


The camera work during Lenny and Spencer's abortion discussion was outstanding; it really enhanced Jude Law and James Cromwell's performances. I loved that it not only revolved around them, timed with each character's points, but that the camera's POV also rose higher and higher during the scene. I'd love to know how many times they had to film it to get both the acting and the technical aspects of the shot in synch and error-free.
posted by carmicha at 8:20 AM on February 21, 2017


tbh my favourite thing about the opening scene is how many times i've beaten up rodrigo borgia in that room
posted by poffin boffin at 12:42 AM on February 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


my favourite thing about the opening scene is how I would be like Hugh Dancy on that marble with the intensity of photographing an airport carpet

and then all the love for Gutierrez forever and always (+ stuffed animals and a drinking problem ftw)
posted by mephisjo at 8:25 PM on February 4, 2020


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