The New Pope Review: Season 1 Episode 3

On The New Pope Season 1 Episode 3, Sir John Brannox begins a new adventure, becoming Pope John Paul III.

Jude Law’s Pope Pius XIII was a charming leader with a youthful radicalness on The Young Pope. Brannox (John Malkovich) describes himself as a “fragile old man,” but he exhibits a charming, young and hip quality as well that leans towards an emo hipster temperament. He continues to be a mystery (What is in that freakin’ box?), but his agenda as pope is strikingly clear and sensible. 

John Paul III gives his first homily and later addresses the cardinals, giving us a message of empathy and truth. Malkovich has John Paul III speaking compassionately and calmly in these two speeches. He is confident and charismatic, and it is received well by all who listen. 

But is it all for show?

First, he teases Voiello and company, stringing them along only to decline the offer, causing Voiello (Silvio Orlando) to employ a bluff tactic that Brannox falls for. They all have a good laugh about it later in the car as they head to the Vatican and Brannox’s new home. 

There is also a bizarrely meta scene in which Brannox openly flirts with Sofia (Cécile de France) after watching Easy Rider in his posh personal screening room. From scene to scene, his motives for becoming the pope (or not) seem to vary wildly. His conversation with Sofia makes it as though he thinks becoming the pontiff would be kind of cool because he could flirt with women like Sofia and maybe meet his favorite celebrities.

Sofia telling him that he looks like her favorite actor, John Malkovich, isn’t even the most outlandish part of this scene. Apparently, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is “a nuisance” who calls him constantly for fashion advice.

Brannox: She thinks I’m gay.
Sofia: Well…are you?

Brannox only laughs in ambiguous response. And later he shares a loaded moment of fondness with Gutiérrez (Javier Cámara), much to Cardinal Assente’s dismay as he jealously watches from outside in the pouring rain. Perhaps Brannox laughing at the question of his sexuality is because it is so fluid. I cannot wait to see what else they do with this aspect of his character. 

Malkovich in this role is sublime. He commands each setting in all these different iterations but still is able to keep the character rich and whole. He is persuasive as the peaceful, poised pontiff just as he is as the vengeful son who believably berates his invalid parents.

Brannox is chilling in this scene. The smooth-operating enigma we’ve seen so far gives into his deep-seated anger and goes ballistic, really reveling in giving his parents what he feels is their comeuppance.

Brannox: I’ve only come here to tell you that I, John Brannox, may be the next pope of Rome. I know you always thought that was Adam’s destiny, but it seems it may be mine. Even though this was the last thing you would’ve ever wished for, you shall be condemned to be proud of me, you poor old bastards. 

Aside from Malkovich’s stunning performance, this scene is weighty and portentous as images of his young self, his dead brother, and younger versions of his parents pop in and out of the scene, encouraging Brannox’s rageful unraveling. Just like with Pius XIII, John Paul III’s past will influence his papacy.

We are given hints to Brannox’s painful upbringing and on The New Pope Season 1 Episode 2, his butler describes him as a delicate piece of porcelain. This melancholia Brannox brings with him pervades his credo as pope—that we should value fragility. How this will manifest in his policies, however, is anybody’s guess.

This episode focuses on Brannox, but there are side subplots happening, too. Both the storylines with Ester (Ludivine Sagnier) and with the nun, Lisette, are very tangential—so much so that it is somewhat jarring when we are thrust into their narratives. It’s like our brains have to switch gears but also struggle to see the connections to the main storyline.

Ester’s story is so extraneous. She has a weakening link to Pius XIII held-over from The Young Pope, but this is The New Pope. Luckily, Sagnier is more than capable in this role, keeping this off-shoot narrative engaging and magnetic.

The episode ends with Lisette getting an empowering tattoo. With the rebellious, dancing nuns a steady theme throughout these past three episodes, there may be an uprising on the horizon, and how our porcelain pope might deal with this is sure to be entertaining, to say the least.

What did you think of this episode of The New Pope? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The New Pope airs Mondays at 9/8c on HBO.

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