The Atlantic

<em>The New Pope</em>’s Old Magic

The HBO show’s second season continues to stylishly embody the fascinating contradiction of priests as people.
Source: Gianni Fiorito / HBO

This post contains minor spoilers for The New Pope.

The pope: so hot right now. When Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve, his look of annoyance gave the Vatican aviral moment on the secular internet. That flap felt like something out of Netflix’s , a peppery starring Anthony Hopkins as Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Francis. Or it could have been a scene from HBO’s , the new and retitled second season of , Paolo Sorrentino’s that and viewers in 2017. All three instances

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic4 min read
Dropping Out Is Biden’s Most Patriotic Option
Joe Biden says he ran for president in 2020 because of Charlottesville. He says he ran because he saw the threat Donald Trump posed to the country and the threat he posed to democracy. If Biden truly believes that, he needs to end his reelection camp
The Atlantic2 min read
The Secrets of Those Who Succeed Late in Life
This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning. “Today we live in a society structured to promote
The Atlantic4 min read
Amazon Decides Speed Isn’t Everything
Amazon has spent the past two decades putting one thing above all else: speed. How did the e-commerce giant steal business away from bookstores, hardware stores, clothing boutiques, and so many other kinds of retailers? By selling cheap stuff, but mo

Related Books & Audiobooks