The New Pope : Season 1 Episode 1 -

The Machiavellian Secretary of State trying to maintain control through a puppet pope.

In the series premiere of The New Pope (the follow-up to The Young Pope ), the Vatican is thrown into chaos as Pope Pius XIII remains in a coma. This guide covers the key events, characters, and stylistic choices from Season 1, Episode 1. The New Pope : Season 1 Episode 1

Mostly seen comatose, though he remains the central figure of the show's cult-like devotion. The Machiavellian Secretary of State trying to maintain

The episode ends with Francis II’s sudden death—implied to be an assassination—and a comatose Lenny Belardo moving his finger for the first time. Mostly seen comatose, though he remains the central

The shadowy Ambassador of the Holy See who provides "expository clarity" and is linked to Francis II’s sudden demise.

The short-lived pope whose radical Franciscan humility threatens the Vatican elite.