Every HBO Miniseries Ranked Worst To Best

The New Pope does a lot of things more effectively than The Young Pope. First off, there's the introduction of John Malkovich as John Paul III, who acts as a striking contrast to his controversial predecessor, Pope Pius.

It also deserves props for its risky religious themes, which, despite being historically questionable, does allow for some added intensity. Unfortunately, though, The New Pope still has all the issues of the original, in that the narrative feels awkwardly clunky and inconsistent, with the story losing its momentum over its nine episodes.