Lenny continues to amaze.

On The Young Pope Season 1 Episode 4, Lenny shows a softer side when he meets with the Prime Minister of Greenland. Could Ester have something to do with it?

I don't believe for one minute that Lenny is going to have an affair with Ester.

He likes Ester, and he admitted that she reminded him of his one and only girlfriend, but would he really risk his position to have an affair with her?

Lenny is too strict. He wants to kick out all the homosexuals in the Church and ban them from entering the priesthood. It may be a question of tolerance, but it's more about getting the church back to its foundations. At least that's what he thinks.

So for him to commit adultery would go against those very foundation he's preaching. 

He may be contradictory, but he's not a hypocrite.

That's why it's funny that Voiello thinks he's found a weakness in Lenny's armor. Far from it. 

Ester has become a friend about whom he cares very much. Her friendship is changing him, making him softer around the edges. 

Does he have a crush on her? Absolutely. But, he's not going to cross the line.

I can't wait to see what he's going to do to Voiello when he finds out he blackmailed her to seduce him. He's not going to hate her. He's going to forgive her. He cares about her too much.

I love how concerned he is for her not being able to have children. He really believes prayer is the answer, and he believes if he shows her the right way to pray, God will gift her and her husband with a child.

There's something to be said about the power of prayer. How many times have you heard about people being healed by prayer? It doesn't happen every day, but it does happen. 

The thing is that most people don't believe prayer had anything to do with the healing. So. if Ester gets pregnant will people scoff at the idea that God gave her the gift despite her and her husband's sterility?

It's an interesting premise.

Prayer shouldn't be a list of requests, Ester. It should be an understanding.

Lenny

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It was sort of strange that Lenny stuck around while Ester was getting it on with her husband, but he wasn't watching to be perverted. he saw it as an opportunity to pray. 

He saw it as a sign that he could help her get pregnant through prayer. The way his chanting coincided with their sex was just out there. And the images of him in costume was weird too. I didn't get the meaning of that. 

Was he having fantasies of having sex with her while in costume? 

This hour was just weird overall.

The kangaroo made an appearance. Him trying to get it to bend to his will was sort of funny. I really did think it was going to jump, but that would have been too easy.

It's going to be interesting to see if Lenny does anything with that farmer who claims he can heal. Does he really believe his sheep is Mary and he is Jesus.

It's as ludicrous as people who claim to see Mary and Jesus in the clouds or in a piece of toast or tortilla or whatever other crazy places they claim to see holy presences.

But while the show is poking fun at those things, it's also begging the question of what happens if one time it's real? How would we know?

It's a scary thought. We mock people for crazy beliefs, but what happens if Jesus does return and we all just ignored it? 

Gutierrez is going to New York to deal with the sex abuse case. He's afraid because he's never traveled before, but while he's praying about it he gets a visit from what appears to be Mary. Or is it just the nun from the nun room?

Lenny: And what about the fact that a sizable group has eyes only for a handsome man and pay no attention to such stunning feminine beauty?
Sofia: Holy Father, I know exactly how to answer that question.
Lenny: How?
Sofia: With silence.
Lenny: Why?
Sofia: Because you should never stick your nose into other people's business, especially in the Vatican.

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I didn't get that whole nun room scene at all. Why were they watching them, and what was the deal with the pictures?

The Young Pope continues to intrigue even if it gets weird at times. This hour was very weird indeed.

The Young Pope returns next Sunday, January 29 at 9/8c on HBO.