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When the series begins Monday night on HBO, Lenny has been in a coma for almost a year, necessitating that the Catholic Church elect a new pope. After a round of Vatican intrigue, the conclave finds its man: John Brannox (John Malkovich), a depressive, wealthy English aristocrat and intellectual who rarely leaves his family’s palatial estate. Befitting The Young Pope’s depiction of a world where the Church was once the most important institution in existence, Brannox leads the Vatican through a conflict with an ISIS-like group. Meanwhile, though, a comatose Lenny has inspired a small band of Christian fanatics who believe he’s a living saint. When Lenny miraculously wakes up, some even begin to ask if he’s the Messiah himself.