A Farewell to ‘Lodge 49’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If you’re reading this, then you’ve heard the devastating new from Lodge 49 showrunner Jim Gavin in that… this beloved series will not be returning to the airwaves and well, hearing that news after fans spent weeks, tweeting and hoping and praying and demanding that another network pick this magnificent series up is heartbreaking to say the least. Because there has been a beautiful outpouring of what this show means to people on the web, along with some unprecedented interactions between cast and crew and fans, as the latter shared their gratitude for everything that a talented group of creatives did to bring this majestic and beautiful tale to life.
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But alas, we have indeed come to the end of the road for Lodge 49 and honestly, I needed some time to process this before writing about it. In fact, I was numb at first after hearing the news simply because I didn’t expect the story to end like this. Especially after the fact that it made so many ‘Best of’ lists from various publications. But it happened, the ride is over, new episodes will not happen and I am certain a fair chunk of fans will be despondent and angry for a little while and hey, that’s okay. Feel your feels, because this show really touched our souls in ways we never thought possible and bidding farewell to something that brings you joy is never easy.

However, rather than chide AMC or the television industry for not embracing a unique show, it’s best to say goodbye to this lovely series by celebrating everything that it accomplished. Because this show really did do some unique things, stuff that I hope someone will try and replicate down the line since this series defied convention. For in this day and age, television loves to focus on gimmicks and gags to garner ratings, but this series offered up an old school approach to storytelling, by inviting us into the lives of everyday people. The kind we can outright relate to and attach to and that made every story accessible to the audience and it also invested us like never before and it is those same dynamic characters that allowed for the series to bring forth its true wonder.

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Which brings me back to what I said about this show being ‘old school’. Because television of yesterday, tended to offer up a slice of life and this show definitely featured that, but it took things one step further. For Lodge 49 was a genuine celebration of life, and not just the good stuff, but everything. Every high, every low, and every struggle in between was put on display in this series all in the hopes of reminding us that life is indeed beautiful, even the ugly moments since we draw strength from them. And it also reminded us to be better and to work for our happiness regardless of the odds and to cherish the people in our lives and apologize and open up when the moment is right if we’ve hurt one another, because all we have in this life are one another, and the moments we share.
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Yet while new episodes won’t be hitting the airwaves anytime soon, at least we know can re-watch them whenever we like via Hulu, and I know I’ll be going back as often as possible, to partake in a story that helped me find beauty in life when I thought there was none to be found and I’d like to close this farewell out with some serious thank yous to the cast and crew that brought this series to life and took the time to interact with me and so many of the fans on social media. So, first and foremost, thank you Jim Gavin for dreaming up this beautiful world filled with beautiful people, and thank you to Nina Jack and Peter Ocko for guiding this wonderful story along. Also, my gratitude to Director Althea Jones for being the brains behind two of the most beautiful hours of television that I have ever seen and also to Susan Vaill for editing this show in such seamless fashion, to the point where it felt more like you were right next to Dud and Liz as opposed to watching them through a screen.

As for the cast, thank you Jim E. Chandler, for making the magic of the Lodge come to life by way of Wallace Smith’s infectious joy. Thank you to Britt Rentschler for making Beth’s plight believable since we’ve all been in that moment where we panic and make rash decisions. Plus, my thanks go out to Cara Mantella for making Jackie Loomis a special character, one that truly wanted to do nothing more than provide her son with a better life and who was bold and fearless at every turn when life kept putting roadblocks in her way. Also, thank you to Bruce Campbell and Paul Giamatti for stealing the show when they were on screen with their dynamic acting that brought eccentric characters to new heights. And Bertila Damas, thank you for making Lenore a delight to watch because your performance is what kept us guessing as to what the heck, she was going to do next. 

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Also thank you Olivia Sandoval, for making Janet the most entertaining CEO in the history of television and I think I’m not alone in saying, we all wanted to see her succeed at one of her wacky schemes. Atkins Estimond, thank you for portraying Gerson with such warmth, you made him that guy that everyone loves to hang out with at work and speaking of folks from work that felt familiar; thank you David Ury for making Champ the true wiseman that everyone gravitates to. Both of you actually made me feel like I was waiting tables as I once did, back in the day. Eric Allan Kramer, thank you for giving Scott that stern façade that so many of us like to hide behind and for reminding all of us to let it fall once in a while so that those we love can be near us. David Pasquesi, thank you for your beautiful portrayal of Blaise, because you reminded everyone that’s ever felt like an outcast that someday you will belong and you also helped to remind us to believe in the impossible because you never know where that wonder will take us.
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Linda Emond, thank you for making Connie relatable when it comes to the fear that surges through all of us, and for teaching the audience that at some point we have to let go of that fear or it will consume us. Sonya Cassidy, thank you for reminding all of us, by way of Liz, that it’s okay to be in a funk or feel broken as long as you keep pushing forward and keep making discoveries about yourself along the way. Brent Jennings, thank you for your powerful performance of Ernie, one that spoke volumes to the fact that we have to confront our pain and be open when doing so, so that it doesn’t rip at and poison our soul. And last, my thanks go out to Wyatt Russell for his portrayal of Dud. Because Dud really did represent the best parts of us, and your performance taught us all to never give up when grief takes hold and to always look for the beauty in life.

So, I guess that’s that, and this is where I should be emotional and sad that this might be the last time I ever write about this magnificent series. But instead, I am thankful that I was able to discover this show and everything beautiful that it had to offer. And I am equally as thankful that I was able to meet some cool people online that love this show as much as I do and that’s really why I’m not filled with sorrow today. Because we all were able to share in this experience, and that’s something special and unique and something that we can hang on to forever. Because as Sonya Cassidy and several of the other cast members pointed out to me on Twitter, we’re all Lynx for Life and the Lodge is always open and waiting for us.

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