A Return to ‘Lodge 49’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​It wasn’t all that long ago, that fans of the now cult classic Lodge 49 received some devastating news, in that, weeks of back end negotiations to save the series from cancellation had failed and our journey through the Lodge would come to an end. If anything, I know plenty of folks, myself included, were stunned by the news since the critical reception of this series and outpouring from the fans on social media to save the series, made it seem a though an eleventh-hour victory would come through for this wonderful show, but alas, here we are. But what’s truly incredible when it comes to the wake of this news, is how the fans have responded to it.
 
For my Twitter feed is alive with people constantly discussing the series and what it meant to them, and it would seem that Lynx everywhere are doing their best to share the wonder of this story with anyone who will listen and that outpouring and sharing has only gotten stronger in the last couple of days, mainly due to the fact that the entire series is now streaming on Hulu. It just goes to show how much this simple story about everyday people sometimes struggling to get by in a chaotic world, has resonated with audiences everywhere and well, despite my best attempts to close the book on it in my mind, the constant reminders on social media and the power of Dud and Liz’s journey more or less allows for this series to haunt me on a regular basis.
 
Which I should have expected, since this series has done a lot for me emotionally and mentally, elements I’ve outlined before on this website, and for some strange reason, I thought I could find closure by bidding it farewell on the digital page. But how does one truly let go of a story that lifted one up more often than not? And how does one say goodbye to characters that often resemble people in your life or relate to parts of yourself? Well the answer to those questions are simple, you don’t, and I was a fool to think that I could just quietly close the book in my mind and move on. Because when a story touches you on a personal level, it can never be forgotten and you need to revisit it as often as possible to either find something new within its framework, or simply celebrate the wonder of what it did for you ages ago.
 
So, it is time for me to return to the Lodge and everything it has to offer by doing something that honestly, I rarely do anymore when it comes to newer television shows. Which means I’m going to re-watch every single magnificent episode of Lodge 49 and break them down in great detail. Which may seem obsessive or silly in its own right, but here’s the thing. It is inherently obvious to me, that we’re all eager to continue to obsess over this show in healthy fashion and looking at these stories from a new perspective and diving deep into what they stand for is an intoxicating possibility, especially when I am certain that I left some stuff on the table the first time around and I won’t lie, this has me supremely excited.
 
Because being the giant writing nerd that I am, I love the prospect of stripping down a story and everything it has to offer, but my outright excitement to watch this saga once more, goes beyond the mere need to deconstruct a story. For this is a chance to once again bask in the glory of a genuinely beautiful story about all the ups and downs that life has to offer, and I really am looking forward to seeing Dud and Liz and everyone at the Lodge grow once again and remind us that it is okay to hurt and it is okay to stumble and fall. Because the family we choose will always be there to support us and lift us up in our time of need. In the end, it’s just obvious that this show continues to resonate with its audience because of its honesty and purity and the word of its wonder needs to be spread far and wide. And I cannot wait to dive back in and see what other lessons about this crazy ride known as life, this series has to offer, and discuss them all with my fellow Lynx.   

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