‘Lodge 49’ Recap: ‘As Above, So Below’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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​Destiny is a concept that is always in the back of our minds. Because the idea that everything we are doing in our lives is leading us down a particular path to a particular moment, one that likely benefits us in wonderful ways, is fascinating to say the least. For it implies that there is some level of control to our chaotic lives after all and every hardship we go through is going to have some kind of payoff when all is said and done and that brings comfort to our souls and joy to our hearts and the thought of destiny is definitely a wonderful one to hold on to in times of crisis.
 
However, as is often the case with grand concepts such as destiny, we simply don’t know if it is real or not, which is where the wonder of fiction comes into play and recently, I finally had the opportunity to start a television series named Lodge 49, that oddly enough, focuses heavily on the notion of destiny, and I use the word odd simply because, I hadn’t a clue that this saga was going to focus on that notion in the slightest. In fact, the opening moments of the pilot episode, ‘As Above, So Below’, do little to clue the audience into the fact that something philosophical and spectacular is headed their way. Instead this fascinating episode focuses heavily in the beginning, on a man who has seen better days; Sean ‘Dud’ Dudley.
 
For we learn quickly in this tale, that Dud has more or less hit rock bottom after losing everything that mattered in his life. He can no longer enjoy his greatest passion, which is surfing, thanks to a snake bite, and his dream job disappeared shortly after his father passed away and at this point, he’s homeless and destitute and just trying to get by. And he’s not alone in feeling lost at the moment since the pilot also introduces us to Ernie Fontaine, a salesman who is down on his luck and hoping for more in this stage of his life and there’s also Dud’s sister Liz, who is saddled with all the remaining debt from their father’s passing and well, we quickly come to see in this opening chapter that all of them are desperate to find some kind of direction in their lives and this world.
 
Enter the mysterious Lodge 49, a place that seems to call to Dud when he discovers a ring that came from the Lodge and when he goes there to return it, he meets Ernie and comes to realize that there is something special about this place, and he needs to be a part of it and that’s where the mystery revolving around destiny truly takes hold in this story. Because it seems as though something special has brought both Dud and Ernie to this Lodge and of course Dud is seemingly welcomed into the Order of the Lynx with open arms and there appears to be more to this place than meets the eye, especially when one considers how offended and surprised Larry is when he hears Dud’s story, before he slugs Dud in the eye and well, the mystery surrounding this Lodge is fascinating to say the least because it seems to imply that there is something legendary about the Lodge and that Dud may in fact be part of some kind of prophecy revolving around it, and the Order…
 
But of course, that’s all conjecture at this point, but the clues are definitely there and well, I have to admit that I’m sorry I didn’t dive into this series sooner because, it’s fascinating. Not only does it have my interest thanks to the whole mystery surrounding the Order of the Lynx and the lodge, but it offers so much more than notions of destiny. This is an outright quality character study, one that dives into some serious matters when it comes to our legacy and how to handle life when the world comes crashing down around us and what matters more, is that this series finds a way to present these notions without going to dark places and that’s no easy task. Either way, I’m definitely intrigued by what Lodge 49 has to offer and I would certainly like to know more about Dud and the Order and I’ll be definitely be diving into more episodes to see exactly where this quirky and unique story is headed. Until next time.  

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