‘Lodge 49’ Recap: ‘Paradise’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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Anytime I see the word paradise used in the title of a movie or a show, I’m immediately curious. Because the notion of paradise, and what it means to people and how far they’re willing to go to seek it, always makes for a fascinating journey to say the least. So when I saw that ‘Paradise’ was the title of the next episode of Lodge 49, my curiosity turned to outright excitement, because exploring that kind of notion in a series as brilliant as this one was going to be quite the outright treat to say the least and well, as is always the case with this show, it did not disappoint in the slightest since everyone in this story was searching for some kind of paradise to bring them bliss and joy.
 
For Dud, he firmly believed that such a place existed in the arms of another woman. And his relationship with Gloria seemingly brought him all the paradise and euphoria he needed in life, to the point where he was able to find all kinds of special beauty when it comes to Gloria. But while it was wonderful to see Dud on cloud nine with his sweetheart, the red flags here were outright evident, and it was only a matter of time before this fling came to an end and when Gloria finally revealed the fury in her heart over having to care for her invalid mother, Dud finally had enough and his little slice of paradise disappeared when he broke it off with Gloria.
 
As for Liz, well her idea of paradise, was simply being able to feel something, anything, once again in life. Because despite the fun that she had the party, and the obvious chemistry between her and Corporate Guy, once the power of liquid courage wore off, it was back to business for Liz, and the walls she’s carefully crafted to keep people out went right back up and she also went back to believing she’s worthless and undeserving of happiness and she’s so desperate to feel some sense of worth that she briefly took advantage of her Jerry’s confession that he had feelings for her, just to enjoy that thrill of life once again.  

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​Yet perhaps the most poignant moment of the story came forth when Dud and Liz had a little fight regarding their father’s fate, since Liz put it out there that dear old dad committed suicide, rather than deal with the problems that were brewing in his life, something Dud vehemently disagreed with and well, the shouting and the hitting that came about from this spat served as a fine reminder of the fact that sometimes paradise in our minds, comes from sheer ignorance. For by ignoring or not talking about a particular problem in our lives we can maintain that sense of bliss and while this was sad to watch, since it is clear that Dud and Liz do love one another, they did need to talk about dad, and the possibility that he did indeed give up on life. 
 
However, while all of this was fascinating to watch in its own right because it made for some powerful T.V., the show made a point to not abandon its roots thematically, when it comes to the notions of fate and destiny. Because Larry’s return to the Lodge, and his sudden acceptance of Dud seemingly brought some kind of magic to life within its walls since Blaise’s imaginary parasite became a reality, allowing for him to be free of it in front of everyone and it was equally as fascinating to see Larry take Dud under his wing and speak to something important happening because of Dud’s arrival in the Lodge and while the end of this episode was awkward and funny in its own right thanks to Larry’s impromptu burlesque show at the ceremony designed to transfer the title of Sovereign Protector to Ernie, I did have to check twice to see that the picture of Larry’s mom, blinked before he went out there drunk and as naked as a jaybird…
 
If anything, this series just continues to reinforce the fact that it is one of the smartest shows out there, because it’s just so rare to find a story this grounded in its characters and real-life strife, while it toys with notions of magic and mysticism and fate and destiny and well, I love this series and I loved this episode. Its subtlety writing wise was just sublime, and it was filled with some powerful moments to say the least and well, I simply cannot get enough of this saga and I am dying to know if Dud and Liz will find the peace they seek and I’m so ready to learn more about the magic brewing behind the scenes and well, I simply need more of Lodge 49’s brilliance. So, on that note, I’m off to watch another chapter in this magnificent story. Until next time.  

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