‘Lodge 49’ Recap: ‘The Slide’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

There is a common misconception in the world of writing, in that, one should only linger on a particular concept or storyline for so long. Because to keep diving into the same thing, means that a writer will eventually bore and alienate their audience and/or reader and well, I call that a misconception because that notion is as wrong as they come. For when a concept is properly explored and given great care to thrive, the end result is downright breathtaking since everyone is treated to a beautiful examination of the subject at hand, and for proof, look no further than the wonder that is Lodge 49. For this particular series continues to dive deep into the human condition and explore what makes us magnificent and flawed in such delicate fashion, that one eats up everything it has to say, and last night’s episode of the series was no exception to that rule.
​
Because ‘The Slide’ once again took the time to look at how people struggle with the darkness in their lives, and what made this exploration so incredibly fascinating and powerful is the fact that it handled this matter by having two characters walk through the valley of shadows and take two vastly different paths along the way. Take Ernie for instance, who has been in quite the tough place for some time and well, his struggle really didn’t get any better in this particular tale. Granted, he made up with Dud and tried to get his sales mojo back, but he kept faltering at every single turn and really, what Ernie’s path in this story reminds us of, is that sometimes we simply get stuck in the darkness and relish in it and that doesn’t make us weak or unproductive. It just means we hurt, and we need to feel that hurt in order to figure out how to heal.

Or, in Liz’s case, you use that darkness as fuel to fight back against a world that you cannot reconcile. Because let’s be honest, for some time now, Liz has felt as though she’s on a ride that she simply cannot escape, and that’s brought her to some dark places over the past year as she tries to make sense of a universe that is inherently cruel from time to time, and that’s why her decision to take full advantage of Dr. Kimbrough’s downfall makes perfect sense. Because now she gets to stick it to the man and the universe for a change and oddly enough this little free ride on the back of a nasty felon, helped Liz to grow even further since she saw an opportunity to continue to fight for balance and righteousness when the Pool Party jerks chose to mess with her brother, and it was just incredible to see her become a warrior when it comes to defending her family and its legacy and one has to wonder if this is a turning point for Liz since this could help her to understand that she really can achieve anything when she puts her mind to it. 

---

But while this was all fascinating in its own right, the struggle that Liz and Ernie were going through was beautifully counterbalanced by Dud’s journey in this tale. Because he continued to be the beacon of hope and joy that everyone needs right now and it was wonderful to see him support his sister and Ernie when they needed it and make sure to maintain a little self-care in the process by getting back to his roots by cleaning pools with the help of his uh… borrowed tools from Pool Party. For he was truly on cloud nine whilst removing leaves from the water, because the memories that washed over him while he worked were the right kind of drug, and payment enough for his services, which is why he skipped out on asking for any money, and that interesting decision managed to more or less expose what this episode was working toward thematically.
​
In essence, this was an episode about how we can never escape our past, and that we have to find a way to make peace with it so that we can move forward and live in the moment. Which was quite frankly a beautiful theme to throw into this show since the characters here have faced some serious hardships and trauma and are naturally locked upon them since that kind of pain can be hard to cope with and overcome. And what I truly appreciated about putting this front and center into this story is that no one was looked down upon for feeling low or riding a high. Their feelings were accepted as natural and normal and that’s something we need to see more of in television and media in general, since everyone works toward balance at their own pace and well, this is just another chapter in a beautiful story that continues to reinforce the outright brilliance of this show.

Because everything about this series is somehow relatable, and that’s what draws you in and what has me so impressed with this particular tale is that it truly highlights the highs and the lows we go through and how sometimes it’s our friends that bail us out of the toughest moments and sometimes its ourselves. But regardless of how it happens, life will go on, we will be okay and it will all work out in the end and that’s a message that we desperately need on television right now and I’m just so glad there is a show out there that finds a way to speak to our souls and damnit, I so want more of this. But once again, I have to bide my time until next Monday to see how these magnificent characters to continue to grow, and to, of course, learn more about the mysteries of the Lodge. Until next time.

---