‘Lodge 49’ Rewatch: Joy and Terror at the Start

Written by John Edward Betancourt

How ‘All Circles Vanish’ Explores the Wonder and Terror of Starting Over

‘The universe is good and I’m on the right path.’
- Sean ‘Dud’ Dudley

If there’s one particular constant in stories that feature the road back from loss and grief, it would have to be that when our main character begins their road to recovery, their journey is filled to the brim with nothing but joyous moments and a newfound appreciation for life. Because this part of the story is designed to inspire the reader or the audience to start the healing process, and give them hope that happiness will surge through their veins when they are finally ready to step back into the light, and well, it is not a bad thing by any means to put all of that into a story. After all, healing is healthy, and popular media is a wonderful way to celebrate and encourage it.
 
But the harsh reality is, the road back can be filled with both joy and terror. Because once we’ve decided we are ready to heal, we have to ask ourselves quite the important and stressful question; what comes next? And that question is a loaded one for certain, because it forces us to once again take inventory of our situation and our lives so that we can assess how we move forward, and it just so happens that this is precisely what the season two premiere of Lodge 49 explores in raw and honest fashion. Because in ‘All Circles Vanish’, Liz and Dud and Ernie are ready to start over and see where life takes them next and how this trio handles that all-important question, is what allows for us to explore the joy and the terror that comes with starting over.
 
Now the joy, well that is handled in this particular tale by way of Dud’s journey. Because his close encounter with a shark, and the subsequent quiet time he spends in the hospital, allows for him to appreciate the second chance that he’s been given in life and he instantly embraces a chance to start over. To the point where he is positive with everyone around him and he even goes the extra mile to lift up his friends and his family. For he truly comes to understand that life and the moments we experience are a gift and it really is quite wonderful to see him in such wonderful spirits in this story and believe that the world is his for the taking once again. Because this is what we’ve always wanted for Dud and it also reminds us that sometimes starting over is indeed quite the thrill since the possibilities are endless.

---

As for the terror however, well that was explored by way of both Liz and Ernie in this tale, and since they’re both at different points in their life, that allowed for the story to explore two unique perspectives on how starting over can terrify us. Liz for example, offered up the more direct approach in that… once we make the decision to heal, and we take inventory on our life as it currently stands, we’re fearful of starting over simply because the darkness is all we’ve known, and we become quite comfortable with the strife and that makes starting over a scary prospect. Because then we wonder, what will we become without our pain, or if we’re even worthy of this opportunity and it was quite powerful to see Liz express those worries aloud at Temp Joy. But what matters more is that this too is relatable, because we’ve all been afraid of the unknown at some point or another in our lives.
 
As for Ernie, well his journey in this tale explored a supremely unique aspect of the terror in that, sometimes we’re afraid to start upon the road back, simply because the prospect of starting over sounds downright exhausting. Because we’ve put in so much time and so much effort in getting to a particular point in life, that when it blows up, why bother starting over? Which makes the prospect of finding a simple status quo, one that keeps us in boring territory where are free from frustration or pain, quite enticing and that’s basically where we find Ernie in this tale, and that’s another element that the audience can relate to. Because we’ve been Ernie in situations similar to this before and it really is hard to snap out of that funk and realize that sometimes starting over is supremely worth our while.
 
Which is what makes Dud’s actions in this tale so supremely important. Because his going the extra mile for his sister and his best friend serves to remind us, that we aren’t alone in tough times. That there are people that genuinely care about us and our well-being and want to see us succeed in everything that we do. And it was so lovely to see that underlying theme to this series begin to have a larger presence in this overall story, and it was equally as wonderful to see Dud be this champion for change and encourage the people he loves to take that all-important first step toward healing. Either way, this really was a thoughtful and important chapter in the Lodge 49 saga, one that truly sets the stage for a season full of healing and discovery. Until next time.

---