‘Lodge 49’ Rewatch: Setbacks

Written by John Edward Betancourt

How ‘Apogee’ Reminds Us That There Will be Setbacks on the Road to Recovery

‘I saw what I wanted to see the whole time.’
- Sean ‘Dud’ Dudley

Often times in stories that revolve around trauma and healing, there is a pivotal moment in said story, wherein the protagonist finally reaches a point where nothing is going to stop them from getting better and they dedicate themselves to leaving their pain behind. Which is inspirational and powerful in its own right since it does indeed motivate us to tackle our problems, but that surge in our hearts never lasts because deep down we know the characters have it easy. Because the road back from trauma is long and winding and often times filled with setbacks that leave us wondering if life is ever going to get better and that’s yet another reason to appreciate everything that Lodge 49 has to offer.
 
Because its next episode could have gone that traditional route. For when we last saw Ernie and Dud and Liz in ‘Something from Nothing’, they believed in themselves once again, they were filled with their first taste of happiness in ages and the show could have easily allowed for them to dive into all of their problems and start to address them in manic fashion. But that would have been a cop out for this series. Because this saga made it clear from the get-go that it was going to explore healing in raw and honest fashion, which means that the setbacks we face on our way back into the light had to take the center stage at some point, and it just so happens that ‘Apogee’ took the time to explore this conundrum in the most fascinating way imaginable.
 
For this particular tale made a point to show us how sometimes the setbacks we experience in life are self-inflicted, and much of that was explored by way of Ernie. Because regardless of the fact that he was getting everything he wanted in life professionally and romantically, he found ways to either sabotage them in his mind or in reality. For example, he consistently feared the deal with Captain was going to fail and made up some wild and panicked stories in his mind as to how that was going to happen, and with Connie, well he sabotaged that joy by being a little too open about this new arrangement that he and Scott came to. And while honesty is indeed the best policy, it’s clear now that he should have handled all of this vastly different fashion so that Connie didn’t pull away in the hurt manner that she did, leaving their love affair exactly where it was not that long ago… in tatters.

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​If anything, Ernie’s segment really was a flawless exploration of how we create roadblocks for ourselves. But what was truly fascinating about this episode, is that it found a way to explore how self-sabotage can actually be a good thing from to time. Because sometimes, the path we choose to heal can do us more harm than good since it merely allows for us to survive, rather than allowing for us to truly address our underlying issues and that’s precisely what Liz came to discover in this story. Because while the executive program at Omni would solve her financial woes and net her respect and admiration, eventually she would be as miserable and as unfulfilled as Janet and thankfully, she made the choice to skip out on this opportunity so that she could properly heal and find her purpose in life and this was quite the inspirational segment to place within the story.
 
But truly, the centerpiece of this tale was its direct approach in regard to its theme and that was handled by both Dud and Ernie, but more so Dud. Because he firmly believed this deal with Captain would solve all of his problems since it would keep the Lodge open, which in turn would allow for him to heal since it has had a positive effect on him thus far. But the chaos of trying to find Gary’s accountant, and the revelation that there may not be any oil under Orbis after all, combined with Gary’s uh… little harpoon accident, served as a fine reminder that setbacks in general can and will happen as we try to heal and even though we know how this season ends, the uncertainty swirling in Dud’s mind as to what comes next for his life is still strong and unsettling after all this time.
 
However, another great aspect of this episode is how it also informs us that sometimes, setbacks are healthy for us as well. For when they happen, they force us to use another lesson from this season, and take inventory and ponder upon a way forward, and what Dud had to say about his dad before the porcelain Narwhal incident, indicates that he is finally starting to awaken from his funk and see his situation as it stands, and he’s starting to chart a path forward. And seeing that, adds new depth to this particular tale and it really does motivate one to continue the journey since every single lesson from this season comes together in beautiful fashion in ‘Full Fathom Five’ and it should be interesting to see what new wrinkles in that story we uncover, when the rewatch, resumes. Until next time.

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