Lodge 49 - General Discussion

[MJS]

Dud stealing, for him, was justice. Booie didn’t want to clean pools for the “right” reasons but for bitches. They didn’t care about the people, it was just a corporate business to them. From Dud's POV he is stepping in to rescue the business, not steal from it. 

So no, if they had let him in he wouldn’t have stolen from them as a plan. He just has his own inner sense of justice and right and wrong, which motivates him. 

Yes it’s stealing, and that’s wrong, but for Dud there is a higher morality he’s listening to. 

[Ohwell]

I was looking forward to this season, but I think the "quirkiness" has worn me out.   

Some of the characters are interesting but I'm tired of sad sack/depressed Ernie, and pissed off/depressed Liz.  I'll check in from time to time, but this is no longer must see tv for me.

[rhys]

I don't get Liz. She wrecked the car for no reason to me. She had wheels to get around & now?? She was trying to make some kind of point but, just hurt people & ruined the car. Fool.

[Ohwell]

I'm also tired of Dud looking like worn out Jesus.  

[AuntiePam]

6 hours ago, rhys said:

I don't get Liz. She wrecked the car for no reason to me. She had wheels to get around & now?? She was trying to make some kind of point but, just hurt people & ruined the car. Fool.

She wouldn't have that car for long, so why not give in to the impulse?  What prompted her to do that?  She does have a tendency to overdo it.  When someone else would just turn right, try a new direction, Liz makes donuts and leaves all the rubber on the road.

Who was the pregnant woman at the car wash?  The woman didn't look like Liz, except for the long dark hair.  

Where is Connie?  Is she in England? 

I'm glad that we've seen the last of the new pool people.

I wanted to know more about Dud's father and the lady who missed her flight?  Seems like there was some history there.

[MJS]

Connie is at Lodge 1 in England. 

Pregnant woman, I assumed, is Liz's mother. 

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

Connie is at Lodge 1 in England. 

Pregnant woman, I assumed, is Liz's mother. 

Thank you.  Was she pregnant when she died? 

Liz's comment about the accident tying up traffic is the first mention I remember about Liz and Dud's mom.  

[rhys]

Oh any ideas on who the lawyer really is?

[tennisgurl]

Was the song in the background of Duds drunk vision of Larry that was used in the flashback   to Larry's mom and the guy who was mummified in the lodge? I really loved that whole scene, it was strange and surreal, and not exactly creepy but rather...off, and we leave   wondering what was real and what was just a dream. 

So whats the story with Dud and Liz's mom? Was she killed in a car accident when they were little, and thats why they dont seem to have many memories of her?

I feel bad for Scott, as annoying and jerk-y as he can be. Everyone seems to dislike him and his wife cheated on him and then just split, and while his attempts at cleaning up the Lodge are a massive pain and he goes about it in the most asshole chest beating way possible, he does seem to think that making these changes are what can save the Lodge. 

[MJS]

10 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Thank you.  Was she pregnant when she died? 

Liz's comment about the accident tying up traffic is the first mention I remember about Liz and Dud's mom.  

Good question, but I don’t think so. I think she was probably just looking back to the past when her mom was pregnant, probably with her. 

They showed their mom in the Dudley and Sons ad, but they sure don’t mention her much, do they?

[Pike Ludwell]

Dud's dream sequence: influenced by David Lynch much? LOL It was great. As to that woman lawyer ... I am sure she is not who she says and she is involved in some scheme for getting the grail.

[AuntiePam]

Here's a link to a list of the songs used in the show -- it's up to date -- https://www.tunefind.com/show/lodge-49/season-2/87096#songs

One of this week's songs reminded me of the song playing in one of my favorite commercials from last year, but I can't remember the song (or any of the words) or what the commercial was for.  It was a bunch of people in bright colorful clothes doing parkour -- very catchy.  But probably not by the same artists.

[bigmag]

The song from the commercial that you are thinking of is probably "Come Along" by Cosmo Sheldrake. It;s awesome!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIyl9bCp6W4.

I  think it was an Apple commercial maybe.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 8/20/2019 at 10:48 AM, rhys said:

I don't get Liz. She wrecked the car for no reason to me. She had wheels to get around & now?? She was trying to make some kind of point but, just hurt people & ruined the car. Fool.

She could have killed Dud, or at least caused a concussion.  He was already reeling from Booie's assault.

[gibasi]

Whenever I get mad at the show they have a scene like Dud's dream sequence and all is forgiven. I absolutely loved last season. I doubt this season will match last season's for me but it is still better than just about anything else I see out there.

[Ohwell]

I've gotten to the point now that I don't care what happens to any of these "quirky" characters.  I'm done.

[AuntiePam]

The paintings!  There's definitely some supernatural stuff going on here. 

We don't know if/how it will all come together -- it's kind of a mess right now.  I'm still very entertained by all of it and look forward to rewatching when it's finished.

We all knew there had been something going on with the Vy-dration lady and Dud and Liz's dad.  Maybe she can shed some light on what happened with him. 

I like that Liz has a job, and that it's a step up, managing a place, but that whole thing with Bronson Pinchot -- what was the point of that? 

[BeckyThatcher]

Every time I watch this show, I feel almost “ethereal” afterwards. Calm and content. It’s an unusual reaction for a TV show, for me. We’re still in for the quirkiness. 

My DH and I have been shouting “Life is Wonderful” and “Anything is Possible” at each other Since Sunday. Plus, “Aloha, Bitches!”

[gibasi]

6 hours ago, BeckyThatcher said:

Every time I watch this show, I feel almost “ethereal” afterwards. Calm and content. It’s an unusual reaction for a TV show, for me. We’re still in for the quirkiness. 

It is a hard show to describe to others. I like your description a lot. I like how the writers seem to like all of their characters. Even Jeff is shown to have a heart when he is so upset over Speedy’s death and what he said to Speedy. 

My favorite is big goofy Dud and his enthusiasm for everything. 

Someone tell me who Avery is/was? I don’t remember the character at all. 

[bigmag]

Avery is the character played by Tyson Ritter (who also plays Jesus and Humperdoo in Preacher).  All I remember about his character from last season is that he was hiding in the bushes spying on the lodge or some of the members.  I don't remember where it went from there.  I tend to lose the thread of logic in this series since it's so out there.

[tennisgurl]

Those paintings are totally going to come true, Ernie will end up in that Mariachi outfit by the end of the season, the scrolls say so! They have kind of played with whether or not anything supernatural is actually going on here, but I think there is going to be more blatant magic going on this season, and I am all for it!

This show is somehow both very chill and very cerebral. It asks a lot of deep questions, but they ask in a very pleasant, relaxed kind of way. The equivalent of laying on a beach while the friend you next to rambles on about clouds, currency, and unicorns.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

6 hours ago, bigmag said:

Avery is the character played by Tyson Ritter (who also plays Jesus and Humperdoo in Preacher).  All I remember about his character from last season is that he was hiding in the bushes spying on the lodge or some of the members.  I don't remember where it went from there.  I tend to lose the thread of logic in this series since it's so out there.

Avery pretended to be the London emissary and had a romantic relationship with Blaise before disappearing. Didn't he take "Captain" hostage?  Basically, he was a dangerous fraud. 

[Suzysite]

So homeless, jobless Dud is getting married to some chica he hasn't seen in years.  Good decision, there.   I'm thinking the wild goose chase in Mexico would have been better.

[tennisgurl]

Well Dud and Liz both made pretty dumb spontaneous choices this week, Liz giving into her dads exs pyramid scheme, and Dud marrying this random women he hasn't seen in years on her wedding day! Beth wanting to get married basically just because all her friends are married with kids is sadly a reason way too many people get married before they're ready or to the wrong person though.

Poor Dud, feeling like everyone is tired of him (even though its clear that everyone is going through other stuff) and even getting knocked out by the one guy who seemingly wanted to hang out with him and losing out on his great quest. No wonder he jumped into a marriage with the first person to pay attention to him, even if this wont end well at all.

The fake lawyer being a broke adjunct professor is another in the shows theme of people doing all the "right" things to be what society deems as successful, but just ending up being screwed over.

So when do those paintings start all coming true? Better start looking for that Mariachi outfit Ernie!

[gibasi]

Well, this episode left me feeling sad and depressed.  Come on, show!  There are enough sad, depressing shows out there.  Do better.

[AuntiePam]

So, it's man-yum opus, not mag-num opus? 

I'm fine with Dud getting married.   It was funny, how she said they kept running into each other so it must be fate, but their only other interaction was oral sex on prom night.  Whatever works. 

It is kind of a hard right turn for this show though.  It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

[AuntiePam]

Well, that was quick.  Beth was a good sport, not balking at living in that trailer.  For a minute, I thought it might work -- Dud seemed to want it so badly.  But he seems content to be able to take marriage off his bucket list.  It's a life experience he wanted. 

The Fydra stuff -- almost feels like a crossover with the Kirsten Dunst series about another multi-marketing scheme, downlines and uplines.  Liz must be doing it just to stay close to what's-her-name, because she doesn't need the money.  She did take the manager job at the steak place, didn't she?  We haven't seen her at work at all.

[tennisgurl]

Well that marriage certainly came and went quickly! Beth and Dud clearly weren't a good match, even by the standards of people randomly getting married due to fear/loneliness, so I am glad that we are moving on quickly.

13 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

The Fydra stuff -- almost feels like a crossover with the Kirsten Dunst series about another multi-marketing scheme, downlines and uplines.

I feel like Crystal is going to show up any second to start peddling FAM products at the Lodge! At least Liz is upfront about it all being a scam. Man, who would have thought that working at Shamrocks would be the glory days? 

So has Blaise finally transcended and found the alchemist secrets? Or did he just find another way out of the secret room? Quick, someone check the paintings!

One of the things I love about the show is how much it deals with the nature of the lodge and people's belief in it. They basically acknowledge, especially with Connie and her blindfold and the women at the London Lodge, that even if all of the lore isnt real and they dont buy it, it can still be good for people, making them feel connected to traditions and other people, or that its just fun to get into all the hocus pocus and traditions and such. Of course, it increasingly looks like at last some of the lore is real, so wont that be a surprise!?

Edited September 11, 2019 by tennisgurl

[tennisgurl]

That was a serious trip, the kind of episode that people write long ass existential term papers about, deciphering all of the references to mythology, history, time/space, and feminism, among other things, that were going on. I think that this might be one of the shows best episodes to date, and considering what a great show this is, that is really saying something.

The episode title, circles, seems like a reference to the circular nature of time, with the myth of the founder of the lodge running parallel to the journey to find the scrolls of Jackie in the 60s and the journeys of Blaise, Dud, and Liz in the current time, all trying to find fulfillment and meaning in an often cold and uncaring world, with the scrolls and alchemy as a possible thread that ties them all together, as the past and resent literally run into each other and pass by each others stories. Jackie seemed to be the only person who wanted to find the truth of the scrolls for the sake of pure knowledge and for the benefit of the Lodge (unlike the guys she shared them with who wanted them for bragging rights or to monetize and weaponize them), much in the way that Dud hopes to find them for the sake of the Lodge and finding a purpose in his life after so much senseless tragedy.

So will Dud and Liz come together and activate their Wonder Twin powers to figure out the real secrets of the Lodge? Is it possible that Liz is the true chosen one, and her buddies are, like, her three wise men? They seemed to be especially paralleling Jackie and Liz, two women with lots of potential and drive, but nowhere to really put that drive to use. There is also a parallel with the original founder, who left behind terrible memories of a war to found the Lodge and go on his journey, while Jackie didnt kill herself with Wallace to stay with her son Larry, who would later need her support to deal with his own terrible war time memories. This episode has possibly the most confirmation that some supernatural stuff is going on here...maybe. The scrolls are certainly real, but what do they really say, and where are they? Did Liz find the hole in space and time that Dud maybe found last season, or is just a gas leak that makes you see things? But then how did Liz get snow in her hair? What does it mean?!

Thats not getting into the corporate commentary, like seeing the 60s version of Orvis trying to turn Long Beach into a full on company town with its own currency, only to end up just looking dumb while screwing over their blue collar workers, or the strange world that is being built by people in the abandoned Orvis factory, or poor Gil being pulled into the Fydra pyramid scheme out of desperation, there is just a whole lot to chew on here. 

[Ohwell]

I feel like somebody's been smoking some weed and I got a serious contact high.

[AuntiePam]

Well said, tennisgurl. 

So the Orbis (is it Orbis or Orvis?) funny money might be the bitcoin secret that the fake lawyer thinks she'll find? 

Yeah, this episode was excellent, and mind-blowing.

I thought the door Liz opened might have been the door that's halfway up the side of the building, and I was worried when she stepped through.

[meep.meep]

IMDB says it's "Orbis"

I'd forgotten about the fake lawyer!  It's totally what she's after.  Too bad Ernie's father was cheated with it.

I oved that Blais and Liz and Larry's Mom kept appearing in random scene backgrounds.

[MJS]

Orbis as in orbital, orbits, etc. Rockets. 

Thought this episode was fantastic. The orbits coins, similar in name to bitcoin, connecting to the coinage he was trying to invent... 

loved Jackies story and hope it connects to Liz's. Love the joy of Blaise and Dud. Even feel bad for Scott  

Just wonderful. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by MJS

[UnknownK]

How exactly do you miss a sharks tooth in an X-RAY?

[AuntiePam]

12 hours ago, UnknownK said:

How exactly do you miss a sharks tooth in an X-RAY?

The ER could have just stitched him up, no x-ray -- I don't recall.  The tooth might have been much deeper and worked its way to the surface.

Or maybe it's from one of Dud's past lives.  With this show, it could be anything.

[UnknownK]

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

The ER could have just stitched him up, no x-ray -- I don't recall.  The tooth might have been much deeper and worked its way to the surface.

Or maybe it's from one of Dud's past lives.  With this show, it could be anything.

Well he made it seem like his medical bills were crazy so just getting stitched up and sent home can't be that expensive.

[alrightythen]

Just got done binging the marathon and am now up to current.  I am obsessed with this show.  At first I struggled to get a grip on everything and figure out the mysteries, but then I just learned to go with it.   Yeah, Liz's self-sabotage is frustrating, but I saw glimpses of myself at her age, so I kind of get it.  If I'd been on that boat with all that corporate BS going on, I would've jumped over too. The father dying/ditching them/whatever happened has had a profound effect on them that they can't seem to shake. 

Most curious to me is that Liz has never been in the lodge or has any interest in doing so, and has never met any of Dud's lodge friends (that I can remember?)  I wondered if that was building to something, or maybe it's just meant to show that they have separate lives.  Then she ended up in the basement at Orbis.  So will she and Dud somehow converge on the same Lodge mysteries without Liz ever setting foot in the lodge?  Or am I overthinking it again?  God, I love this show.

Edited September 19, 2019 by alrightythen
Typo

[gibasi]

My problem with this show and all of the other episodic shows (as opposed to one offs) is that I just don't remember the history of the show.  I don't rewatch episodes and really don't obsess over any show to the point that I remember the minutiae of the episodes. So I feel like I miss a lot of the references. I don't remember any of the founder's story or anything about Larry's Vietnam experiences.  I still liked the episode but I wish the writers of everything I watch would take into account my poor memory!

I found tennisgurl's post really interesting but I really hope Liz is not the chosen one. For me the heart of the show is Dud and his enthusiasm and capacity for love and his resiliency when he gets knocked down.

[Pike Ludwell]

I find it amusing the way the show is playing on the idea that nobody, absolutely nobody, understands Bitcoin and how it works. The writers are having fun and going to town with that. How about that diagram that guy pointed to on the blackboard showing how it would work? Complete and total gibberish. LOL

Edited September 20, 2019 by Pike Ludwell

[SoMuchTV]

No comments yet on the 9/23 show?

Ernie totally didn't make me tear up at the end .  Not at all!

[Ohwell]

I don't even know what to say anymore. 

[SoMuchTV]

2 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I don't even know what to say anymore. 

Oh I totally understand there's an "I'm out" school, and an "I'm in it for the ride" school. I guess so far I'm still in the latter.

[Ohwell]

4 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Oh I totally understand there's an "I'm out" school, and an "I'm in it for the ride" school. I guess so far I'm still in the latter.

Oh I still watch mainly because there's not anything else in that time slot that I'm interested in, but I just don't know what to say about these characters anymore.  I've given up trying to figure out stuff.  I don't like or dislike any of the characters.  

[juno]

I find this show pretty interesting, but the focus on the secondary characters drags this show down. I am really enjoying the arc with Liz and I love her character. Unfortunately I am starting to fast forward through the secondary characters and long speeches.

[gibasi]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

No comments yet on the 9/23 show?

Ernie totally didn't make me tear up at the end .  Not at all!

I can’t watch it on Mondays so I am usually late posting.  I hate to cry but was absolutely crying at the end. 

[tennisgurl]

Last episode was surreal and existential, while this week I just felt bad for everyone, although I also wonder if this ties into last week, with people repeating old patterns, and obsessing about the past, and finding meaning through the Lodge. Ernie just killed me the whole episode, finding out that he had a daughter he lost and that ended his marriage, which certainly adds new context to his resistance to being Duds mentor and his lack of fulfillment in his job and how listless that makes him feel, it was all so tragic. And  that he found the Lodge just when he needed it, just like Dud. Also, finding out more about magic and secret scrolls and alchemy is great and all, but you still gotta sleep guys! I mean, we know that they are probably on the right track, but obsession with it just leads to killing yourself and walling yourself into a secret room in a silly outfit.

I also felt sad for Blaise and his spiraling in his obsession and depressing backstory (its implied his parents were/are homophobic, but its unclear), Dud and his fear of ending up lonely and aimless again, Liz's constant frustration and the struggles of her work friends, Scott realizing that his marriage is over. It seems like by the end, people seem to be attempting to break the cycles they are stuck in, with Connie kindly telling Scott that they both need to move on, Ernie finally said his daughters name and talked about her, and Blaise is trying to get some help at least.

Oh Dud, you well intentioned goober. He really was trying to do a good thing with the bet, but sometimes he really just needs to know when its too much. I get it though, Ernie is pushing him away, Scott is changing the Lodge as part of his midlife crisis, he is trying to help where he can.

So Liz punches Janet in the face (after punching her hologram) and Janet thinks it was awesome, and even offers Liz a job. That all sounds on brand for Janet.

And suddenly a wild Paul Giamatti appears! The plot thickens indeed. And I saw that Fydro machine in the place that Blaise just checked into! I also cracked up at Connie running into her smug newspaper boss at the temp agency. That temp guy must be having the wildest time hearing snippets of all the main characters weird lives.

[AuntiePam]

Can we just give Brent Jennings (Ernie) his Emmy, right now?  Actually, most of these actors are on point -- they're all so in character, it's not like they're acting at all.  But especially Ernie. 

It was so like him, not to tell Dud about the bet, and so like Dud, not to give up, even after Ernie kept telling him to back off, leave him be. 

Everything in this episode was an example of how we expect things to be one way, but they're the other way. 

Scott was especially surprising, that he accepted Connie telling him to let go. 

[alrightythen]

Die, Janet, die!

[refugee]

Since the beginning Lodge 49 set the hook for me. Now with the conclusion of Preacher L49 has become my favorite show. With the addition of Paul Giamatti(sp) ...holy cow! What a marvelous character he's created.

I'm so thankful we have a DVR which gives us the pleasure of viewing this show again to clean more nuggets of gold.

What a great show, memorable characters, entertaining writing. Thank God this isn't on FOX.

[AuntiePam]

Curse my failing memory!  Have Dud or Ernie mentioned Lamar before?  I don't recall them talking about the authors they enjoy, but they must have. 

Love that they're all hitting the road, and Ernie's rationale makes sense to me: When you've been losing all your life, what you do doesn't matter, so do what makes you feel good.  (Or something like that.)

Love that Ernie's boss supports them too.