Common Sense Media Review
Delightful, mystical show good for teens with offbeat taste.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Lodge 49
What's the Story?
In LODGE 49, a good-natured beach bum named Dud, left aimless by the death of his father and the loss of his childhood home, stumbles upon a signet ring of a quirky fraternal order known as the Lynx Lodge. When his car runs out of gas directly in front of the place, he feels that fate has brought him here, with the hopes that the lodge will provide him the answers and direction he needs to get his life back on track. Once there, he meets Ernie, a friendly but frustrated salesman who has some bad gambling debts and is having an affair with the wife of another lodge member. Ernie welcomes the infusion of youth to the lodge membership that Dud represents and explains to him the arcane hierarchy and British roots of the Order of the Lynx. But when the lodge leader nearly dies, he shares a secret that puts into question everything anyone has ever believed about Lodge 49.
Is It Any Good?
With its unique premise and laid-back energy, this series leaves an indelible impression on the viewer. The character of Dud could have been played as a complete blissed-out surfer cliché, but the writers and Russell imbue him with a balance of optimism, sadness, and defiance, so the audience is never sure what this guy is going to do in a given situation. And it's that unpredictability that gives depth to what in less adventurous hands would be a one-dimensional character. Lodge 49 sets up a loss and redemption story: Dud turns to the lodge to help him move on after the death of his father. What's refreshing is how wonderfully human the stakes are.
This is not redemption through grand romance or revenge. It's about regular people making connections with other regular people and celebrating how beautifully fulfilling that can be. In a television landscape overstocked with righteous cops, crusading lawyers, genius doctors, and bigger-than-life superheroes, it's a welcome respite to encounter a world populated by characters with ordinary problems and realistic aspirations.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of fate. What does it mean? Do you believe in the concept? Have you or anyone you know had an experience that seemed like fate? How does fate play into Lodge 49?
What makes a show or piece of media quirky? Is it the way the people act, or the setting, or a combination of both?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 6, 2018
- Cast : Wyatt Russell , Sonya Cassidy , Brent Jennings
- Network : AMC
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 7, 2022
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