Lodge 49 episode 4 review: Different degrees of loneliness

Following the big shock that was the end of episode 3, Lodge 49 managed to take yet another left turn in Monday night’s new episode. After all, the entire episode was not about some sort of elaborate cover-up or attempt to head the preserved corpse that was found in the secret room of the Lodge.

Instead, this episode came close to concluded with a news reporter outside the lodge as we saw a heated exchange as to whether or not the deceased party was actually a mummy or not. This wasn’t some sort of secret from the rest of Long Beach but, at the same time, there are still questions as to why this guy was there and if it somehow revolved around the questions and mystery as to whether or not alchemy was really possible. There have been secrets related to creation and science within the Lodge for ages — it’s the sort of fun thing everyone likes having within the annals of history, but it also still feels so distant and impossible to play around with elements of the universe and be God.

Related – If you missed it, check out our interview with creator Jim Gavin about the series’ origins and more!

Lodge 49 isn’t really a show about bending will and creation in the first place. Instead, tonight the dead body sent Dud and Ernie on a wild-goose chase through Long Beach in order to find Larry Loomis and get some answers. Along the way, Dud ran out of gag, Ernie met his bookie face to face, and Dud avoided going back to work at the temp agency with his boss Gloria — who was really just interested in him romantically and didn’t care as much about the work. She was just lonely and he was one person who saw her as someone other than the terrible woman who had to fire everyone. That’s why, at the end of the episode, she kissed him and barely seemed upset over anything.

The most amusing storyline of this whole week was probably Liz, who explored loneliness in her own way this week by hanging out at her job — on her day off — and eventually getting drunk before playing what can only be described as 21st-century joust outside the restaurant. It wasn’t her finest hour but it was her living life the only way that she knows how. She probably is going to have some things to figure out with her finances and her life, but all of this was a brief reprieve.

CarterMatt Verdict

In general, we do think that Lodge 49 episode 4 was a story all about reprieves and characters trying to get some sort of break from normalcy. That’s why Dud and Ernie were so quick to go on a search for Larry and while Liz was so quick to escape the confines of her own home. While the pacing tonight was slow and there was no real interest in turning the dead body into something overly dark and secret, we won’t hesitate here in saying that we enjoyed every bit of this. It was an episode about loneliness effectively, and it further cemented Lodge 49 as one of the most underrated, relatable gems out there.

What do you think about tonight’s Lodge 49 episode? Share right now in the comments!

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