Lodge 49 episode 5 review: Liz’s terrible day and crumbling life

Lodge 49 episode 3

Lodge 49 episode 5 has to be, by far, the darkest episode that we’ve seen of the show to date. Why? Let’s just say that it’s the first time all series that someone has started to break through Dud’s eternal-optimist veneer.

Fittingly, the person who did this was known other than his own sister Liz, someone who decided to let loose all of her inner rage at her brother after everything she’d went through over the day. Basically, she was forced to deal with the aftermath of her recent drunken antics, whether it be her boss being in love with her (something that she never asked for or wanted) to a guy from corporate also wanting to date her, and apparently was interested in moving her up the corporate ladder. Apparently, Drunk Liz had a lot more in the way of hope for her future than Sober Liz. She couldn’t see her way through the debt, the depression, and everything else that she had going on in her head. She didn’t believe in herself to be anything more than a waitress at Shamroxx, and she almost lowered herself into thinking that being her boss’ mistress was the one thing she could handle well.

All of this was why she was fuming at Dud and his hunky-dory attitude at the end of the episode — she paid for everything, his head was always in the clouds, and she didn’t have any hope for his relationship with Gloria. That’s why she wasn’t shocked when it ended, mostly because his view of the world was so much different from everyone else’s. Many many act like they want to be around someone so eternally optimistic, but it’s so much harder in practice than it ever is in theory.

The icing on the cake for Liz and Dud’s crumbling relationship was her telling him that wanting to be like their father was a mistake for him, especially since she felt like he killed himself. This prompted probably the most poignant line of the entire season:

“You were wrong about dad. He didn’t want to die. But you do.”

This relationship has a ways to go to heal itself, and for Dud, the Lodge does remain a distraction from anything. While we’re not sure how Ernie becoming Sovereign Protector has anything to do with healing Dud’s life, it may at least offer the organization some stability. They certainly need that over Larry Loomis wandering around naked and speaking within riddles. We feel like the Lodge already has its out-there philosopher quotient met with Blaise, who gave us the most disgusting moment of the season (more so than random nudity) when he pulled that worm out of his nose.

CarterMatt Verdict

What Lodge 49 episode 5 achieved more so than anything was a changing of the guard at the Lodge, and then beyond that a better chance to understand where Liz is in her life right now and if there’s ever a way for her to get out of it. While this show is taking its time, we are absolutely invested in these characters — as a matter of fact, Dud and Liz may be two of the best siblings on all of TV.

Related Be sure to get some other news when it comes to Lodge 49, including a preview for what’s coming up on Lodge 49 next

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