Lodge 49

Watching this show pulls you into a world of drab mediocrity. It's characters are funny and complex. There is an element of suspense and mystery that keeps up interest. But the characters are the story. It has the kind of humor that makes you feel you are there with the characters when they crack you up without doing anything particularly outrageous. Great timing. Good gags. Subtle absurdity. The dingy atmosphere of many scenes enhances the profundity of some of the dialogue. Great writing and delivery by the cast.

I really didn't know quite what to make of this after watching the pilot but then as I watched the following episodes I got hooked. The "plot" is never less than opaque but somehow that doesn't seem to matter. Well made, shot and with some very decent acting this program draws you into the lives of a group of disparate people who for one reason or another are drawn to Lodge 49. Is it about freemasonry? Not really although there is the silly regalia they wear and there are "mysteries" but there seems no emphasis on doing good works or that membership entails giving fellow members a leg up. The habitues of the Lodge are all missing something in their lives that they find in the fellowship of the Lodge. These people are not in the top echelons of society and their jobs if they have them are less than fulfilling so the Lodge provides a sense of community and friendship that the outside world does not give them. If you get past the first episode you come to like most of the characters and become involved in the minutiae of their lives. I found it charming and entertaining and there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments. I hope the series will get a 2nd season.

It was a lot of things -- quirky, warm, compassionate, weirdly comical at times, but sort of like People of Earth in the way it showed people's connectedness and sense of community. I'm heartbroken that it was cancelled.

There are a lot of TV shows, an overwhelming amount, really. But some of them... well, some of them tell a deeper tale than most. Lodge 49 is one of those shows. If you haven't already given it a chance; please consider watching the first 3 episodes and allowing them to wash over you, to draw you in. I think you'll see why this show is so special. Stellar writing and nuanced performances make Lodge 49 one of a kind, and just gets better from the first to second season.

I've been thinking about the TV shows that have resonated the most with me this year: Russian Doll would be one, and Lodge 49 would be the other. On the surface they may seem very different, but both of them operate in mysteries, and both of them have a basic message of the importance of human connection, that we are in this together and that we need each other. It may seem like a simple and obvious thing, but this non-sappy, non-manipulative, genuine heart is missing from much of what's out there, and it's why Lodge 49 has inspired such a passionate fan community.

It's hard to describe Lodge 49 without giving too much away. There are no scary monsters or much in the way of violence or action scenes.Just a really good slow burn 'alternative' drama with decent acting and characters that really makes you want to find out what happens next, both in terms of plot and also character development. I found myself liking and caring about all the main characters in the story. The description makes the show look like science fiction or fantasy, but the fantasy elements are quite subdued. Something weird may or may not be going on in the background but the show is mostly about the characters and what happens in their lives. I wouldn't have expected to like it as much as I did based on the description. Now I'm waiting for season 2.