Joining LODGE 49

Article first published as TV Review: LODGE 49 on Seat42F.

AMC’s newest drama is LODGE 49. Set in a sleepy, eclectic beach town, the show follows several main characters who belong to the titular lodge or are connected to someone that does. The meandering, slow-paced series promises mystery and quirkiness, but takes a long time getting to either. It’s well acted and well directed, but like its leads, also seems to be a little lost.

The primary characters in LODGE 49 seem to be Dud (Wyatt Russell, 22 Jump Street) and Ernie (Brent Jennings, Moneyball), with everyone else, at least initially, revolving around them. Dud is an unemployed surfer dude who can’t surf (because of a lingering injury) who is having trouble clawing his way out of debt and recovering emotionally from his father’s death. Thankfully, his twin sister, Liz (Sonya Cassidy, Humans) seems willing to help.

Ernie also struggles financially, but at least he has steady employment. Well, as steady as working on commission can be. But he’s been around and he knows the players, so as long as he can stay away from gambling, he does OK. Even if the woman he loves, Connie (Linda Emond, Law & Order: SVU), won’t leave her husband, content with just hooking up.

It’s also worth mentioning Blaise (David Pasquesi, Veep), a medical marijuana salesman who bartends at the lodge. Blaise doesn’t necessarily drive the story forward, but is an interesting personality who thankfully has a decent amount of screen time.

Things really get started when Dud finds a ring that leads him to Lodge 49. The place feels familiar to him, and he takes it as a sign that he must get involved. Since membership is loose and easy, Dud has no problem joining Ernie, Connie, Blaise, and others at the hang out. Where it will go from there is anyone’s guess, but there does seem to be an emphasis on the mystical and philosophy, and indications that the lodge might have some secrets to be uncovered.

I like LODGE 49. It’s hard not to. The characters can be frustrating, and are certainly often in frustrating situations themselves, but they’re not bad people. Viewers will want to see them succeed. Some of their problems are relatable and far from easy to solve. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like the show will gloss over those and make salvation easy. There’s a little bit of a hyperreality to the piece that is pleasant. And Dud is basically The Dude, so it’s hard to go wrong there. The cast, while not well known, look familiar and deliver strong performances across the board.

Where I hesitate is the slow pace and lack of revelation. It’s fine to have a mystery, great even, but it needs to be clear things are going somewhere and clues need to keep coming to light. In the first hour, we do get some of Dud’s backstory, which comes later than is ideal, but is still soon enough to be informative. However, the lodge itself is teased out so agonizingly slowly, it just doesn’t look like the audience will get much of anything out of it until late in, not just the season, but the series. To move too quickly could fundamentally change the premise if the twist is big enough, but the longer it’s drawn out, the bigger it needs to be. If it takes too long, it will be extremely hard to get right.

It used to be, quality shows were few and far between on television, so audiences were willing to wait on a series like this and see what the pay off will be. Now, with a huge number of programs competing for attention, and having been burned by shows that teased but didn’t deliver, LODGE 49 seems likely to go into the ‘I’ll get around to it’ pile that most likely won’t actually get around to. Unfortunate, because there is potential here, it just needs to be shown more quickly and more fully.

LODGE 49 airs Mondays on AMC.

CASTLE ROCK Is Off the Map

Article first published as TV Review: CASTLE ROCK on Seat42F.

CASTLE ROCK is a new mystery series on Hulu. Set in the titular town, a small place in Maine that is literally not on the map (after unincorporating), there are is much dark and unexplained that happens here. The latest (first for the series) begins with the suicide of Warden Dale Lacy of Shawshank Prison, an event few believed likely to happen, and it only gets more twisted when it’s discovered that Lancy has kept a malnourished man prisoner in the burnt out section of the facility.

You probably recognize the name Shawshank. After all, there was a very popular film called The Shawshank Redemption set there, and that’s no coincidence. CASTLE ROCK is a Stephen King program that is not based on a specific King novel or short story. Instead, the oft-mentioned locale becomes the setting of this new television series that is very much in the spirit of King’s other works. And while there are numerous references to his writing, no prior knowledge is needed to follow this tale, as much as it can be followed at this time. (That being said, there are Easter eggs galore for hardcore fans.)

A lot about CASTLE ROCK is unknown at the start and likely to be for a while. It’s chilling tonally, similar to the best of King’s adaptations. The colors and lighting are dreary, and every character is hiding at least one big secret. It’s highly serialized, of course, and much better than recent King series like Under the Dome. Instead, I would liken it more to an elongated version of the best of King TV movies or similar genre works like American Horror Story. Though, the show does feel distinctly King-like.

At first, the cast seems sprawling, odd for a show with so few series leads. However, it soon becomes clear that there are a small number of important people that will drive the storu forward, while most play a supporting role, helping the plot along as needed. It seems likely that some of the recurring players will be in most or all of the season.

There are a lot of familiar faces. Terry O’Quinn (Lost) plays Warden Lacy, with Frances Conroy (American Horror Story) along as his wife. Bill Skarsgård (It) is “The Kid,” a.k.a. the man found in the cell that Lacy kept hidden. Noel Fisher (Shameless) is the prison guard who finds The Kid, while Ann Cusack (Mr. Mercedes) is the new warden who has to deal with the discovery and potential fallout. Sissy Spacek (Carrie) is Ruth Deaver, mother to the show’s real lead, Henry (Andre Holland, The Knick). Scott Glenn (The Defenders) is the former sheriff who found Henry when he was lost as a child and is currently shacking up with his mother. Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness) is the creepy girl next door, while Allison Tolman (Fargo) plays her sister. And Jane Levy (Suburbia) is… well, I’m just not sure who she is, but her name is Jackie Torrance, indicating she may be a descendent of Jack Torrance, famously played by Jack Nicholson in The Shining. This isn’t a complete cast list, which should tell you a lot of talented people were all too happy to sign on.

I’m inclined to agree with them all that CASTLE ROCK is worth your time. It’s complex, well-made, visually interesting, and an overall quality production. It’s creepy to the point where I couldn’t watch it right before going to sleep, a distinction I haven’t given a show in awhile. It’s also filled with promise of payoff, as the creators, Sam Shaw (Manhattan) and Dustin Thomason (The Evidence), clearly know their King and having a blast playing in his world.

The first three episodes of CASTLE ROCK are available now on Hulu, with new installments every Wednesday.