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.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Paradise’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘The Paradise’ on Blogcritics.

It seems there are always competing projects in the works, with multiple versions of Snow White hitting theaters at nearly the same time, and various Wizard of Oz television programs being developed for next fall’s TV season. Just as folks are discovering Mr. Selfridge, along comes The Paradise, which also is set around the opening of the first big department store in England. The Paradise’s first eight episode series is now available in a two-disc Blu-ray set.

Unlike Mr. Selfridge, which centers on the proprietor of the establishment, The Paradise chooses to unfold through the eyes of young Denise Lovett (Joanna Vanderham, Dancing on the Edge), one of the peons in this world. Denise works for her Uncle Edmund’s (Peter Wight, Babel, Atonement) small business as a shop girl in 1875. But when The Paradise opens nearby, the little store suffers. Undaunted, Denise lands a job for their competitor, and soon catches the eye of the boss, John Moray (Emun Elliott, Prometheus).

Now, Moray is a handsome widower, and Denise isn’t the only one vying for his attention. Her quick rise through the ranks, at least partially due to Moray’s attention, sparks jealousy in her co-worker, Clara (Sonya Cassidy, Vera), who has slept with Moray, but failed to win his heart, as well as the head of the ladies’ fashion department, Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire, Lark Rise to Cranford). But Denise is anything but fragile, so she can handle a little competition.

Moray isn’t perfect. Lacking financial resources himself, having come from a very modest background, he counts on the generosity of Lord Glendenning (Patrick Malahide, Hunted) to see his dreams realized. Glendenning has a daughter named Katherine (Elaine Cassidy, Harper’s Island) who also has designs on Moray, so, needless to say, Denise has her work cut out for her to win the man, as well as the successful career she wants.

The Paradise has many of the staples of classic British drama: the various economic classes mixing, messy romance with multiple suitors, the plucky hero who works to better themselves, a sprawling cast, a concentrated story, and gorgeous costumes. Plus, with the staff living above the store, it even gets a little bit of a Downtown Abbey feel sometimes, at the least the parts of that show that focus on the servants. In short, if you’re a fan of the genre, this series should satisfy you quite well.

The plots are scandalous, sort of a period piece version of soapy primetime shows. Some of the stories in this set include: a man whose termination is demanded because of immoral behavior, a baby abandoned in the store being used as a sales tool, mysterious and / or unexpected illnesses, secrets about a past death dredged up, comical misunderstandings, a stubborn shop keep (Doctor Who‘s Arthur Darvill) serving as a barrier to progress, and a lavish wedding plagued by complications. So it’s full and entertaining, even if it delves a little bit into a hyper-reality.

This release is Blu-ray, so no review would be complete without a discussion of production quality. The Paradise has many vibrant colors, which come across very well in high definition, and the detail is welcome. Sometimes, in the darker scenes, a little graininess creeps in, and occasionally, the sharp picture reveals the falseness of the setting. However, overall, it’s a pretty good visual presentation for a British drama, which typically has a little lower budget than its American counterparts.

As for audio, the dialogue is front and center, super clean. There aren’t a lot of effects and the track doesn’t really make use of the surround sound available to the 5.1 mix tin this set. However, you shouldn’t miss a word the characters say, and for a series like this, that’s what viewers are looking for, anyway.

There are also a quartet of bonus features, much more than the other most recent BBC series releases. Interviews with with the cast are present, as well as a set tour, a featurette on the glamorous costumes (of course), and a behind the scenes extra. There are not any commentaries or deleted scenes, as most American audiences look for, but compared to its peers, The Paradise doesn’t do bad with inclusions.

The Paradise is available now on Blu-ray.