Lodge 49 canceled by AMC, hopes to find new home

The acting and storytelling on Lodge 49 rose to new heights weekly. But the ratings didn’t follow suit. Is there hope for the Lodge? We’ve got the details!

The fate of Dud (Wyatt Russell) may be left to our imagination. Per an exclusive report from Deadline, AMC has canceled Lodge 49. The article sites high critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes that couldn’t help the 40% drop-off in season two ratings. AMC is quoted as praising the show’s originality, while series creator Jim Gavin and executive producer and guest star Paul Giamatti are quoted as ready to look for a different home for the show.

Deadline explains Lodge 49 as a lighthearted fable. A lot of outlets have. I think the show-runners may have referred to Lodge 49 as a breezy tale of mysticism in Long Beach, CA. But the second season was not that. Yes. There was a quest for ancient Scrolls, rooms that could transport you to space, and a man named El Confidente (Cheech Marin) who predicted your future by making oil paintings.

But Lodge 49 was so much more than the whimsy. Most of the characters were crushed by depression in some way. Scott (Eric Alan Kramer) was left reeling by the end of his marriage and his less than well-received ascent to Sovereign Protector. Ernie (Brent Jennings) felt as if his life was a waste after the death of his young daughter decades earlier. Connie (Linda Emond) came to terms with her own illness. Blaise (David Pasquesi) was left looking hollowed out by his anxiety and obsessive tendencies. And the Dudley twins, Dud and Liz (Sonya Cassidy), were still trying to cope with the death of their father and their place in the world.

Lodge 49 even tackled big concepts. The Janet (Olivia Sandoval) storyline represented the destructive, money-hungry nature of corporations. L. Marvin Metz (Paul Giamatti) was a loose take on Scientology and self-actualization self-helpers. And, The Omni-Orbus subplot culminated in a small, personal, and devastating moment between Jackie Loomis (Cara Mantella) and her son that was one of the most anti-war things I’ve ever seen.

This may sound crazy, but Lodge 49 could work on Epix. Most of their original programming tends to be more consistently edgy, so the Lodge could broaden their audience. What hurts that idea is that Lodge 49 is probably too similar to Perpetual Grace, LTD. Epix should focus on renewing that. But I still like to think both of those shows exist in the same universe.

The most likely landing place would be one of the streaming services. I’ll pick Amazon Prime for no other reason than that’s the place that streamed Undone. The Lodge deals with some similar tones and is a total trip. But, like Undone, the story of Lodge 49 could end where we left it in “The Door.” Dud’s fate was ambiguous. But, after every part of his emotional growth and what we could piece together from that door, Dud could have just experienced an emotional rebirth. He became mature and ready to grow. I’m just rationalizing at this point. I’d love to see more Lodge 49. Let’s hope the Lynx live on. And, always remember, Fydro has infiltrated the Lodge.