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Everyone goes down “The Slide” this week on Lodge 49. Are Dud and Ernie cool? How does Dud’s business fair? How many hugs does Liz need? We’ve got answers!
“The Slide” was written by series creator Jim Gavin and directed by Jake Schreier (Shameless). Most of the characters on Lodge 49 have been headed towards rock bottom since last season. Some of them may get there this week. But, there aren’t a lot of negative consequences for any of our heroes. They either have a little ways yet to slide or Lodge 49 is going full Pynchon. It’s a lot of fun to watch how quickly the angst pays off. There’s no room for melodrama here. Actions have consequences. Eventually. Maybe. We think.
Desk Duty till Further Notice
In between last week’s “All Circles Vanish” and this week, Dud (Wyatt Russell) and Ernie (Brent Jennings) work things out. To make up for his ghosting of Dud, Ernie agrees to drive Dud around while he tries to sell his pool cleaning service to his dad’s old clients. Ernie doesn’t have a lot going on at Super Sales. He’s still not earning. And Bob (Brian Doyle-Murray) is more interested in Beautiful Jeff’s (Michael Lee Kimel) paint ball exploits.
Bob does invite Ernie to a golf outing with a big account (Joel Murray). Ernie tries to use a positive outlook towards life, but when he keeps whiffing on a ball in a bunker, the big account won’t stop busting his chops over it. Ernie loses his cool and sprays the big account with bunker sand. After that, Bob places Ernie on the orders desk. He has to be a desk jockey for the first time since he started at Super Sales.
Ernie is dejected and heads to the Lodge. There’s no one there since Scott (Eric Allan Kramer) called in all of the bar tabs. But Ernie has some cash. His trusty buddy Dud shows up to get properly blasted with him. On the way out of the Lodge the next morning, Dud notices that Ernie is driving El Confidente’s (Cheech Marin) van. Ernie relents and decides that it’s time to tell Dud what happened at the end of last season.
Dudley and Son aka Dudley’s Son
Dud’s pool cleaning business gets off to a good start. He’s got equipment that he stole from Booie’s (Sam A. Coleman) Pool Party truck. He’s got Ernie driving him around the neighborhood. And, darn tootin’, Dud’s got moxy. When dud gets to the first residence, Ernie gives him advice. If you have to ask for the sale, it’s too late. Just sell the potential customer on yourself. But, when the first door opens Dud asks Mr. Dwyer to let him clean his pool.
Even though Pool Party is already his official pool cleaner, Mr. Dwyer allows Dud to clean his pool. While cleaning the pool, Dud sees images of himself and Liz as kids swimming in the pool. It makes him feel at home. Dud decides to clean everyone’s pool for free. Since free is cheaper than anything else, Dud becomes the de facto pool cleaner for Long Beach, California.
At the coffee shop, Greta (Beth Felice) and Booie confront Dud. But Alice (Celia Au) and Herman (Sam Puefua) have Dud’s back. Nobody in the strip mall is particularly happy to have Pool Party sharing their space. It looks like there’s something brewing between Dud and Booie.
The Electric Liz
Liz added another houseguest to mix. Her ex Bobby (Trent Garrett) answered a booty call and hadn’t left. Liz is clearly nauseated by his new age ways and man bun. But Bobby also has a six pack and Liz has needs. So, he’s there enjoying free room and board. Liz is clearly starting to disconnect from the world and people. That’s a very scary sign that could lead to serious consequences.
At work, Liz goes through the motions with Dr. Kimbrough (Bronson Pinchot). He’s convinced that all homeless people make thousands of dollars per day. What they’re doing is basically a trick and Liz should watch out. When the good doctor is done proselytizing, he gives Liz his gold card with the keys to his luxury sedan and instructs her to get him a “good” lunch after she gets the car washed. Gross.
Liz takes the car to a volcano car warsh where there are different colored LED lights that make the wash seem like more of a trippy carnival ride than a car wash. It made me a little jealous of drivers. Liz falls asleep and imagines a pregnant woman in her passenger seat. Was that her mom pregnant with her? Was that a version of Liz that’s pregnant? She wakes up and realizes she left the window down. A totally soaked Liz gets out the good doctor’s car to find him being arrested by the FBI. They’re also rolling out boxes of incriminating documents that she failed to shred. Liz just gets back in the car and drives away.
Slow Motion Smack Down
Until the FBI freezes Dr. Kimbrough’s credit card and seizes the luxury sedan, Liz decides to live a little. Liz, Dud, and Bobby still hang out on the couch, but now they’re eating rotisserie chicken and campaign. She tells Dud and Bobby that it’s all courtesy of an expense account the doctor gave her. She even decides to take Champ (David Ury) and Gerson (Atkins Estimond) out to the aquarium for neon jellyfish sightings and churros.
Meanwhile, Dud comes upon a customer named Lenore (Bertila Damas). She knew Dud’s dad. While Dud is talking to her, Booie pulls up in his Pool Party truck. He attacks Dud and hit his leg repeatedly. Liz’s day of fun is ruined when she’s called to come to get Dud. She’s had enough of people pushing the Dudley’s around. With Champ, Gerson, and Dud in the car, Liz races to Pool Party and crashes the doctor’s car into Booie’s truck. Everyone gets out in some state of concussion except Liz. She jumps on top of Booie’s truck and rips off the Pool Party banner from the Dudley sign. But, while she’s still on the truck, Booie puts it in drive and aims for Dud. He is able to drop flat on his back and avoid impact to everyone’s surprise.
For a fee, Burt (Joe Grifasi) brokers a deal where everyone agrees to not press charges. Pool Party agrees to vacate the premises. Is Liz about to go back into debt and reopen the pool cleaning biz? Is Liz going to owe the money she spent on the doctor’s credit card? Does everyone owe Burt a part of their soul?
Also in this episode, Blaise (Dave Pasquesi) is still bittersweet about life and the Lodge. Scott and Jocelyn (Adam Godley) don’t seem to notice a door in the middle the Lodge 49 facade while they’re changing light fixtures and talking about love. And Connie (Linda Emond) talks with Melinda, who may actually be Clara (Pollyanna McIntosh).