Ep 1. As Above, So Below

As Above, So Below is the first episode of season one of Lodge 49. The show follows the life of Sean "Dud" Dudley, a struggling surfer and former pool cleaner from Long Beach, California. The episode opens with Dud being fired from his latest job, leaving him without any means of income. After several unsuccessful attempts to find a job, he ends up at a rundown lodge, the Lynx Lodge, where he believes he can find some solace.

The Lynx Lodge is a fraternal order that offers its members a sense of community and purpose. The lodge's current Sovereign Protector, Ernie Fontaine, takes an interest in Dud and offers him membership, believing that he has what it takes to be a Lynx. As Dud tries to navigate his way through this unfamiliar world, he discovers that the lodge is in financial trouble and can barely keep its doors open. While this news is concerning, it doesn't deter Dud from wanting to be part of the lodge.

As the first episode progresses, the audience is introduced to several of the lodge's members, who all have their own unique stories. One of the lodge's members, Larry Loomis, is a former aerospace engineer who lost his job and has been living at the lodge for the past 12 years. His wife, Connie, is in a nursing home, and he hasn't seen her in years. Another member, Scott Miller, is a janitor at the local high school who dreams of being a writer and is experiencing a severe case of writer's block.

As Dud becomes more involved with the lodge, he discovers that there is a hidden world within its walls. There are secret passageways, hidden rooms, and mysterious symbols that all seem to be leading to something important. As he becomes more curious, he starts to unravel the lodge's arcane mysteries and history.

The episode also touches on the concept of alchemy and its relation to the lodge. Ernie, who is an alchemist, tries to explain to Dud the philosophical concept of "As Above, So Below," which states that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm, and vice versa. In other words, what happens in the world above is a reflection of what happens in the world below. Dud's curiosity is piqued by this concept, and he starts to explore the lodge's hidden rooms and symbols, looking for clues about what Ernie is trying to teach him.

As Above, So Below sets the stage for the rest of the season, introducing the audience to the world of the Lynx Lodge and its members. It also hints at the lodge's mysterious past, which is sure to become a major plot point in future episodes. The show's first episode does an excellent job of setting up the overarching mystery of the lodge while still keeping the audience entertained with its character-driven storytelling.