East Oregonian : E.O., January 15, 2020, Page 34, Image 34

By Shona Dustan
TV Media
“Lodge 49” Season 2
The sophomore season of this
AMC series is also its last. This
charming, addictive series never
quite found enough of an audi-
ence during its initial run, but
once the full series is streaming
on Hulu, it’s sure to find a whole
new flock of appreciative fans.
Season 2 premieres Monday, Jan.
13. The series centers on an ex-
surfer named Dud (Wyatt Russell,
“Overlord,” 2018) whose father’s
death is still fresh and painful.
His once-idyllic world has fallen
apart — he’s lost, aimless and
looking for real purpose. When
his wanderings bring him to a
rundown lodge, he discovers
that it’s the home of the fraternal
Order of the Lynx, and the place
seems to offer him all the things
he feels he’s been missing. After
meeting a Luminous Knight (and
plumbing salesman) named Ernie
(Brent Jennings, “All American”),
Dud resolves to join the order,
and moves in with his twin sister,
Liz (Sonya Cassidy, “Olympus”),
who lives nearby. What follows
is a hilarious and heartrending
journey as Dud gets to know
the local chapter of the Order of
the Lynx and Liz deals with the
fallout of their father’s death
and the debt that came with it.
The series evolves numerous
times, taking the viewer on great
adventures and dealing out
humor and drama along the way.
Sonya Cassidy and Linda Emond in “Lodge 49”
If you’re hesitant to commit to a
long, unfinished series, but you
want a little dramatic comedy in
your life, this is the series for you.
“Endlings” Season 1
This Canadian TV series has a lot
of promise, and you can catch
the first season starting Friday,
Jan. 17. Four foster children, Julia
(Kamaia Fairburn, “Holly Hob-
bie”), Tabby (Michela Luci, “Dino
Dana”), Johnny (newcomer Edi-
son Grant) and Finn (Cale Thomas
Ferrin, “Speechless”), live to-
gether with their foster father, Mr.
Leopold (Neil Crone, “It Chapter
Two,” 2019), on a farm. Life is
quiet and sometimes difficult,
but things take a shocking turn
for the kids when a spaceship
crashes on Mr. Leopold’s property.
The curious and brave children
investigate, of course, and end
up on the adventure of their lives
when they make it their mission
to help the extraterrestrial pilot
of the downed ship. This alien is
Jennifer Ehle in “Little Men”
working to save an endangered
species, and as the children help it
in its quest, they learn a lot about
themselves, their world and the
universe beyond.
“The Skeleton Twins”
(2014)
Kamaia Fairburn as seen in “Endlings”
22 | Screentime
January 15, 2020 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
Bill Hader (“Barry”) and Kristen
Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”) star
in this darkly funny film, which is
available to stream as of Friday,
Jan. 17. Milo (Hader) and Mag-
gie (Wiig) are twins who have
been estranged for 10 years. As
Maggie gets into the bath and
prepares to swallow a handful
of pills, she gets a phone call and
learns that Milo is in the hospital
after a failed suicide attempt. She
rushes to his side, and convinces
him to stay with her and her hus-
band, Lance (Luke Wilson, “Road-
ies”), in their hometown until
he’s back on his feet. Being back
home is a challenge for Milo, and
when he runs into his high school
English teacher, Rich (Ty Burrell,
“Modern Family”), he finds him-
self making all the same sketchy
choices he made as a kid. As the
twins struggle to keep their lives
from completely unraveling, they
turn to each other for support,
and the result is funny and sad
and sweet all at the same time.
Hader and Wiig are incredible in
this film, and their chemistry will
leave you wanting more.
“Little Men” (2016)
While Greg Kinnear (“Frankie,”
2019), Jennifer Ehle (“The Loom-
ing Tower”), Paulina Garcia
(“Some Beasts,” 2019) and
Alfred Molina (“Frida,” 2002)
deliver incredible performances
in this film, it’s youngest cast
members — Theo Taplitz
(“Gringo,” 2018) and Michael
Barbieri (“The Dark Tower,”
2017)— are its true heart, and
they are incredible in their first
major roles. Starting Sunday, Jan.
12, you can stream this intimate
look at two families struggling to
carve out lives for themselves in
Brooklyn, New York. When Brian
Jardine’s (Kinnear) father dies,
he moves his wife (Ehle) and
13-year-old son (Taplitz) to the
small Brooklyn apartment build-
ing they’ve inherited. There, they
meet the owners of the first-
floor dress shop, Leonor Calvelli
(Garcia) and her 13-year-old son
(Barbieri). The boys become best
friends quickly, and their drastic
personality differences only
strengthen their bond. When se-
rious grown-up problems begin
to plague their parents, the boys
lives are thrown into turmoil,
and their friendship is threat-
ened. It’s a touching story filled
with real-world joy and pain, and
viewing experience you won’t
want to miss.