Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0
5
The one thing you should take away from Lady in the Lake Season 1 Episode 7 is that while you’re writing your story, remember to live it as well.
It has been one crazy, wild episode after another, filled with incredible storytelling and acting.
Audiences will never forget the epic journey Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram took them on as they told their stories.
With only seven episodes, the series weaved a world filled with dreams up against misogyny and racism. Against classism and violence. Against life and death.
Lady in the Lake brought the finale full circle. The story started with a dead body, and now it’s ending with another.
As a famous playwright once wrote, “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.”
Lady in the Lake Is The Love Child Of Brilliant Writing and Expert Acting
First, hats off to the fantastic creative team behind Lady in the Lake. From start to finish, this series has been a masterclass in storytelling.
The most accurate way I have described this show is that it is a fever dream fueled by acid.
Surprisingly, “My Story” was the first episode that felt grounded in reality. There weren’t any women wearing crabs as hats, but there was a flaming baby carriage.
However, we will take what we can get as long as it doesn’t feel like we’ve been slipped something.
In “I Know Who Killed Cleo Johnson, ” everything was turned up a few notches.” I am still reeling from how insane that episode was.
From the hospital scene to the one with the Cleos, Lady in the Lake has delivered an experience beyond what most TV shows are capable of.
This Apple TV+ series took many visual liberties, from dream sequences to well-placed flashbacks. Every wardrobe, hairstyle, set piece, and beam of light was carefully chosen and placed.
When matched against the talents of Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, it’s no wonder the series has received rave reviews after another.
While You Were Looking This Way, Lady In The Lake Was Taking Twists And Turns Over There
As great as the acting and set designs were, the catalyst for the story lies in its writing. Behind Lady in the Lake, the scribes didn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
It wasn’t until the previous episode that I wondered if Cleo could be alive.
The twist that Dora had overdosed, and her body was the one found in the lake was a stroke of genius.
I feel like that’s something that could’ve been obvious had the writers not done a fantastic job of misdirecting the audience’s attention.
It was truly unexpected and an amazing twist that set the perfect pace for the finale.
Rewatching the series now, Cleo’s voice-over narrations are heard with an entirely different perspective.
The mark of a great story is how much it can be enjoyed over and over again.
With this final twist, viewers can relive the journey of these two women’s fight to reclaim their lives.
One thing neither Maddie (Natalie Portman) nor Cleo could’ve realized in the beginning was how much their actions would affect the people around them.
A Dream Can Be A Dangerous Thing, But Sometimes, It’s All We Have To Get Us Through The Night
Reggie was painted as a bad guy from the jump, but he was everyone’s hero in the end. Dora would have been proud.
His character was one of the most intriguing supporting figures, considering the amount of growth the complex individual underwent before turning his back on Shell.
The big boss may have been corrupt and dangerous, but he wasn’t the villain or even the true evil in Lady in the Lake.
That dishonor belongs to the mindset of the time. Sexism and racism were a cornerstone of American culture that needed to be cut off at the knees.
Sometimes, it feels like we’ve only taken one step forward to take two steps back. Rest assured that we are making progress. Slowly but surely.
Everyone is capable of change if there is enough hope.
Look at Slap. Cleo (Moses Ingram) didn’t even want to be under the same roof as him at the start of the series.
By the end, he was her knight in shining armor.
A dream can be a dangerous thing, but sometimes, it’s all we have to get us through the night.
Freedom Comes At A Cost, But The Lady In The Lake Was More Than Willing To Pay It
The central theme of Lady in the Lake has always been dreams. From the start of the series, the concept has taken shape in almost every definition.
Maddie dreamt of independence and a life made from her own efforts. Cleo wanted the freedom to create a world for herself and her family without struggle.
Both women achieved what they sought in the end, but what did it cost them?
Maddie gained notoriety but lost love and a chance to have a relationship with her son, Seth (Noah Jupe). Cleo had to leave her whole world behind, including her own name.
Nothing comes without a cost, but these women were more than ready to pay the price if it meant changing their situations.
The Lady in the Lake taught viewers that there is ugliness in the world, but if you look hard enough and are patient, you can see a spark of light in almost any person. Almost any.
This series has been one career-defining performance after another. From the leads to supporting, every cast member acted their butt off.
Lady in the Lake may be over, but it will live on in the memories of viewers who are inspired to write and live their own truth.
Overall, I give the show five stars and hope it sets a new standard for television.
Whatever you do in this life, claim your story and make sure you are the protagonist.
Were you shocked by the twist that Dora had died?
What did you think of Maddie and Cleo’s happy endings?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join me again when I review your next favorite TV show!