Summary
Spoilers are ahead for all 7 episodes of Lady in the Lake.
This article will be updated weekly as new episodes ofLady in the Lakepremiere.
Apple TV+‘sLady in the Lakemakes several big changes to its source material — generally for the better. Based on Laura Lippman’s 2019 book of the same name,Lady in the Lakecenters on Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish homemaker who decides to leave her unhappy marriage behind and pursue her deferred dreams of becoming a journalist, and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a Black woman who juggles three jobs and works to advance the social and political agenda of Baltimore’s Black community. A crime drama at its core,Lady in the Lake’s mysteries hinge on two killings.
First, 11-year-old Tessie Durst (Bianca Belle) disappears from a Thanksgiving Day parade. With some luck, a story-obsessed Maddie finds Tessie’s body, twisted and frozen around fallen tree branches in a city lake. The second tragedy isLady in the Lake’s murder of Cleo Johnson— the titular lady condemned to a watery grave. While early scenes inLady in the Lakeepisodes 1 and 2give viewers a glimpse into Cleo’s death, with the character herself narrating,the noir-inspired mystery stretches across seven episodes. As a result, the series makes some big changes to the book.
30Some Of Lady In The Lake’s Main Characters Have Different Names
Cleo Johnson Was Cleo Sherwood In The Novel
One of the elements that sets the series apart from other crime dramas isLady in the Lake’s cast of characters. In addition to adding a few new personalities to the mix, the series makes some changes to the central characters’ names. For example, Tessie Durst is called Tessie Fine in the book, while Cleo Johnson’s novel counterpart is Cleo Sherwood.It’s not clear why the show gave these characters new surnames, but it’s definitely a small detail that stands out. Although Maddie Schwartz’s name remains the same, the series' journalist insists on being called by her maiden name, Morgenstern.
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29Cleo Johnson Works As A Bookkeeper For Shell Gordon
The Bartender Also Helps Facilitate The Numbers Game
In Lippman’s book, Cleo is a bartender at ruthless businessman Shell Gordon’s club, but the TV series sees the character juggling several jobs, including two that are under the eye of Shell.One ofLady in the Lake’s key subplots is the numbers game that Shell runs— a fixed lottery system that he positions as a means of investing in Black Baltimore. Although a young Cleo saw the numbers ruin her father’s life, she needs the work and becomes Shell’s bookkeeper. Additionally, Cleo models clothes in department store windows, which is how she first crosses paths with Maddie.
28Shell Gordon’s Club Is More Richly Imagined In The TV Show
The Pharaoh Club Is A Major Setting In Lady In The Lake
In the novel, Shell Gordon (Wood Harris) runs a club, but it’s much more richly imagined in the Apple TV+ series. In addition to running a nightclub called The Pharaoh — a fun tie-in to Cleo’s nickname, which comes from the fact that her dad dubbed her “Cleopatra” — Shell heads up the Gordian Hotel. Shell’s various businesses serve as key settings throughoutLady in the Lake’s seven-episode run, as well as frequent haunts for Cleo. As a whole,the show gives Cleo’s story much more weight and time, which is a great change from the book.
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27Dora Takes The Place Of Cleo’s Roommate From The Book
The Singer Is Cleo’s Best Friend Since Childhood
Lady in the Lakechanges its cast of characters from the source material in more than one big way. For starters, it completely removes Cleo’s roommate, Latetia, from the equation. Filling Latetia’s place is Dora Carter (Jennifer Mogbock), Cleo’s childhood best friend. The duo had dreams of becoming world-famous singers, and while that’s changed for Cleo, Dora is still performing at The Pharaoh. Unfortunately,Shell also feeds Dora’s substance-use disorder, effectively trapping her in Baltimore. Close to Cleo and Shell’s right-hand man, Reggie Robinson (Josiah Cross), Dora still dreams of living in Paris.
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26Maddie Has A History With The Durst Family
Maddie Dated Her Father While They Were In High School
Lady in the Lake, thefirst-ever Natalie Portman-led TV show, deepens Maddie’s connection to Tessie Durst, the 11-year-old Jewish girl who ends up murdered by the end of episode 1. When Maddie gets into an argument with her husband, Milton (Brett Gelman), he makes a pointed remark about Tessie’s father, Allan Durst (David Corenswet). It’s revealed thatMaddie and Allan dated in high schooland had a fraught relationship. Maddie was also taken advantage of and abused by Allan’s father, leading to some challenging choices that make her feel somehow linked to Tessie and the Dursts.
25Myrtle Summer Is A New Addition To The Story
The Politician Becomes An Adversary For Shell & Cleo
Politician Myrtle Summer (Angela Robinson), who’s working to advance the Black community’s rights and access, plays a key role inLady in the Lake, but she isn’t in the source material. Between juggling her three jobs, Cleo finds time to volunteer for Myrtle, hoping that Mrs. Summer will hire her full-time. At a meeting, Myrtle even calls upon Cleo to speak out and defend her vision for Black Baltimore. Frustratingly, however,Summer betrays Cleo, suggesting that it will look suspicious if she hires herafter Cleo’s passionate speech. This pushes Cleo further into the world of Shell Gordon.
24Lady In The Lake’s Reggie Robinson Is Also A New Character
Shell’s Right-Hand Man Is A Main Character In The Show
Surprisingly, Reggie Robinson is another character who doesn’t appear in theLady in the Lakenovel at all. A boxer and Shell’s right-hand enforcer, Reggie is also romantically linked to Dora Carter and a somewhat-friend to Cleo Johnson — at least at first. When Reggie learns that the police are looking for a “Black man with a black eye” in connection to the murder of Tessie Durst, he decides to lie low. Reggie’s subsequent betrayal of Cleo is a pretty unforgivable move, but, even so,Lady in the Lakeputs forth a lot of Reggie-related red herrings.
23Cleo’s Husband Slappy Johnson Was Created For The Show
The Comedian Replaces The Book’s Ezekiel “EZ” Taylor
The owner of a local dry cleaning establishment and a senate hopeful, Ezekiel “EZ” Taylor is a prominent figure in Lippman’s novel, but his role is divided between characters in the show. The first is Myrtle Summer, who’s running for senate against the wishes of racketeer Shell Gordon, echoing Shell and EZ’s book rivalry.Ezekiel is also Cleo’s secret lover, but, in the show, Cleo is married to comedian Slappy Johnson(Byron Bowers), who also had deep ties to Shell and The Pharaoh. The decision to have Cleo navigate a difficult marriage only deepens the parallels between her and Maddie.
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22Stephen Zawadzkie & His Mother Are More Fleshed Out Characters
The Owners Of The Tropical Fish Store Are Defined By More Than Tessie’s Murder
In the novel, tropical fish shop owner Stephen Zawadzkie (Dylan Arnold) is called Stephen Corwin, but, otherwise, his general role remains largely the same.Stephen quickly becomes the prime (and only) suspect in the murder of TessieDurst, who had visited his store to look for seahorses just before her disappearance. Unlike the novel, the Apple TV+ seriesLady in the Lakedelves more deeply into Stephen’s character as well as that of his mother.
21Cleo’s Childhood Directly Informs Her Decisions About The Numbers Game
Lady In The Lake Episode 3 Provides A Key Childhood Flashback
The opening ofLady in the Lakeepisode 3provides more insight into Cleo’s childhood by way of a dream mixed with a memory. At first,a young Cleo has a heavily symbolic dream: She’s holding a suitcase outfitted with a flashlight and walking through bedding-draped clotheslines in the dark until she stumbles on a lamb and ghosts. When she wakes up, Cleo discovers that her parents are fighting about money. A trumpet player, Cleo’s father sold his instrument, and it’s implied that Shell Gordon is the root of his gambling.
The formative moment not only gives insight into Cleo’s dislike for the game and Shell, but shows that she, like Dora, wanted to be a performer.
The ever-empathetic Cleo gives her father some of her own hard-earned money, hoping he can use it to buy back his trumpet and make more money by performing at The Pharaoh. The father-daughter duo then share a sweet moment, with Cleo pretending she’s an on-stage singer while her father plays the air trumpet. Ultimately,Cleo’s father uses the money to play the numbers game and leave town. The formative moment not only gives insight into Cleo’s dislike for the game and Shell, but shows that she, like Dora, wanted to be a performer.
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