# Lady in the Lake (TV series)

Lady in the Lake is an American drama thriller miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on July 19, 2024.

## Premise

In 1960s Baltimore, an investigative journalist working on an unsolved murder clashes with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's Black community. She ditches her abusive, overbearing husband and Pikesville home to pursue a career as a newspaper reporter. She becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of two separate killings: eleven-year-old Tessie Durst and a bartender named Cleo Johnson.

## Cast
### Main

* Natalie Portman as Maddie Schwartz
* Moses Ingram as Cleo Johnson
* Y'lan Noel as Ferdie Platt
* Brett Gelman as Milton Schwartz
* Byron Bowers as Slappy Johnson
* Noah Jupe as Seth Schwartz
* Josiah Cross as Reggie Robinson
* Mikey Madison as Judith Weinstein
* Pruitt Taylor Vince as Bob Bauer

### Recurring

* Wood Harris as Shell Gordon
* Dylan Arnold as Stephen Zawadzkie
* Tyrik Johnson as Teddy
* David Corenswet as Allan Durst
* Charlie Hofheimer as Wallace White
* Ronnie Gene Blevins as Officer Boško
* Mindy Goldberg as Tattie Morgenstern

### Guest

* Jennifer Mogbock as Dora Carter
* Bianca Belle as Tessie Durst
* Veralyn Jones as Merva
* Mark Feuerstein as Hal Durst
* Angela Robinson as Myrtle Summer
* Samir Royal as Lionel Johnson
* Hallie Samuels as Mrs. Durst
* Masha Mashkova as Ms. Zawadzkie
* Nikiva Dionne as Patrice Murphy
* David Johnson III as Officer Percy Davis
* Selema Masekela as Cedrick
* Rebecca Spence as Louise Durst
* Daniel London as Dr. Kornblatt
* Sean Ringgold as The Prophet

## Production
### Writing

The television series is based on the novel of the same name. Laura Lippman, the author, took inspiration from two real-life murders that happened in her youth. The first was the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz, a White Jewish girl whose death was heavily publicized. The second death was 33-year-old Shirley Parker, a Black woman who was found dead in the fountain of the Druid Hill Park Reservoir. Parker's death was only given attention in African-American newspapers, specifically the Baltimore Afro-American.

### Casting

The miniseries was given the greenlight in March 2021, with Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o set to star, and Alma Har'el set to direct all episodes of the series. In April 2022, Y'Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman were added to the cast. In May 2022, Nyong'o exited the series. Moses Ingram would be cast to replace her in June. Noah Jupe, Mike Epps, Byron Bowers. Josiah Cross and Pruitt Taylor Vince would be added in July.

### Filming

Filming began in April 2022, with production taking place in Baltimore. Production paused briefly in late August 2022, when the production purportedly received threats of violence while filming in the city. Police investigation showed the threats to have been unsubstantiated.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Did you know seahorses are fish?" | Alma Har'el | Alma Har'el | July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19) |
| 2 | "It has to do with the search for the marvelous." | Alma Har'el | Alma Har'el | July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19) |
| 3 | "I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive." | Alma Har'el | Briana Belser | July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26) |
| 4 | "Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty. First in others, then in yourself." | Alma Har'el | Nambi E. Kelley | August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02) |
| 5 | "Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you." | Alma Har'el | Boaz Yakin | August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09) |
| 6 | "I know who killed Cleo Johnson." | Alma Har'el | Sheila Wilson and Alma Har'el | August 16, 2024 (2024-08-16) |
| 7 | "My story." | Alma Har'el | Boaz Yakin | August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23) |

## Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 61 critic reviews. Natalie Portman received critical acclaim for her acting performance in the miniseries. The website's critics consensus reads, "Dense with intriguing drama if too muddled by digressions and stylistic flourishes, Lady in the Lake is a well-acted mystery with a lot on its mind." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

### Accolades

The series was nominated at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards in the category of Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode.