Review of the premiere of the series “Lady in the Lake”

Critics rating: 4.5 / 5.0

4.5

My God, there are not enough words in the English language to adequately describe the Lady in the Lake experience.

I say “experience” because when I watched the first two episodes of the series I felt more like I was on an LSD trip or having a lucid dream.

“Lady in the Lake” is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Laura Lippman and proves to be just as sensational as the original.

It certainly helps that Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram deliver exceptional acting performances and portray their characters with fiery sincerity.

As Cleo mentioned in the introduction, “Until the lion tells his story, the hunter will always be the hero,” and we are ready to hear, see and feel the whole incredible story.

Lady in the Lake is a drug of visualized drama that leaves the audience in a state of awe

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The premiere felt like a fever dream as we saw these two very different women dealing with similar situations at a time when women barely had a voice.

Not to mention ethnic women and women of color, who were completely subject to the domination of one man or another, be it their husband or their boss.

Typically, writers use the first two or so episodes of a new series to build the world around the introduction of the main characters.

In this case, however, it feels like the worlds viewers should be paying for are those in Maddie and Cleo’s heads.

The first few minutes of Lady in the Lake, Season 1, Episode 1, “Did You Know Seahorses Are Fish?” felt like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” if it were a drama thriller instead of a comedy.

But as the episode progressed, it became clear that the series would stand out from all other shows because of its strong character-driven plot.

From a visual perspective, few shows are willing to portray the surreal art style in a series that leans heavily toward historical accuracy.

From racism to misogyny, “Lady in the Lake” doesn’t hold back and doesn’t try to paint a cheerful, happy picture of the 1960s, but instead sheds light on the power dynamics of the time.

Hell hath no fury like a woman trapped in monotony

Through her character Maddie Schwartz, Natalie Portman channels the anger and rage of an entire generation of women in a way that captivated viewers.

The way she brings her raw emotions to the surface is almost intoxicating, leaving the audience dazed by her performance.

Maddie is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, but after such an intense start with Lady of the Lake, one question remains.

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What could have happened to Maddie in the past that made her reach her breaking point after giving up her dreams for a happy home for so many years?

Is she simply at the end of her rope with her misogynistic husband and her absolute shit son?

I know therapists say it’s always the mother’s fault, but considering the time, Seth’s apple definitely didn’t fall far from the tree for his horrible father.

Apple TV+ has hit the jackpot by casting Natalie Portman in the role of “Maddie,” as the actress has never played a leading role in a scripted series before.

The audience is in good hands with the film “Maven” because when Maddie is on the screen, the viewer knows to be prepared for anything and everything.

Although fate calls Cleo, the lady in the lake will live on

On the other hand, there is Moses Ingram’s incredible Cleo, who seems like the voice of an entire movement simply because of the way the character tries to gain a foothold in an unjust society.

In Cleo’s world, the rules only apply to women because the men who make them have no interest in living with any restrictions.

Unfortunately, the premise of Lady in the Lake makes it clear that Cleo won’t be in this world much longer, but we doubt the actress will ever go anywhere.

The series will likely use flashbacks, dream sequences and visually stylized hallucinatory states to keep the actress the focus throughout the season.

Audiences may know Moses Ingram from her work on the hit series “The Queen’s Gambit,” where she played the unforgettable Jolene.

The Netflix show was Ingram’s first scripted television project after she began acting in theater in 2017.

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Since then, she has caused a stir in series such as “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “The Big Cigar” and now she is awakening even more talent in the role of Cleo Sherwood.

The only thing we can hope for as the story progresses is that Cleo’s death brings some good, even a little, to an unforgiving world that has not given her a break.

“Lady in the Lake” reminds audiences that great stories can be told on small screens

Although the series itself is based on a novel, viewers may not realize that the book was based on actual murders in the Baltimore area that the author had learned about.

Of course, the book and the series were dramatized for entertainment purposes, but that does not detract from their message.

The story centers on two women who are tired of simply accepting the pitfalls and strokes of luck that society continually throws at these women.

Maddie enjoyed a lot of privileges in Pikesville with her lawyer husband (played by Brett Gelman from Stranger Things), but in the end she realized that she had no more freedom than a beautiful bird in a cage.

Cleo’s situation was almost the opposite.

She had the freedom to choose for herself, but the more she tried to go her own way, the more she realized that she was always digging in the same place until the hole became her grave.

There’s a lot more to come for viewers, and after such an intense premiere, we’d all do well to prepare ourselves for the visually stunning and surreal experience of each episode.

It’s going to be a wild ride with fantastic acting, incredible dialogue and the kind of script that reminds audiences why we love to lose ourselves in a good story.

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What did you think of the premiere of “Lady in the Lake”?

What part stuck in your mind after watching the first two episodes?

Let us know by commenting below and join us again when we review the next episode of “Lady in the Lake”!