Summary
Contains Spoilers forLady in the Lake.
I’ve always found Natalie Portman a compelling actor to watch, but I’m finding her character inLady in the Lakehard to root for. Beneath her seductive Baltimore lilt is a deep pit of female rage. The simmering of this has been enough to keep me watchingLady in the Lake,which has a positive Rotten Tomatoes score, butthe things she does in the name of her goals make me suspicious.
The puzzle of Maddie’s past being put together is a key part of its narrative drive, and I find it interesting how this is the core mystery of the show, more than the deaths ofLady in the Lake’s true story inspiredTessie Durst and Cleo Johnson. The historical context is not just an arbitrary detail and the way the show’s cultural elements interact is complex. However, I feelI’m missing the final piece that makes Maddie a protagonist to root for,despite her flaws.
Lady In The Lake Cast & Character Guide
Apple’s Lady in the Lake features a robust and decorated cast led by Natalie Portman in her first-ever leading role in an original television series.
Maddie Is A Complicated Protagonist In Lady In The Lake
Maddie Schwartz is acomplicated character inLady in the Lake. Trapped in 1960s domesticity, she emerges as a determined and courageous investigative journalist. However,her past wounds, subconscious biases, and limitations create a deeply flawed character, making her a compelling and ambiguous protagonist. In episode 5,“Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you,”Maddie’s pursuit of Cleo’s killer intensifies. As her investigation deepens, it culminates in a shocking and life-threatening attack inThe Lady in the Lakeepisode 5’s ending.
Although I feel that as the audience I’m not encouraged to trust Maddie, the developments in the last few episodes are setting her up for being unjustly framed for the murders of Tessie Durst and Cleo Johnson. By episode 5, her anxiety about this is palpable. Newspaper clippings are strewn across the floor in her apartment and she frets to Officer Platt about all the connections leading back to her, as pointed out by Stephan Zawadzkie over the phone. I haven’t found her a straightforwardly sympathetic character, butit’s clear viewers are meant to connect with her regardless.
Lady In The Lake’s Maddie Has Poor Journalism Ethics
A key theme ofLady in the Lakeis ambition, as narrated by Cleo Johnson, who repeatedly asks why Maddie had to use her death to further her career. This has intensified, with her journalistic morals – or lack of – revealing a great deal about her character. I sympathize with her previously quashed journalistic goals – however, I find her approach is morally questionable. Inepisode 4 ofThe Lady in the Lake, Maddie deceives Stephan by claiming she is only pretending to record his story about being experimented on – she then goes ahead and gets it published in The Star.
In episode 5, (Maddie) continues to abuse her new role.
In episode 5, she continues to abuse her new role, introducing herself to anyone who will listen as a journalist at The Star and using it to put pressure on marginalized communities. She also continues to deceive when it suits her – in the salon scene, she denies that she’s working on an exposé, claiming she is only interested in Cleo’s case. Reporting standards generally agree that, in most cases,journalists should disclose when they’re there in the capacity of a reporter. This is the second occasion that Maddie lies about her intentions. This highlights a key theme of exploitation.
By no means is this unintentional. Portman has revealed that her interest in her role as Maddie stems from“what happens when oppressed people oppress others,”(Deadline). So far,the show is doing a really good job of highlighting the facadeof Maddie’s do-gooder persona while giving the key themes of the show layers. I hope that in future episodes, this is emphasized even more – as much as it frustrates me, it’s a key aspect of what’s driving the appeal of the story for me. I want to see more unmasking asThe Lady in the Lakereaches its crescendo.
