Mare of Easttown premiered on HBO five years ago, but it is still being lauded as one of the best limited series in recent memory. It won four Emmys (and was nominated for a total of 16), including awards for Kate Winslet and Julianne Nicholson. Their performances (along with stellar turns from Evan Peters and Jean Smart) helped create an intense and realistic portrayal of a town and a family torn apart by the recent murder of a young woman in a suburb of Philadelphia. The series is a thrilling mystery, yet also serves as an honest look at how grief and trauma can have a ripple effect on entire communities.
Apple TV’s Lady in the Lake is similar to Mare of Easttown in that both center around a young woman who is found murdered, although Lady in the Lake is loosely based on real-life events. Each of these deaths sparks a feverish investigation and provides a catalyst for the main characters to reevaluate their lives. Both shows also lean on impressive cinematography and striking imagery to convey the story of individuals who have been heavily impacted by crime and violence. Although Lady in the Lake often uses dream sequences and symbolism to express the journeys of the characters, both dramas have the same dark yet engrossing themes that make for an exciting and fulfilling viewing experience.
Tragic Acts of Violence Are the Focus of ‘Lady in the Lake’
Like Mare of Easttown, Lady in the Lake (which was based on a bestselling novel) picks up with the disappearance and murder of a young girl, this time in 1960s Baltimore. The event has a major effect on Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), who views it as a way to escape her own predictable and stifled life. She decides to leave her husband and teenage son and strike out on her own, earning a position at a local newspaper where she is determined to report on the case. In the process, Maddie becomes obsessed with another murder: that of Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a young Black woman whose body is found at the top of a fountain in the lake (thus earning her the nickname of the ‘Lady in the Lake’). These two unrelated acts of violence serve as a common thread throughout the series. The way the stories of the two victims are told (and the different responses their deaths receive) is a representation of racism and misogyny in society, and the fallout from these crimes creates a sustained tension for the entire series.
Aside from the painful effects of violence, one of the most heart-wrenching themes of both Mare of Easttown and Lady in the Lake is the challenges of motherhood. Just as Mare constantly feels like she’s not living up to her own standards of what a “good” mother should be, the main characters in Lady in the Lake also struggle with these same high expectations. Maddie feels she’s failing her son by not reaching her own potential, while Cleo works tirelessly to provide a better life for her two sons but constantly feels like her efforts are in vain. She’s enmeshed in the criminal underworld because that’s the only place she can get work, and because of her finances and her face, she’s unable to provide the best medical care for her younger son, who has sickle cell disease. Both mothers love their children immensely, but can’t seem to get past the obstacles that the world keeps placing in front of them.
Apple TV’s ‘Lady in the Lake’ Features an Incredible Cast
Just like Mare of Easttown, Lady in the Lake boasts two extremely talented actors in the lead roles. Portman, an Oscar winner for Black Swan, is known for playing intense and determined characters. As Maddie, she conveys a wild passion that often leads to her making poor choices and putting herself in danger. She goes to visit a suspected murderer in jail and starts up an affair with a police officer, but her ambition and her desire to pursue what she wants often blind her to the precariousness of her situation. She’s also fiercely committed to carving out a path for herself, which wasn’t always the norm for women in that time period, and Portman portrays this effectively with a steely focus and drive.
Cleo serves as Maddie’s foil; she has the same perseverance that Maddie does, but life is much harsher towards her, and she never benefits the way Maddie does as a result of her whiteness and her wealth. Ingram, an Emmy nominee for The Queen’s Gambit, depicts Cleo with tragic vulnerability and hopelessness; as hard as Cleo fights for her and her sons’ future, it’s like she already seems to know that her heartbreaking fate is sealed.
It’s not just Portman and Ingram who shine in Lady in the Lake. The series also features several strong supporting characters who help to create a more authentic and realistic world. Maddie’s boyfriend, Ferdie, is played by Y’lan Noel, another character who seems destined for tragedy, even as he tries his best to follow his heart. Noel portrays him with a softness, yet also a quiet strength, which adds heightened emotions to Maddie’s interactions with him. Another standout is Josiah Cross, who plays Reggie Robinson, a right-hand man to Cleo’s boss, Shell Gordon (Wood Harris). Reggie is directly tied to Cleo’s death, so the flashback scenes with him contain an eerie foreshadowing of what his character will be involved in.
Similar to Mare of Easttown, Lady in the Lake was billed as a limited series, but it’s unclear whether more episodes could be in store; HBO has frequently faced the question of whether Mare of Easttown Season 2 will become a reality but has already confirmed one crossover thanks to Nicholson’s casting in the upcoming return of HBO’s Task. Regardless of whether there are any more episodes to dig into going forward, Lady in the Lake is a captivating series to binge all on its own, thanks to its dark themes and intense performances.
Lady in the Lake
- Release Date
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2024 – 2024-00-00
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Alma Har’el
