Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
There is nothing quite as dangerous as the idea of a dream in Lady in the Lake.
As seen in “I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive,” we now know what having dreams can do.
In Cleo’s case, the dream of her son being cured of his sickle cell anemia brought her to her knees.
For Maddie, it was the dream that she could keep even a tiny part of her former life in her new one.
However, dreams can become nightmares in the blink of an eye.
A nightmare that you may not be able to wake from.
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Lady In The Lake Asks Its Audience To Dream Beyond Their Wildest Nightmare
As previously mentioned, the series’ theme so far has been “dreams” in one capacity or another.
But in Lady of the Lake Season 1 Episode 3, “I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive,” it’s the beginning, middle, and end.
Because the series is rife with visual elements, the series can feel like walking through a fever dream.
In the case of Lady in the Lake, that can go either way, as this particular episode gave life to every meaning of the word.
The streaming app is not one for subtlety, often airing series that utilize big budgets for captivating plots.
Much like the series Sunny, Lady in the Lake favors investments in the writing, acting, and production value.
Because, like a dream, the show can change from mesmerizing beauty to heart-pounding intensity on a dime.
Even more so, Lady in the Lake forces introspection on viewers.
It asks its audience: how far would you go to change your life?
What would you do to get even the tiniest bit closer to your dreams?
As Cleo and Maddie are finding out, just trying can cost you everything and then some.
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Dream A Little Dream For The Ladies of Lady In The Lake
It’ll be hard for either of these women to carve out the respective lives they want in a world run by men.
That’s not to say every man in the series is out to stop Maddie or Cleo.
However, the men in these women’s lives are all about keeping them under their thumb.
From Reggie and Shell to Milton and Seth, they want these women to shut up and do what they are told.
As audiences have seen in great detail, neither Cleo nor Madeline is having any of it.
They are done with the nonsense and don’t care who knows it.
Cleo certainly wasn’t shy about having a good time with too many cocktails in that fantastic dress.
Despite what everyone around Natalie Portman’s Maddie says, she has no intention of ever returning to her old life.
In a society that uses women as living mannequins, these lovely ladies are done being props in their own stories.
From A Broken Heart To A Broken Dream, Cleo Knows Only Terror When She Closes Her Eyes
As I said, this episode was all about dreams, and Cleo’s actual dream kicked off this emotion-bending episode.
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If we were to break down her opening dream, we would have to try to understand the writers’ minds.
There was the bag-light, the hopscotch, the lamb, and finally, the ghost.
Any one of those can be interpreted three ways from Sunday.
We’re just going to assume they are all metaphors surrounding her eventual murder.
The writers at Apple TV+ are on another level because a bedsheet ghost had never spooked me until Lady in the Lake Season 1 Episode 3.
Seriously, I actually jumped during Cleo’s other dream.
It was bad enough that she had the “driverless vehicle” nightmare.
But the shot of the bedsheet ghosts inches behind her immediately sent chills up and down my spine.
Is it supposed to mean that she’s surrounded by those who will die?
Or is it meant to reflect that she will be amongst those that have passed soon?
Cleo is a woman with a dream, but it will likely be the thing that ends her as the series creepily crawls to her eventual death.
Maddie Continues To Daydream Through A Life That Is Slowly Becoming A Reality
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Miss Maddie is having herself a nice little time living her independent woman realness.
Never underestimate a young Jewish woman who’s been housebound and shackled to misogyny.
She has dreams, and apparently, one of them involves an officer who is not exactly a gentleman.
We can hardly blame Madeline for upgrading after leaving Milton’s boring and controlling ass.
Plus, having a little law enforcement in your back pocket doesn’t hurt.
Especially if Maddie is going to pursue her dreams of journalism.
Still, we have to side with Bob, played by Pruitt Taylor Vince of The Blacklist.
Maddie really thought she was going to stroll into a place of business and hire herself.
I like her pluck and gumption, but this was a good learning lesson for the former housewife.
All she needs is a little direction.
It also wouldn’t hurt if she distanced herself from her husband and son a little more.
Does Seth infuriate anyone else besides me?
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He is seriously such a little turd to his mom.
It’s hard to remain calm with every disrespectful thing he says.
It’s a wonder Maddie hasn’t smacked the bejeezus out of Seth, played by Noah Jupe of The Undoing.
Still, it can’t be easy to separate from her child.
Especially after that young girl’s death.
Maddie still feels the compulsion that makes a mama bear want to protect her young.
And it looks like Madeline will be going the extra mile for Tessie in the next episode as she questions the young girl’s suspected killer.
From Cleo’s narrative of the series, it doesn’t seem like she and Maddie ever meet face-to-face.
However, the near-misses and almost-encounters are excellent plot devices to keep viewers curious about what happens next.
Whatever comes down the road for these ferocious females, I will be front and center for the entire fever dream that is Lady in the Lake.
What did you think of the latest episode?
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Who do you think will be Cleo’s killer once it’s revealed?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join me again when I review the next episode of Lady in the Lake!