Breaking Down the Shocking Twist Ending in Apple’s Lady in the Lake

Breaking Down the Shocking Twist Ending in Apple’s Lady in the Lake

As a seasoned movie reviewer who has seen his fair share of twists and turns in the world of crime dramas, I must admit that “Lady in the Lake” left me utterly spellbound. The intricate narrative, coupled with the exceptional performances by Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, made for an enthralling viewing experience.


In “Lady in the Lake”, things are not always as they seem for Madeline “Maddie” Morgenstern, a Jewish housewife turned investigative journalist in 1960s Baltimore. For most of the Apple TV+ series, which is adapted from Laura Lippman’s 2019 novel with the same title, Maddie becomes fixated on solving the mystery surrounding the unsolved murder of Eunetta “Cleo” Johnson, a Black woman whose body was found in a park lake. However, Maddie starts to question everything she previously believed when she encounters a living and breathing Cleo in the final scenes before the last episode.

In Episode 6, Maddie finds herself hospitalized following an attack by Mrs. Zawadzkie, a mentally disturbed woman associated with Stephen Zawadzkie, the murderer of Tessie – a young Jewish girl whose death significantly contributed to Maddie’s journalism endeavors. As she recovers, Maddie experiences vivid dreams about the murders of Tessie and Cleo, which blur the lines between fantasy and reality when she eventually encounters Cleo, someone who has occupied her thoughts for several months, in person for the very first time.

Despite minimal insight into how or why Cleo appears alive by the episode’s conclusion, it’s indisputable that she is indeed alive. This means Maddie will have to reconsider her understanding of the disappearance of Cleo Johnson, as the motives behind Cleo faking her own death and returning are unveiled in Episode 7, the season finale. Here lies a surprising revelation from the final moments of the series Lady in the Lake.

Is Cleo still alive?

In an unexpected twist of events, I’m very much among the living, contrary to what many might believe. You see, in Episode 7, I divulged to Maddie in the hospital that my apparent demise was merely a ruse, masterminded by Reggie. This deception was necessary to dodge Shell Gordon’s intended murder, serving as a disguised cover-up for the attempted slaying of Myrtle Summer.

What happens at the end of Lady in the Lake?

In the last episode of Lady in the Lake, Cleo briefly resumes her old lifestyle, thanks to Reggie’s assistance, to gather evidence showing that Shell Gordon is operating an illegal gambling racket. This information will be used by Maddie for a revealing article, but only after Maddie promises not to expose Cleo’s staged death.

To accomplish this task, Cleo adopts a new identity as a male bookkeeper named Gordon’s assistant. This disguise grants her entry into the hotel office where the incriminating racketeering records are stored. Once she obtains the books, she intentionally sets fire to the hotel and departs for a rendezvous with Maddie, delivering the incriminating documents. Afterward, Cleo and her two sons embark on a ship bound for Paris, while Maddie exposes Gordon’s criminal activities in a publication that eventually becomes a book.

Breaking Down the Shocking Twist Ending in Apple’s Lady in the Lake

What happens to Cleo?

After leaving Baltimore, Cleo moves to Paris with her two sons and adopts the role of her deceased friend Dora. In Paris, she realizes Dora’s ambition of becoming a nightclub singer, which also satisfies her own long-held dream of singing that she had given up as a child. Her husband, Slappy, later accompanies her to Paris.

What happens to Maddie? 

1. Through her groundbreaking investigative journalism on the murders of Tessie and Cleo, as well as her revealing exposé of Shell Gordon, Maddie propelled her career into the realm of renowned journalists. As the series came to a close, Maddie wrote a book about the cases she uncovered in her journalistic endeavors, content with her choice to embark on a writing career. Despite ending her marriage to Milton Schwartz, Maddie decided to end her relationship with police officer Ferdie Platt as well.

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2024-08-23 21:06

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