For the first time, Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman is the lead in a TV series with the Apple TV Plus original Lady in the Lake. That alone is worth being curious about, but add in the fact that the seven-episode limited series is a noir thriller, and there's a good chance this one could hook audiences pretty quickly.
The series, which is based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same name by Laura Lippman, is created, produced, written and directed by Alma Har'el, who previously broke out for penning and directing the critically-acclaimed movie Honey Boy. Portman is also an executive producer on the project, which helps to show how passionate she is about the material.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about Lady in the Lake.
Lady in the Lake next episode
The finale of Lady in the Lake releases on Apple TV Plus on Friday, August 23.
In order to watch every episode of Lady in the Lake, you must have an Apple TV Plus subscription.
Lady in the Lake cast
Natalie Portman is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, going as far back as her breakout role in Leon: The Professional to starring in the Star Wars prequels and then Oscar-nominated performances in Closer, Jackie and her Oscar-winning role in Black Swan. Could Lady in the Lake lead to Portman adding an Emmy to her mantlepiece?
The other leading role in the series is being portrayed by Moses Ingram. The Emmy-nominated actress is best known for The Queen's Gambit, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Ambulance and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Rounding out the Lady in the Lake cast are Y'lan Noel (Insecure), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Byron Bowers (Irma Vep), Noah Jupe (Franklin), Josiah Cross (A Thousand and One), Mikey Madison (Scream) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Bird Box).
Lady in the Lake plot
Here is the official synopsis for Lady in the Lake from Apple TV:
"When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women converge on a fatal collision course. Maddie Schwartz (Portman), a Jewish housewife seeking to shed a secret past and reinvent herself as an investigative journalist, and Cleo Johnson (Ingram), a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family. Their disparate lives seem parallel at first, but when Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo's mystifying death, a chasm opens that puts everyone around them in danger. From visionary director Alma Har'el, Lady in the Lake emerges as a feverish noir thriller and an unexpected tale of the price women pay for their dreams."
Lady in the Lake episodes
Here are the official synopses for the Lady in the Lake episodes that have been released:
Lady in the Lake episode 1, "Did you know Seahorses are fish?"
"Tessie Durst goes missing, sending shockwaves through Baltimore. Cleo and Maddie make life-changing choices. Maddie finds what she feared."
Lady in the Lake episode 2, "It has to do with the search for the marvelous"
"Maddie takes an interest in the Durst case as she starts a new chapter. Cleo's work for Shell takes a dangerous turn."
Lady in the Lake episode 3, "I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive"
"Reeling from what happened under her watch, Cleo begins forming a plan for her safety. Maddie throws herself into the Durst investigation."
Lady in the Lake episode 4, "Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty. First in others, then yourself."
"Maddie scores a big interview but struggles to be respected at The Star. Cleo starts implementing her plan as Shell learns troubling information."
Lady in the Lake episode 5, "Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you."
"Cleo's body is discovered. As Maddie’s obsession with Cleo grows deeper, she realizes they once crossed paths."
Lady in the Lake episode 6, "I Know Who Killed Cleo Johnson"
"Arrests, confessions and connections are made as Maddie comes closer to solving Cleo’s murder."
Lady in the Lake episode 7, "My story."
" Maddie is met with resistance when she tries spinning Cleo's story."
Lady in the Lake trailer
Here is the official trailer for Lady in the Lake:
