30 Biggest Changes in the Lake Show in the Book

Spoilers ahead for all 7 episodes of Lady in the Lake.

Apple TV+S Lady in the Lake Makes some big changes to its source material – generally for the better. Based on Laura Lipman’s 2019 book of the same name, Lady in the Lake Centers on Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish homemaker who decides to leave her unhappy marriage behind and pursue her deferred dreams of becoming a journalist, and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a black woman who juggles three jobs and works to promote the Social and Political Agenda of Baltimore’s Black Community. A crime drama at its heart, Lady in the LakeThe mysteries of two killings.

First, 11-year-old Tessie Durst (Bianca Belle) disappears from a Thanksgiving Day parade. With some luck, a history-obsessed Maddie finds Tessie’s body, twisted and frozen around fallen tree branches in a city lake. The second tragedy is Lady in the Lakes murder of Cleo Johnson – the titular lady condemned to a watery grave. While early scenes in Lady in the Lake Episodes 1 and 2 give viewers a glimpse into Cleo’s death, with the character herself narrating, The noir-inspired mystery stretches over seven episodes. As a result, the series makes some big changes to the book.

30

Some of the main characters in The Lady in the Lake have different names

Cleo Johnson was Cleo Sherwood in the novel

One of the elements that sets this series apart from other crime dramas is Lady in the Lakes cast of letters. In addition to adding some new personalities to the mix, the series makes some changes to the names of the main characters. For example, Tessie Durst is called Tessie Fine in the book, while Cleo Johnson’s novel counterpart is Cleo Sherwood. It is not clear why the show gave the characters new surnamesBut it’s definitely a small detail that stands out. Although the name of Madi Schwartz remains the same, the journalist of the series insisted on being called by her maiden name, Morgenstern.

29

Cleo Johnson works as an accountant for Shell Gordon

The bartender also helps facilitate the numbers game

In Lippman’s book, Cleo is a bartender at ruthless businessman Shell Gordon’s club, but the TV series sees the character juggling several jobs, including two that are under Shell’s eye. one of Lady in the Lakes key subplot is the numbers game that Shell runs — A fixed lottery system that he positions as a means of investing in black Baltimore. Although a young Cleo saw the numbers destroy her father’s life, she needs the job and becomes Shell’s accountant. Additionally, Cleo models clothes in department store windows, which is how she first crosses paths with Maddie.

28

Shell Gordon’s Club is more richly imagined in the TV show

The Pharaoh Club is a major setting at Lady in the Lake

In the novel, Shell Gordon (Wood Harris) runs a club, but it is much more richly imagined in the Apple TV + series. In addition to running a nightclub called The Pharaoh – a fun nod to Cleo’s nickname, which comes from the fact that her father dubbed her “Cleopatra” – Shell runs the Guardian Hotel, Shell’s various businesses serve as key settings throughout Lady in the Lakes seven episode run, as well as frequent haunts for Cleo. in general, The show gives Cleo’s story much more weight and timeWhich is a big change from the book.

27

Dora takes the place of Cleo’s roommate from the book

The singer is Cleo’s best friend since childhood

Lady in the Lake Changes its cast of characters from the source material in more than one big way. For starters, it completely removes Cleo’s roommate, Latetia, from the equation. Taking Latetia’s place is Dora Carter (Jennifer Mogbock), Cleo’s best friend from childhood. The duo have dreams of becoming world-famous singers, and although that has changed for Cleo, Dora is still performing at the Pharaoh. unfortunately, Shell also feeds Dora’s substance-use disorderEffectively trapping you in Baltimore. Close to Cleo and Shell’s right-hand man, Reggie Robinson (Josiah Cross), Dora still dreams of life in Paris.

26

Maddie has a history with the Durst family

Maddie dated her father while they were in high school

Lady in the LakeThe first TV show, which was led by Natalie Portman, deepens Maddy’s connection to Tessie Durst, the 11-year-old Jewish girl who ends up murdered at the end of episode 1. When Maddy gets into an argument with her husband, Milton (Brett Gelman), he makes a pointed comment about Tessie’s father, Allan Durst (David Corenswet). It is revealed that Maddie and Alan dated in high school And has a frog relationship. Maddie is also used and abused by Alan’s father, leading to some challenging choices that make her feel somehow linked to Tessie and the Dursts.

25

Myrtle Summer is a new addition to the story

The politician becomes an opponent for Shell and Cleo

Politician Myrtle Summer (Angela Robinson), who works to promote the rights and access of the black community, plays a key role in Lady in the LakeBut she is not in the source material. Between juggling her three jobs, Cleo finds time to volunteer for Myrtle, hoping that Mrs. Summer will hire her full-time. In a meeting, Myrtle even calls Cleo to speak and defend her vision for Black Baltimore. sadly, however, Summer betrays Cleo, suggesting that it will look suspicious if she hires her After Cleo’s passionate speech. This pushes Cleo further into the world of Shell Gordon.

24

Lady in the Lake Reggie Robinson is also a new character

Shell’s right-hand man is a major character in the show

Surprisingly, Reggie Robinson is another character that does not appear in the Lady in the Lake Roman in general. A boxer and Shell’s right-hand enforcer, Reggie is also romantically linked to Dora Carter and a bit of a friend to Cleo Johnson – at least at first. When Reggie learns that the police are looking for a “Black man with a black eye“In connection with Tessie Durst’s murder, he decides to lie low. Reggie’s subsequent betrayal of Cleo is a pretty unforgivable move, but, even so, Lady in the Lake Puts out a lot of reggie-related red herrings.

23

Cleo’s husband Sloppy Johnson was created for the show

The comedian replaces the book Ezekiel “Ez” Taylor

Ezekiel “Ezz” Taylor, the owner of a local dry-cleaning facility and a Senate hopeful, is a prominent figure in Lipman’s novel, but his role is divided among the characters. The first is Myrtle Summer, who is running for Senate against the wishes of Rocketeer Shell Gordon, echoing Shell and EZ’s book rivalry. Ezekiel is also Cleo’s secret lover, but, in the show, Cleo is married to comedian Sloppy Johnson (Byron Bowers), who also had deep connections with Shell and the Pharaoh. The decision to let Cleo navigate a difficult marriage only deepens the parallels between her and Maddie.

22

Stephen Zawadzkie and his mother are more fleshed out characters

The owners of the tropical fish shop are defined by more than Tessie’s murder

In the novel, tropical fish shop owner Stephen Zawadzkie (Dylan Arnold) is called Stephen Corwin, but, otherwise, his general role remains largely the same. Stephen quickly becomes the main (and only) suspect in Tessi’s murder Durst, who visited his shop to look for seahorses, just before her disappearance. Unlike the novel, the Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake Delve deeper into Stephen’s character as well as his mother.

21

Cleo’s childhood directly informs her decisions about the numbers game

Lady in the Lake Episode 3 provides a key childhood flashback

The opening of Lady in the Lake Episode 3 gives more insight into Cleo’s childhood through a dream mixed with a memory. initially, A young Cleo has a difficult symbolic dream: She holds a suitcase equipped with a flashlight and walks in the dark through the bed-worn clothes lines, until she stumbles upon a lamb and ghost. When she wakes up, Cleo discovers that her parents are fighting about money. A trumpet player, Cleo’s father sells his instrument, and it is implied that Shell Gordon is the root of his gambling.

The always empathetic Cleo gives her father some of her own hard-earned money, hoping he can use it to buy back his trumpet and make more money by performing at the Pharaohs. The father-daughter duo then share a sweet moment, with Cleo pretending she’s an on-stage singer while her father plays the air trumpet. finally, Cleo’s father uses the money to play the numbers game and leave town. This formative moment not only provides insight into Cleo’s dislike for the game and shell, but shows that she, like Dora, wanted to be a performer.

20

Cleo is haunted by the attack on Myrtle Summer

Ferdi almost immediately realized Cleo’s part in the high-profile assassination attempt

As mentioned, the politician Myrtle Summer was invented for the Lady in the Lake series, so the attempt on her life is also a new twist. Thanks to Reggie, Cleo finds herself implicated in the assassination attempt. To make matters worse, she was wearing a very recognizable blue coat. Throughout the third episode, Cleo is haunted by her involvement in the attackHowever, to make matters even worse, Officer Ferdy Platt (Y’lan Noel), gains some valuable insight into Cleo’s part in the crime, which adds a new wrinkle to his story as well.

19

Shell Gordon’s relationship with his right-hand man is more complicated

Reggie is like a son to Shell

Even though Reggie wasn’t in the book, Shell Gordon still didn’t have a lot of underlings who did his bidding. By focusing on Reggie, however, Lady in the Lake Is able to execute Shell’s relationship with his right-hand man. Clearly, Reggie doesn’t have much family in his life; Besides Shell, he is closest to Dora and Cleo. In episode 3, Shell insinuates that Reggie needs to take care of CleoWhat connects Shell (and his businesses) with the failed assassination attempt. Even in this moment, it’s clear that Reggie finds his loyalty torn.

18

Cleo grapples with faith and dreams in the wake of her son’s illness

Cleo’s son lives with sickle cell anemia

Dreams play a huge role in Lady in the Lake – More than in the source material. Part of this ties into the numbers game; Players use a so-called dream book to help them choose winning digits and rely on clues from their own reveries. Although Cleo knows that Shell rigs the game, she is still guided by her highly symbolic dreams. Although Cleo also clashes with her mother about faithWhat’s wrong with Cleo’s son, who has sickle cell anemia, can’t be helped with medicine, prompting Cleo to turn to the Prophet (Sean Ringgold), a religious scammer.

17

Maddie reveals that Milton is not Seth’s biological father

Lady in the Lake complicates Maddie’s past and her mother-son relationship

In episode 3, Lady in the Lake reveals that Seth’s biological father is not Milton after all. The twist certainly explains why Seth, played by Noah Jupp, was so quick to laugh at his mother. Seth knew the truth about his parents for a whileLeading him to stew, in his anger. Maddie tries to avoid the subject altogether, focusing on how badly she wants to spend time with Seth. However, the teenager is quick to call out Maddie’s selfishness and her love of stories above all else, which drives her arc into Lady in the Lake.

16

Stephen’s backstory and “connection” to Maddie are more detailed

Lady in the Lake’s Operation Whitecoat, explained

The fourth episode opens with Maddie interviewing Stephen – though she tells him they have a special “Connection“And that she only told the guards she was a reporter so they could talk. While Stephen’s book counterpart is immediately horrified, the Apple TV+ series tries to deepen the supposed connection Maddy and Stephen share. Although he claims That he did not kill Tessie Drust, Stefan is intrigued by Maddie’s quick discovery of the little girl’s body. Stefan shares that he would go to the lake to spy on young couples; Maddie shares that she was one of those teenagers.

Of course, Stephen gives Maddie the whole story. A pacifist due to his religious upbringing, Stephen was still drafted and, allegedly, the government conducted experiments on him and other war targets. The so-called Operation Whitecoat certainly explains Stephen’s gas mask fixation and provides some measure of clarity to some of his strange moments. While Maddie gets the scoop she needs to be hired by the paper, it comes at a high price. At the end of the episode, Stephen breaks out of jail and into Maddie’s apartment because of their “Connection.“

15

Cleo cooks up a plan to play the numbers game one more time

The titular lady in the lake plans to disappear

The numbers game is already a departure from the source material, but so is the insight viewers get into Cleo Johnson’s escape plan. Knowing that she is in hot water for being the getaway car driver in the attempted assassination of Myrtle Summer, Cleo decides to disappear. But, just like her father, Cleo plans to leave with some serious cash from one of those rigged numbers games. To do this, she enlists Reggie’s help to get the lucky number, and then passes it on to a local hairdresser, so that Cleo can get a haircut from the money without Actually Playing.

14

The relationship of Cleo and Dora takes more space

Lady in the Lake gives Dora more history than her book counterpart

In the book, Cleo’s roommate is the opposite of Dora Carter – and she’s certainly not that interesting. Lady in the Lake Gives Dora more story and screentime, and in episode 4, there’s a particular emphasis on her upcoming trip to Paris. Dora knows she’s being exploited by Shell – and she wants to kick her addiction to drugs – but it’s also clear she’s going to have a hard time leaving Cleo and Reggie behind. Dora also drops some interesting information about Cleo: apparently, Cleo Johnson also wanted to be a singer.

13

Ferdy tells Maddy about a hairdresser he knows

The hairdresser is involved in Cleo’s numbers scheme

Ferdie and Maddie’s romantic relationship is also important in the book. Ferdie is one of the few characters that Maddy opens up to, although the TV show definitely delves even deeper into Maddy’s psyche and past. In addition to exchanging secrets and discussing their careers, Maddie and Ferdy introduce each other to new characters. Case in point: Ferdy tells Maddy to visit a hairdresser he knows. This, of course, is the same hairdresser who works with Cleo to win the numbers game. The book suggests fleeting connections between Cleo and Maddie’s stories, but the show makes them more explicit.

12

Shell Gordon tells Reggie to kill Cleo

The plot plays out differently than in the source material

in Lady in the Lake Episode 4, Shell Gordon learns that Reggie had Cleo make the cut on the night of the assassination attempt. On the Pharaoh’s roof, Reggie comes clean to Shell, explaining that he wanted to lie low in the wake of Tessie Durst’s murder, especially after Stephen’s mother placed him at the scene of the crime. The show doubles down on Shell’s cruelty when he orders Reggie to kill Cleo. Shell’s Lakes have already taken care of the other loose ends, but the hit on Cleo is personal – and a hard “lesson” for Reggie.

11

Cleo shares important moments with her mother and Sloppy on her last night

Christmas Eve feels like a goodbye for Cleo Johnson

On Christmas Eve, Cleo and her sons spend time with Cleo’s mother and step-father. Integral to the show’s storyline, This dynamic serves as an emotional touchstone, especially as Cleo prepares to disappear – Just like her father. Before collecting her money, Cleo confronts her mother about the day her father left; Cleo was carrying around guilt and blame, and her mother never told her to feel differently. The episode also gives Cleo a final moment with Sloppy, illustrating the genuine love they have for each other. Unlike the novel, the show’s Cleo is more well-rounded.