Lady in the Lake Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you.

Style and substance are important to a show’s success. Lady in the Lake Season 1 Episode 5, “Every time someone turns up dead in the lake, it does seem to lead to you” shows plenty of style but still struggles with the substance.

The pace of Lady in the Lake is all over the place. It’s a case study of why sometimes shows need more than a few episodes. According to reports, the series only has seven episodes (at least if it stays a limited series).

That simply isn’t enough.

Once again, “Every time someone turns up dead…” shows how too much is crammed into less than an hour. This makes the ending feel a bit disjointed.

For most of the episode, we follow Maddie at her The Baltimore Star job, and how that starts to pick up, not in career advancement, but in her desire to become a great reporter.

The scenes at the Baltimore Star are some of the ways the style shines in Lady in the Lake.

The way these scenes are shot captures the fast-paced nature of the news business and builds suspense as Maddie’s position becomes more chaotic. It’s a great way to emphasize this rapid-speed career and Maddie’s madness for the truth.

If Lady in the Lake had the time fully to draw out ideas, “Every time someone turns up dead..” could have been a season highlight.

However, it continues to have the problem of too many storylines.

For example, it is fairly easy to predict when we watch their first meeting, Maddie’s affair with Allan’s father. However, the show introduces it and its progression in a way that doesn’t fully give an emotionally impactful arc.

Additionally, it’s confusing.

We only see glimpses and too many questions remain.

Clearly, this is a stylistic choice as it’s similar to Lady in the Lake Season 1 Episode 4, “Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty. First in others, then in yourself”’s approach with Allan and Maddie.

It just doesn’t quite work as well as other stylistic choices.

Instead of using this info to endear viewers to Maddie, it just doesn’t allow us to understand her completely.

Maddie is a complex character who is often unlikable but that makes her more interesting. However, things that could add more sympathy to her story just get lost in the confusion.

We know about the affair and pregnancy but there are many missing parts.

The final confrontation of “Every time someone turns up dead..” is where the juice really causes a mess.

It feels too rushed and seems to escalate quickly.

Lady in the Lake briefly turns into a horror movie. It’s an unexpected tonal change that seems unnecessary because it adds suspense to an already suspenseful episode.

It’s one twist too many.

This confrontation between Maddie and Stephan’s mother could have happened in a future episode.

This would have given the scene the full affect of such a big reveal and shocking ending. Additionally, with Stephan’s limited screen time in episode 5, seeing his mother doesn’t create the intensity the scene needs.

Lady in the Lake proves that sometimes short seasons aren’t the best solution with so much to tell in such a limited space. It could thrive even with simply three additional episodes.

What did you think of this episode of Lady in the Lake? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Lady in the Lake streams on Fridays on Apple TV+.

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