“Lady in the Lake” (Season 1, 2024)

“Lady in the Lake” is a slow-burn mystery that is perfect for a late summer series.

You’re not exactly sure how these interweaving stories of Baltimore area residents in the 1960s will end up, but the journey there is compelling.

Natalie Portman plays one of the main characters, Maddie Schwartz, who is fed up with her suburban housewife life and doing what she can to leave it behind. At times, she seems a little more unhinged than the typical fed-up housewife character, which helps to build up some mystery in the show.

But the real star of the show is Moses Ingram, who plays Cleo Sherwood, the titular “Lady in the Lake” (this is revealed in the opening scenes, so it’s not really a spoiler).

This series has a similar feel to “Big Little Lies,” with women plodding through their lives and a crime or two at the center of the story.

The only difference is Cleo and Maddie don’t know each other. We witness them both getting in compromising situations and stirring up the strength to get through them on their own.

I will say the show stumbles a bit in its penultimate episode, but it recovers well in the finale with a super juicy twist.

Rating: 4/5