Thanksgiving 1966, Baltimore. An investigative journalist working on an unsolved murder clashes with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's Black community. She ditches her abusive, overbearing husband and Pikesville home to pursue a career as a newspaper reporter. She becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of two separate killings: a little girl named Tessie Durst and a bartender named Cleo Johnson.[2]
The television series is based on the novel of the same name. Laura Lippman, the author, took inspiration from two real-life murders that happened in her youth.[2] The first was the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz, a White Jewish girl whose death was heavily publicized.[3][4][5] The second death was 33-year-old Shirley Parker, a Black woman who was found dead in the fountain of the Druid Hill Park Reservoir.[6] Parker's death was only given attention in African-American newspapers, specifically the Baltimore Afro-American.[7]
Filming began in April 2022,[9] with production taking place in Baltimore.[14] Production paused briefly in late August 2022, when the production purportedly received threats of violence while filming in the city.[15] Police investigation showed the threats to have been unsubstantiated.[16]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 61 critic reviews. Natalie Portman received critical acclaim for her acting performance in the miniseries.[19] The website's critics consensus reads, "Dense with intriguing drama if too muddled by digressions and stylistic flourishes, Lady in the Lake is a well-acted mystery with a lot on its mind."[20]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]
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