Lady in the Lake episode 6 ending explained: Is Cleo alive?

Lady in the Lake season one episode 6 arrived on Apple TV+ on August 16, 2024. The episode titled 'I Know Who Killed Cleo Johnson' is all about Maddie's hallucinations. The synopsis of the episode as per Apple TV reads as:

"Arrests, confessions, and connections are made as Maddie comes closer to solving Cleo's murder."

This 44-minute episode is so far the shortest episode of the installment. Throughout the episode, we see Maddie dreaming about her past and her ambitions. She also dreams about Allan, Tessie, and Cleo. However, in the final moments of the episode, Maddie wakes up and sees Cleo, who is alive.

Even with one episode remaining in season one, the story of Lady in the Lake is far from complete, leaving viewers in a state of shock that Cleo is still alive. The most intriguing and perplexing episode of the season is episode six, which has completely changed the course of the show. The Lady in the Lake is not Cleo.

From episode one, everyone thought Cleo to be dead, and in the later episodes, it was shown that Reggie killed Cleo. However, with Cleo now alive, everything changes.

Lady in the Lake episode 6 ending explained

Maddie's hallucinations

A still from Lady in the Lake (Image by Apple TV+)

Episode 6 of Lady in the Lake starts with Maddie in the hospital bed. In episode five, after Stephan’s mother stabbed Maddie and later killed herself, Maddie managed to grab the phone and call for help. This episode is all about Maddie and her nightmares, which speak the truth, reveal dark secrets, and show Maddie’s hidden desires.

While on the hospital bed, Maddie has a flashback of Allan, who approaches her at a party. When intoxicated, Allan reveals to Maddie that he is aware of his father molesting her, and he also saw his father's portrait of the Lady in the Lake. Later, Maddie and Allan go inside a dark cabin, where Allan tells Maddie how he is just like his dad. Allan’s words arouse Maddie, and they end up making love.

However, we still do not know if Tessie was Allan and Maddie’s daughter or Allan’s father's and Maddie’s. Later, when the episode shifts to the present, Seth looks at himself in the hospital mirror, and viewers get to understand that Seth is Allan’s son and not Milton’s because of an obvious facial resemblance.

Soon, Allan comes to see Maddie and tells her and Seth how Maddie's next child will know what the truth is. After Allan finishes talking, Maddie strangely gives birth to a newspaper baby. Cleo is the one who holds the child first and leaves the room. Maddie follows Cleo in the dark and also sees Reggie boxing his way out.

Do Maddie’s dreams speak the truth?

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While Maddie chases Cleo in her dream, she also comes across Reggie. Maddie, in her dream, has figured out that Reggie is the one who killed Cleo and Tessie both. However, do her dreams speak the truth? We will have to wait longer to find out.

Maddie’s nightmare takes her to a basement, where she meets a lot of black women. Soon, Maddie sees Cleo jumping down, and as she falls, Maddie realizes it’s her and not Cleo, who has died from the fall.

Back to reality

Next up, Slappy gets arrested for Cleo’s death as the police have cleared Stephan, who has confessed to killing Tessie but not Cleo. After Slappy gets arrested, Reggie comes to Teddy and gives him some food and money.

However, Teddy wants to know more about how his mother died but does not get answers. Meanwhile, Plat is looking for the truth, and Gordon doesn’t seem to be pleased with it. He tells Platt nothing, and when Reggie arrives, he also reveals nothing to Platt.

Maddie wants to write about Cleo’s death

Even when Bob comes to Maddie and tells her how Stephan has confessed to killing Tessie, Maddie doesn’t accept the fact and says that he is lying. When Bob asks Maddie about what happened at Stephan’s house, she doesn’t utter a word and tells him that this is her story and she will be the one writing it.

Maddie, in her hallucinations, attends her own funeral where her mother doesn't want to give her a eulogy. However, Maddie, being Maddie, gives herself a farewell speech and talks about how she was the one who got justice for Tessie and Cleo. After her speech, Platt is the only one who stands up and claps for her.

Maddie's journalistic desires and dreams have taken over her as she acts selfish when she dreams about Tessie, who tells her to find her killer. However, Maddie tells Tessie that it's old news and that she needs to get back to work on Cleo's case.

Later in the episode, we get to know that Platt and Maddie's love affair is revealed, and because of this, Platt has to step down from his job as a detective and a police officer. Platt later comes to the hospital to pay Maddie a visit, where he confesses his love for her.

Biggest revelation: Cleo is alive

In the final moments of this episode, when Maddie gets up in the hospital, she sees Cleo disguised as a medical helper in her room. Cleo tells Maddie that this is real and she is not dreaming any longer.

However, this creates a lot of questions in viewers' minds. Although we assumed Cleo to be dead, after we saw Reggie dropping her body in the lake, we were never shown how he killed her. Reggie is also seen reminiscing about Cleo's death, and we see him helping Cleo's son in this episode. So did Cleo fake her death? Whose body did Reggie drop in the lake if not Cleo's? Also, why will Reggie frame Slappy for Cleo's death then?

The last seconds of this episode have changed everything with Cleo now alive. So was Reggie crying for Dora Carter, who is dead, and not Cleo? Reggie crying for Carter makes more sense than Reggie crying for Cleo now.

Cleo could have faked her death with the help of Reggie; however, why would she fake her death and come to Maddie is the question of the hour. Does she want Maddie to expose Gordon and his men, with the help of her writing prowess? Or does Cleo have more to reveal to Maddie? What are Cleo's real intentions?

We expect more answers in the season finale, with Cleo now alive and the story being far from over.

Lady in the Lake is now streaming on Apple TV+. Episode 7 will air on August 23, 2024.

Edited by Somava