After the penultimate episode of season one of Lady in the Lake premiered on Apple TV+ on August 16, 2024, fans of the show were in dismay. The majority of the sixth episode focused on Maddie's hallucinations. However, when Maddie woke up from her dream, she discovered Cleo (who was dead in episode five) in her hospice room, posing as a medical professional.
As a result, the sixth episode ended on a cliffhanger, leaving fans perplexed about Cleo's resurrection and prompting them to search online for further theories.
The question of the hour after the most recent episode is whether Cleo Johnson is dead or alive. During the last few minutes of the sixth episode, viewers eventually find out that Maddie is not dreaming, as Cleo confirms the same to her.
A viewer who found the sixth episode of the series absurd because of its strange narration and events for the entire 40+ minutes commented and wrote,
"The 6th episode of Lady In The Lake was a discombobulated musical that lost me. I was enjoying the series until this weird episode. I wished they had just told a straightforward story instead of a type of Black Swan episode for Portman. Is Cleo even dead?"
However, others wonder whether it was a dream within a dream. Several viewers have made theories about Cleo's resurrection, which matters the most for the series, as her being alive changes the whole narrative.
A viewer of the show theorized on X and said,
"They agreed to swap clothing to make out like Cleo died and she’s actually narrating the story to Maddie from prison or somewhere far away because she faked her death. It’s the only explanation why Cleo would leave her sick Son. Her life was in danger #LadyInTheLake"
The same user also commented on how they think it was Dora Carter's body that was dumped in the lake by Reggie, and not Cleo's. The comment reads,
"No I think it’s Dora ! I’ve been sitting here for hours. Dora overheard Reggie talking I reckon she warned Cleo and later overdosed or he killed her. Cleo must have either caught him and he warns her if she doesn’t disappear she is next. They dumped her in the lake #LadyInTheLake"
Read more: Lady in the Lake complete release schedule
Several other users who did not find episode six of Lady in the Lake up to the mark also penned their disappointment on X.
"Ok so have to be honest I didn’t love EP6 of #LadyintheLake. After EP5, I just didn’t feel like it progressed the story as it should. Shame…," a user commented.
"Definitely the weakest episode of the season but still a solid 7/10. I have a conspiracy theory that Cleo is alive and it was Dorah in the water 😭 I love all the symbolism in the show #LadyInTheLake," another viewer commented.
Is Cleo 'really' alive in Lady in the Lake?
Yes, Cleo Johnson is alive. The sixth episode of Lady in the Lake confirmed her resurrection in the final moments. Reggie did not actually kill Cleo. He helped her fake her death and instead dumped Dora's body in the lake. In episode six, Reggie is seen sobbing while he waits for Cleo. With Cleo alive, it now makes sense as to why he was sobbing.
Cleo's return indicates that she was telling Maddie the narrative through a transcript or newsletter the entire time. Also, now that she has returned to the show after being raised from the dead, Cleo may use Maddie to bring down the enduringly dishonest Gordon, who caused several deaths over the years and wanted to kill her as well.
With just one episode left in the first installment and the story taking an uncanny turn, viewers will expect more answers in the season finale titled My Story, coming to Apple TV+ on August 23, 2024.
Lady in the Lake is available to stream on Apple TV+.