Spoilers are ahead for Lady in the Lake episode 5.
Mentions of the show’s death by suicide plot point and other instances of violence.
Summary
- Maddie’s pursuit of a story leads her to a chilling confrontation with Kasia, culminating in a shocking cliffhanger in
Lady in the Lake
episode 5. - The episode delves into Kasia’s backstory, trauma, and her connection to Tessie’s death — all of which prompts her to stab Maddie.
- In the novel, Maddie survives the ordeal, landing in the hospital.
After Maddie (Natalie Portman) confronts Stephen Zawadzkie’s (Dylan Arnold) mother, Kasia (Masha Mashkova), Lady in the Lake episode 5 culminates in a truly shocking cliffhanger ending. With just two episodes left, Alma Har’el’s Lady in the Lake has several loose threads to address, including how, exactly, Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram) died at the end of episode 4. Although the fifth installment of Apple TV+’s crime drama doesn’t delve into the circumstances of Cleo’s apparent murder, it does find Maddie investigating the titular lady in the lake’s life, hopeful that she’ll piece together the story of Cleo’s death.
At the end of Lady in the Lake episode 4, Stephen escapes prison and breaks into Maddie’s apartment. The harrowing encounter chills Maddie, but it also prompts her to dig deeper into the story of Cleo Johnson. With Stephen’s verdict looming, the wannabe journalist is eager to unearth something. No matter the cost, Maddie wants a story to tell — and she feels entitled to be part of the narratives unfolding around her. While Lady in the Lake boasts many book differences, Maddie’s ambitious-to-a-fault nature remains, leading to her brutal confrontation with Kasia.
Why Kasia Stabs Maddie In Lady In The Lake Episode 5’s Ending
Maddie Strikes A Nerve While Confronting Stephen’s Mother
By episode 5, it’s no surprise that Maddie is looking for connections everywhere. After her own hidden past, and the reveal of Seth’s real father twist, just so happened to lead Maddie to the site of Tessie Durst’s (Bianca Belle) body, the aspiring journalist believes she can solve the puzzle of Cleo Johnson’s death too. In the wake of Stephen’s chilling break-in, Maddie pays a visit to his mother, Kasia Zawadzkie, who originally gave Reggie’s (Josiah Cross) description to the police. When Maddie arrives, Kasia is broken: the tropical fish store is still closed and her son’s verdict looms.
Realizing Maddie just wants a story, Kasia snaps and stabs Maddie in the stomach with a butter knife.
Like most of Lady in the Lake‘s characters, Kasia has lasting trauma. Maddie learns that Kasia fled Poland in the wake of World War II, ashamed of the perception that her home country was largely antisemitic. Sadly, Kasia’s fresh start in America soured. Although she loves her son, Kasia knows Stephen is grappling with mental illness. When Maddie appeals to Kasia as a fellow mother, Mrs. Zawadzkie becomes frustrated — something Maddie stokes by hinting at her supposedly “close” relationship with Stephen. Realizing Maddie just wants a story, Kasia snaps and stabs Maddie in the stomach with a butter knife.
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Does Maddie Survive? What Happens To Her In The Book After Being Stabbed
Maddie Winds Up In The Hospital In Laura Lippman’s Lady In The Lake
In Laura Lippman’s novel, Maddie survives her confrontation with Kasia’s book counterpart. After “solving” the mystery of Cleo’s murder, and uncovering the identity of Cleo’s secret lover, Maddie decides to follow up on Tessie’s case. Although Ferdie (Y’lan Noel) urges Maddie to leave well enough alone, the budding journalist confronts Stephen’s mother. (In the novel, he’s called Stephen Corwin.) Stephen’s mother reveals that she assisted her son with killing Lady in the Lake‘s Tessie Durst and, eager to evade capture, stabs Maddie with the intent to kill her. However, Maddie survives and wakes up in a hospital room shortly after.
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What Kasia Did For Stephen That She’s Covering Up In Lady In The Lake
Kasia Tries To Keep Maddie From Revealing The Truth About Tessie Durst’s Death
After Kasia stabs Maddie, the two women get into a prolonged physical altercation, hitting each other with objects and struggling on the floor. Maddie manages to clamber into Kasia’s bedroom and lock the door. Completely grief-stricken, Kasia bangs on the door and confesses that she doesn’t want to rot in jail for helping her son, revealing that she aided him with the murder and the dumping of Tessie Durst’s body. “You would have done the same for your son,” Kasia cries. When Kasia goes quiet, Maddie realizes she’ll bleed out if she doesn’t call for help.
Maddie discovers Kasia’s body slumped over and bloody in the kitchen…
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Although she leaves a trail of blood in her wake, Maddie is able to pull herself down the hallway and into the kitchen. Before grabbing the rotary phone, Maddie discovers Kasia’s body slumped over and bloody in the kitchen; Kasia, in her despair, slit her own throat. This differs from the mother’s book fate: clearly, the TV series wants to resolve Tessie’s story before finishing Cleo’s. Even though Maddie doesn’t have the strength to speak, she manages to dial the phone, suggesting that her fate will be similar to her novel counterpart in Lady in the Lake episode 6.
New episodes of Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake premiere on Fridays through August 23, 2024.
Lady in the Lake
4.0
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LAURA LIPPMAN, LADY OF THE LAKE IS A FICTIONAL DRAMA MINISERIES BASED AROUND THE REAL DISAPPEARANCES OF A YOUNG GIRL AND A WOMAN, COMING TO APPLE TV+. THE STORY CENTERS AROUND MADELINE SCHWARTZ, A DISSATISFIED 1960S HOUSEWIFE OF TWENTY YEARS WHO ENDS HER MARRIAGE IN SEARCH OF A LIFE WITH MEANING. MADELINE, BETTER KNOWN AS MADDIE, SEEKS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD – TO DO SO, SHE HEADS DOWN THE PATH OF AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AFTER SOMEHOW HELPING THE BALTIMORE POLICE FIND THE BODY OF A YOUNG GIRL IN THE LAKE, CLEO SHERWOOD. LADY IN THE LAKE HAS NOIR ELEMENTS AND EXPLORES STATUS AND RACE IN A MURDER MYSTERY IN A DIFFERENT PERIOD. THE SERIES HAS BEEN DELAYED DUE TO AN INCIDENT IN LATE 2022 BUT IS STILL SET TO COME TO APPLE TV+ IN THE FUTURE.
- Release Date
- July 19, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Laura Lippman
- Production Company
- Crazyrose, Bad Wolf America, Zusa, MountainA, Endeavor Content
