Sumith Prasad
In Apple TV+’s murder mystery series ‘Lady in the Lake,’ Cleo Johnson works for Shell Gordon, who controls the gambling scene in Baltimore, Maryland. As a front to his gambling operations, Gordon runs a hotel called Gordian, where Cleo spends a considerable part of her life. The establishment is located in a busy region of the city, as the Jewish community spreads fliers regarding Tessie Durst’s disappearance around the hotel in the first episode. Even though the show is based on Laura Lippman’s novel of the same title, Gordian is the invention of Alma Har’el, who created the thriller drama!
Gordian Does Not Exist in Reality
Gordian is a fictional hotel without any known counterparts. Although Cleo Johnson is a fictionalized version of Shirley Parker, who was discovered dead similar to the former in 1969, there are no reports that suggest that the latter was involved in gambling or ever frequented a hotel like Gordian. Thus, the establishment’s existence can be limited to the series, especially since Laura Lippman’s source novel does not mention such a hotel as well. Creator and head writer Alma Har’el must have conceived it to explore the underbelly of the gambling scene of the city in the 1960s.
Even though Alma’s series is an adaptation, the screenwriter had taken immense creative liberties, commendably with the approval of Lippman, to craft the thriller drama’s narrative. In the show, Shell Gordon is a terrifying figure who scares Cleo when he learns that her allegiance cannot be trusted. Gordian and its secret chambers enhance the mystery of his operations. The rooms hidden within the hotel welcome Cleo and others as they go through the records of Shell’s operation. The close-up and medium shots used to capture the scenes set inside the hotel keep a major part of the establishment in the dark, adding to its ambiance.
While ‘Lady in the Lake’ was being shot in Maryland, the production department utilized several local establishments, including numerous hotels. According to official records, a total of 32,000 hotel room nights were booked by the crew for filming and accommodation purposes. The scenes set in Gordian might have been shot in some of these hotels. The word “gordian” is used to describe an intricate or unsolvable problem. Cleo’s time with Gordon at the establishment leads her to such issues as well, as the assassination attempt on Myrtle Summer makes clear. Therefore, it may not be an exaggeration to say that the hotel’s name sheds light on Cleo’s life and fate.
Read More: Cleo Johnson and Tessie Durst: Are They Based on Real Murder Victims?
