(Non-Spoiler Review)
The next installment in “The Haunting” series has finally been released onto Netflix. Mike Flanagan returns as the showrunner with an all-new horror. This story is just as tragic as it is scary.
The current owner of Bly Manor, Henry Wingrave, hires a governess to watch over his niece and nephew. That is where our main character, Dani Clayton, comes in. While all sounds fine and dandy, things start to take a turn for the worse; the children she’s looking after begin to act strange rather quickly. The children, Miles & Flora Wingrave, have had a very traumatic past. In only a couple of years, the Wingrave children lost parents and also recently lost their previous nanny (under strange circumstances).
Also residing at the manor is Hannah Goose, who has already become a fan-favorite. Miss Goose oversees the manor directly and sometimes lends a hand in taking care of the children. Hannah’s actress, T’nia Miller, does a magnificent job at bringing the character to life. From Hannah’s very first scene, I couldn’t help but instantly fall in love with the character. There’s a strange ominous feeling that surrounds the character of Hannah Goose and it’s a very much priceless story once the series begins to tell it.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that The Haunting of Bly Manor is scarier than The Haunting of Hill House, but “Bly Manor” is much more tragic than the first story. Rather than focusing on the paranormal side of ghosts, “Bly Manor” instead explores the ghosts that we ourselves create. Our memories are ghosts, a new found love is a ghost… so the series presents.
Showrunner Mike Flanagan also sees the return of hidden ghosts in frames of the series. The hidden ghosts in this series are much more difficult to find. This time around, the hidden ghosts also have more meaning. Viewers are in for a treat!
Viewers are also in for a treat as the series slowly unravels the puzzling manor that is Bly. The first episode of the series is the perfect set up that just left me wanting more. The mysterious manor holds dark corners and rooms that are explored as the story progresses. The characters as well have ghost stories to tell.
Another thing that I loved from this series were the characters. Owen, the manor’s chef, and Jamie, the manor’s gardener, also brought something interesting to the table. There’s no character that was left untouched or underused. Every character had a part to play. Even the antagonist of the story has their time to shine.
The Haunting of Bly Manor has a vastly unique story structure. While there are times where the story jumps back and forth between the past and present, such as its predecessor. The overall story structure is different than that of “Hill House”. The first few episodes start off slow, but it’s not boring in the least. As the story progresses, the viewer gains knowledge at what bizarre events have and are happening at the spooky manor.
The Haunting of Bly Manor goes beyond telling a ghost story. While there are scares to go around, “Bly Manor” takes a deep look into the human experience and displays a unique sense of storytelling. Where can untreated trauma take someone? The Haunting of Bly Manor answers this with a heartbreaking tale.