The Haunting of Bly Manor

[HereWeGo]

I was surprised to see that there already isn't a thread for this, but here we are.

Netflix has officially renewed "The Haunting of Hill House" for a second season. However, it was also announced that this will be an anthology series and will follow an entirely new story.

Season 2, titled "The Haunting of Bly Manor", will be based on the classic gothic novel, "The Turn of the Screw".

‘Haunting of Hill House’ Renewed, Creators Ink Overall Deal at Netflix – Variety

Personally, I think this is an excellent way to go with this series (instead of milking the same story). Also, "The Turn of the Screw" is an incredible book and I'm excited to see what they do with it!

 

[Viator]

The Haunting of Bly Manor, will be releasing on October 9th on Netflix.

Additionally, Vanity Fair had released an article on August 24th, for the upcoming addition to the anthology series.

Viewer Beware: First Look at The Haunting of Bly Manor

After The Haunting of Hill House, a second season goes to a disturbing new place

www.vanityfair.com

 

[belloq87]

Looks very much in the same visual vein as HILL HOUSE (which is a good thing). I thought HILL HOUSE ran out of steam in the last episode, where it went for sentimentality over horror, but I like what I'm seeing and hearing so far from BLY MANOR. Choosing to pull from all of the Henry James ghost story catalogue (rather than a singular source, like HILL HOUSE) seems like a great idea.

 

[Legacy]

It was going pretty great until they steered straight into a wall in the last twenty minutes.

Spoiler

The framing of the story, with the reveal that the narrator is Jamie and that it’s Flora’s wedding actually causes more questions than answers. Why is everyone but Owen, who looks nothing like Owen, acting like they have no idea who Jamie is? Why is the “grown up” Miles look 17 when he should be at least 30. Realistically, he should be 40. Just, it’s not a surprise. You can figure out the framing in the first episode, but the casting results in not a single age matching up the way it should.

 

[jseal777]

I really liked this season. However, I have noticed online you get in trouble for saying the show isn't scary enough. The response I typically see is some snarky rebuttal about how the show is a masterclass in the consequence of guilt and family struggle yada yada yada.

Yes it is all of those things, and yes being so good at all of that stuff makes the scary stuff more personal for sure. BUT THAT DOESN'T ANSWER FOR THE LACK OF ACTUAL SCARY STUFF.

I am not advocating for jump scares obviously, but I just feel like the scare factor is overhyped by people who feel the need to try and look smart online by confusing "masterclass in emotion and subtext" for "scary" and being snobby when somebody doesn't find it as scary as it could be.

I did not really have that issue as much with the first season, but this season especially felt a little hollow to me. Although I will say I found this season to have a few parts that made me a little emotional and I typically am not affected by tv shows like that. So good on them.

 

[JungleSkip]

This season isn't a horror story. It's a tragedy/romance with ghosts

Spoiler

(This is literally said out loud by a character in the final episode)

 

[belloq87]

The decision to give literally every major character -- aside from Miles and Flora -- a tragic romance alters the entire complexion of what genre this is, and was, in hindsight, a deeply questionable choice that results in the season feeling a little bit like a bait-and-switch. It's decently-executed stuff (personal mileage may vary), but not what a lot of viewers signed on for (if the reactions I'm seeing online are any indication).

I hope if there's a third THE HAUNTING OF... season, Flanagan goes for something much more mean and less all-consumingly sentimental. Something where the primary goal is frightening the audience, not trying to make them cry.

It was going pretty great until they steered straight into a wall in the last twenty minutes.

Spoiler

The framing of the story, with the reveal that the narrator is Jamie and that it’s Flora’s wedding actually causes more questions than answers. Why is everyone but Owen, who looks nothing like Owen, acting like they have no idea who Jamie is? Why is the “grown up” Miles look 17 when he should be at least 30. Realistically, he should be 40. Just, it’s not a surprise. You can figure out the framing in the first episode, but the casting results in not a single age matching up the way it should.

This is one of the two major elements that I found just bafflingly inept (the other is the general handling of Peter Quint's character). It's going overboard to try to preserve a "surprise," but it results in things just not lining up properly.

 

[JungleSkip]

not what a lot of viewers signed on for (if the reactions I'm seeing online are any indication).

God forbid anyone get the story the creators wanted to tell and not exactly what they wanted. Almost like audiences these days are entitled children.

 

[belloq87]

I'm not going to hold it against anyone if they thought they'd been sold (by Netflix, not by Flanagan) more of a horror show than what it turned out to be.

 

[RevFreako]

God forbid anyone get the story the creators wanted to tell and not exactly what they wanted. Almost like audiences these days are entitled children.

THIS EXACTLY

 

[Legacy]

I mean, Hill House wasn’t that scary either. It was a family drama with ghosts. Though Bly only had one memorable jump scare, Hill House only had 2 or 3. These shows are all about mood, ambiance, and story. They’re gothic romances more than anything else (especially Bly, which is based on Turn of the Screw).

The jump scare I’m referencing is:

Spoiler

the dress scare in the Viola episode.

And, I agree @belloq87, their handling of Peter is just as egregious as the botched ending. Those two things really killed my opinion of a show that, overall, I really enjoyed.

 

[Clive]

Finished last night.

I also generally enjoyed myself, and there were some standout episodes (particularly Altar of the Dead), but it all sort of unraveled for me in Episode 8 or 9. I'm fine with story pivots so long as they are justified and thematically solvent, but the turn felt a bit too abrupt and undercooked - and the events of Episode 9 felt extremely compressed. Everything rushes to take shape around the reveals in Episode 8, resulting in many threads falling away and others not pulled tight enough.

I thought Hill House juggled its cast and thematic intents better.

 

[Allison]

I really enjoyed this season.

Even though I haven’t cried that hard at an episode since Izzie & Denny, I think it needed more than nine episodes, and I still have more questions then answers, overall I still thought it was a beautiful story.

 

[RevFreako]

We're on the fourth episode, and I'm enjoying it, but like UP, JERSEY GIRL and WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, someone should really put a warning for widowers up front.

 

[GAcoaster]

I like this but didn't love it like the Haunting of Hill House. Apparently if you know the source material for Haunting of Bly Manor you'll get more out of it.