The Haunting of Bly Manor (Mini-Review)

The Haunting of Bly Manor is the second season of Netflix's The Haunting series. The Haunting of Bly Manor is based off of the works of Henry James. In Mike Flanagan's adaptation, a woman decides to entertain wedding guests with a ghost story. The ghost story centers around Dani Clayton who is hired as an au pair to a pair of children who have lost their parents and previous au pair to tragedy.

The Turn of the Screw is one book where I can admire the craftsmanship but not like it on a personal level. While Henry James weaves a wonderful tale, his paragraphs are too long for my tastes. I use paragraphs to help keep track of what I'm reading so when they're too long I get lost. After reading The Turn of the Screw for college, I didn't read anything more by Henry James.

Which is why I didn't catch that The Haunting of Bly Manor is actually a couple of Henry James' works and not just The Turn of the Screw. Though this should've been obvious when the opening credits said that the show was based on the works of Henry James. But, hey, I'm not the smartest tool in the shed. Or however that saying goes.

It really felt like the show changed tone starting at Episode 5. While the show would have to start revealing the secrets of Bly Manor, it did so in an extremely jarring way. If you have seen The Haunting of Hill House and Oculus (2013) you'll be used to how Flanagan deals with time. And that odd time bending mechanic starts during Episode 5 and is pivotal to understanding the mini-series as a whole.

One of the most memorable parts of The Turn of the Screw is that what actually happened is a mystery. Scholars have gone through every inch of the novel to discover the answer and have failed. Or maybe they have succeeded. Henry James went to his grave with the actual answer. The Haunting of Bly Manor does a good job at not answering what actually happened. The storyteller admits at the end that she changed details. Which means viewers can spend time digging through the episodes trying to figure out the truth.

Why Dani decided to become an au pair is pointed out as an important plot point in the beginning of the show. She says she wants to give more personal attention to children as she didn't have an easy childhood, but that can't be the whole truth. It can't explain why a person would go so far from their home. And, indeed, it ends up having something to do with the ghostly figure that follows her around.

While the ghostly figure is a good effect, it is hard to bring it into the rest of the ghost mythos the show aims for. Basically ghosts tend to only show up at Bly Manor but Dani sees the ghostly figure long before she arrives at the manor. There is also one other 'ghost' that seems to break the rules. This confusing lore for the show could be due to the fact that Flanagan decided to adapt multiple works by Henry James and not just The Turn of the Screw.

I would recommend The Haunting of Bly Manor to those who are a fan of Mike Flanagan and those who like a good ghost story.