After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry Wingrave hires a young American nanny to care for his orphaned niece and nephew who reside at Bly Manor with the estate’s chef Owen, groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. But all is not as it seems at the manor, and centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling gothic romance. At Bly Manor, dead doesn’t mean gone.
The Haunting of Bly Manor is very different from its predecessor The Haunting of Hill House. Character development is the main focus this season. We are deeply integrated in the lives of every character. Some episodes are dedicated completely to these characters and their backstories. The acting is the strongest aspect in this season. Victoria Pedretti gives a solid performance and you care for her. The rest of the cast is very good also. The production and setting are top-notch and the special effects are well-made. Bly Manor is a character-driven story about love and will have you involve emotionally.
Unfortunately, Bly Manor isn’t as good as Hill House. The focus is too much on characters and not much on the scares. It’s called “The Haunting” for a reason, but this time it’s pretty much absent. I didn’t find it scary at all. I understand that the focus is on love, but we all expect some good scares. Also, the pacing is way too slow. Some episodes are filled with dialogues that doesn’t develop the story. It drags so much that you are bored as hell. Only the first episode was written and directed by Mike Flanagan and it shows. The others episodes doesn’t provide the scares and creepiness that Flanagan can create. Overall, Bly Manor could’ve been way better and suffers from the expectations of an excellent first season. It has some touching moments but, for me, this season has no rewatch value.
