The Haunting of Bly Manor primer: What to know before you watch

The Haunting of Bly Manor is the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House, debuting this Friday. Here’s what to know before you watch!

After more than a year of waiting, we’re finally about to get the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House with The Haunting of Bly Manor. Mike Flanagan and several Hill House alums are returning to tell a brand new story, this time based on the 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

The storyline is about a young governess hired to look after young children at the Bly Manor estate. But once there, she starts to witness disturbing apparitions and other strange and ominous sights.

The Haunting of Bly Manor: What should you watch or read before the show begins?

If you really want to be prepared for the new season, then you’ll want to read The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Since it is considered a classic, you could easily find a free copy online or your local library. However, it’s not mandatory reading. You should also consider watching The Haunting of Hill House if you haven’t already since it is exceptional television, perfect for this time of year.

That said, even though the same creative team is behind both seasons, they’re not interconnected, although I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few subtle references and Easter eggs hidden throughout.

The Haunting of Bly Manor: A list of the main cast members and who they play

Victoria Pedretti as Dani Clayton
Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Peter Quint
Amelia Eve as Jamie
T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose
Rahul Kohli as Owen
Tahirah Sharif as Rebecca Jessel
Amelie Bea Smith as Flora Wingrave
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Miles Wingrave
Henry Thomas as Henry Wingrave

Kate Siegel, Alex Essoe and Catherine Parker will appear in recurring roles throughout the season.

The Haunting of Bly Manor: How many episodes? What is the runtime?

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There are nine episodes in this season, and each one likely has a runtime of close to an hour, if not more.

The Haunting of Bly Manor: What are critics saying?

For the most part, The Haunting of Bly Manor is receiving great reviews, although some critics have noted that it’s not quite we well-paced or terrifying as the first season. While The Haunting of Hill House centered on a family’s grief, the new season is a gothic love story with supernatural elements.

Collider calls the season “surprisingly romantic” and “emotionally devastating.” While Den of Geek says, “‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ succeeds at telling an emotional rich story while failing to conjure up fear.”

IGN has stated that the show has incredibly rich and fulfilling characters, but “less scares” than the first season.

It seems like the characters and the incredible performances by the leading actors are The Haunting of Bly Manor‘s best assets, while the story itself falls a little flat in some places. But, as usual, it’ll really be up to the audiences to decide on what they think!

Will The Haunting anthology return for Season 3?

Many fans are already discussing their hopes for a potential third season of the massively successful anthology series. I’ve seen several people plead with Flanagan to tackle the Amityville horror case. Netflix has not officially renewed the show, but unless Bly Manor tanks (which is really unlikely) it’s basically a given, so long as Flanagan is interested in continuing.

Hill House was a huge success for the streaming service, almost on par with Stranger Things. I’d be shocked if it suddenly got canceled.

Are you planning to watch The Haunting of Bly Manor? What do you hope to see this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

All nine episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor Season 1 premieres on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 9.