The Haunting of Bly Manor is about a young woman named Dani (Victoria Pedretti) who takes a job as an au pair at an English manor, caring two orphans, Flora and Miles (Amelie Bea Smith and Benjamin Evan). Soon she sees apparitions that haunt the manor. 

The beginning of the series was slow; however, the fourth episode picks up after a slow start and some confusing scenes. In the first 3 installments, I found myself asking, “What is going on?” To my relief, its 8th episode ties everything together. 

Today, with so much talk about social injustice, this series breaks down many walls, shown in diverse social and multicultural representation. People of color are represented as are LGBTQ+ characters, with a same-sex couple, Dani and Jamie. Although Netflix cancelled a number of shows with LGBTQ+ characters in The Society, Everything Sucks, and I am Not Okay With This, viewers of Bly Manor can embrace the series’ wide-ranging commitment to diversity.

The chemistry between Dani and Jamie–not the horror–draws many to this series.

The first part of this series, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor is found on Netflix.

Bly Manor’s 9 episodes premiered October 9, 2020. Its rating is TV-MA. Run time of 50 minutes.