“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” – Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, 1959.

·       

These are the opening words to acclaimed author Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel turned critically acclaimed Netflix original show, The Haunting Of Hill House. The two are drastically different in tone and story. You may be thinking, “Now, why are we focusing on a show from 2017?” My answer to that is straightforward. It is a show that I have loved for years. While it is a horror show, it is also something I can turn on when feeling down and my mood begins to shift. Any Mike Flanagan show really works. Some may think I am insane for choosing a scary comfort show. I hope that by writing this, I can explain myself further. It is also a topic I am very passionate about, and I would love to share it with you all. Because of these reasons, I would like to warn you that this may be a bit of a more extended entry. This is more of a passion piece than anything. This is also a warning for any possible spoilers. Nothing major will be revealed, but the characteristics and actions of the referenced early in the series may be discussed.

Let me set the stage for our timeline happening in the past. We are introduced to the Crain family. Hugh and Olivia Crain and their five children Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke, and his twin Elanor. The family moves into the delipidated yet extravagant mansion to bring new life into the home. The children are plagued with sightings of specters and oddities throughout their stay in the house. Finally, they hit their boiling point when family matriarch Olivia takes violent action towards Luke and Nell, and the children flee in the night with Hugh. It is then revealed that Olivia took her own life after the incident. The children have been thrust out of their lives and into a new version of reality. Worst of all, Hugh refuses to clarify to anyone what truly happened that night and why it took so long for him to call the police, for he sees these actions as protecting his children. Consider the stage set.

Stephen, the oldest Crain, has become a resounding success after starting a career as an author. In fact, he writes about haunted locations in his novel based on his experience living in Hill House. Everybody loves his work except a few of his siblings. The feeling is justifiable as Steve is a bit of a phony. He has never actually seen a ghost. Worse is he doesn’t even believe they are there. And then, Stephen gets a call…

Shirley is angry. She’s also justified. After a massively traumatic event see’s Shirley face death more than once. She has put all her energy into running her own mortuary and funeral home. She has become the one her siblings turn to when in need, especially when it comes to Luke. Shirley has even allowed Theo to live in her back house. But there continues to be disrespect. Shirley is mad. And maybe a tad bit hypocritical. And then Shirley gets a call…

Theodora, Theo, loves making a statement. She is a classic middle child (I should know) and has built up walls. Her close to psychic powers have plagued her since Hill House. With just one touch, she can see right through you. When young Theo sees something she never should have, she closes herself off. She uses gloves to separate herself from her feelings. And her walls grow higher. And then there is a knock at the door…

Luke is no longer the sweet child we met. His family refused to listen to his version of events, leading him down a dark and lonesome path. He has driven away all of his siblings because of his siblings. All except for Nell, who constantly supports him. We find Luke in the midst of yet another rehab stay. When a friend decides to flee the center, Luke intends to bring her back. This happens just after Luke celebrates getting his 90-day chip. But the quest goes to hell when Luke finds himself alone, wandering the street for days, constantly stalked by a tall, floating specter. And then Luke makes a call… 

Finally, we catch up with Nell. Nell has been haunted by nightmares of the Bent-Neck Lady. She is finally happy when she meets Arthur, and her nightmares fade. However, she is pushed to her breaking point when confronted with unbearable grief and no idea how to move on. And Nell decides to leave… 

The siblings are forced to reunite when tragedy strikes yet again. Past traumas are put on the forefront, and a family reunion to end all reunions begins. Now I will stop there with plot details so as to not give away all secrets! As you may have noticed, there are lots of themes at play. The most prominent, in my opinion, is how trauma is dealt with and how the ideas of fate affect our lives. Clearly, each kid is wholly changed after Hill House, whether or not they wear it on their sleeve. Rarely in horror are there great representations of familial loss and relationships. Each character is written with such care as to how they evolve to each new stage in life. They begin as innocent children and progress to semi-cynical adults with significant issues. They were shaped entirely by their time at the house. 

We are constantly presented with the unhealthy coping mechanisms developed by each individual. Shirley buries herself in work, Luke pays for relief, Steve makes it his own, Theo blocks out, and Nell cannot move on. In doing so, they are each pushed away from each other until they are practically on islands. Then, when worlds collide again, they hit hard. And they will come out different. Even if they have to defy a seemingly predestined fate.

 “No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” – Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, 1959.

·       

These are the opening words to acclaimed author Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel turned critically acclaimed Netflix original show, The Haunting Of Hill House. The two are drastically different in tone and story. You may be thinking, “Now, why are we focusing on a show from 2017?” My answer to that is straightforward. It is a show that I have loved for years. While it is a horror show, it is also something I can turn on when feeling down and my mood begins to shift. Any Mike Flanagan show really works. Some may think I am insane for choosing a scary comfort show. I hope that by writing this, I can explain myself further. It is also a topic I am very passionate about, and I would love to share it with you all. Because of these reasons, I would like to warn you that this may be a bit of a more extended entry. This is more of a passion piece than anything. This is also a warning for any possible spoilers. Nothing major will be revealed, but the characteristics and actions of the referenced early in the series may be discussed.

Let me set the stage for our timeline happening in the past. We are introduced to the Crain family. Hugh and Olivia Crain and their five children Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke, and his twin Elanor. The family moves into the delipidated yet extravagant mansion to bring new life into the home. The children are plagued with sightings of specters and oddities throughout their stay in the house. Finally, they hit their boiling point when family matriarch Olivia takes violent action towards Luke and Nell, and the children flee in the night with Hugh. It is then revealed that Olivia took her own life after the incident. The children have been thrust out of their lives and into a new version of reality. Worst of all, Hugh refuses to clarify to anyone what truly happened that night and why it took so long for him to call the police, for he sees these actions as protecting his children. Consider the stage set.

Stephen, the oldest Crain, has become a resounding success after starting a career as an author. In fact, he writes about haunted locations in his novel based on his experience living in Hill House. Everybody loves his work except a few of his siblings. The feeling is justifiable as Steve is a bit of a phony. He has never actually seen a ghost. Worse is he doesn’t even believe they are there. And then, Stephen gets a call…

Shirley is angry. She’s also justified. After a massively traumatic event see’s Shirley face death more than once. She has put all her energy into running her own mortuary and funeral home. She has become the one her siblings turn to when in need, especially when it comes to Luke. Shirley has even allowed Theo to live in her back house. But there continues to be disrespect. Shirley is mad. And maybe a tad bit hypocritical. And then Shirley gets a call…

Theodora, Theo, loves making a statement. She is a classic middle child (I should know) and has built up walls. Her close to psychic powers have plagued her since Hill House. With just one touch, she can see right through you. When young Theo sees something she never should have, she closes herself off. She uses gloves to separate herself from her feelings. And her walls grow higher. And then there is a knock at the door…

Luke is no longer the sweet child we met. His family refused to listen to his version of events, leading him down a dark and lonesome path. He has driven away all of his siblings because of his siblings. All except for Nell, who constantly supports him. We find Luke in the midst of yet another rehab stay. When a friend decides to flee the center, Luke intends to bring her back. This happens just after Luke celebrates getting his 90-day chip. But the quest goes to hell when Luke finds himself alone, wandering the street for days, constantly stalked by a tall, floating specter. And then Luke makes a call… 

Finally, we catch up with Nell. Nell has been haunted by nightmares of the Bent-Neck Lady. She is finally happy when she meets Arthur, and her nightmares fade. However, she is pushed to her breaking point when confronted with unbearable grief and no idea how to move on. And Nell decides to leave… 

The siblings are forced to reunite when tragedy strikes yet again. Past traumas are put on the forefront, and a family reunion to end all reunions begins. Now I will stop there with plot details so as to not give away all secrets! As you may have noticed, there are lots of themes at play. The most prominent, in my opinion, is how trauma is dealt with and how the ideas of fate affect our lives. Clearly, each kid is wholly changed after Hill House, whether or not they wear it on their sleeve. Rarely in horror are there great representations of familial loss and relationships. Each character is written with such care as to how they evolve to each new stage in life. They begin as innocent children and progress to semi-cynical adults with significant issues. They were shaped entirely by their time at the house. 

We are constantly presented with the unhealthy coping mechanisms developed by each individual. Shirley buries herself in work, Luke pays for relief, Steve makes it his own, Theo blocks out, and Nell cannot move on. In doing so, they are each pushed away from each other until they are practically on islands. Then, when worlds collide again, they hit hard. And they will come out different. Even if they have to defy a seemingly predestined fate.

This show brings me so much comfort. As I stated early on, it is something I can turn on and get lost in. The way the themes are tackled in a scary yet sophisticated manner continues to astonish me. Mike Flanagan continues the trend of including deep and meaningful topics in a difficult, spooky, emotional journey. With the stories always being wrapped up after a set amount of episodes, comfort comes from the knowledge of what’s to come and the story that unfolds in the exact same beats. So there is my semi-spoiled dive into a show close to my heart. I would highly recommend Flanagan’s work to anyone. I personally will be a fan of his until the day I die! I would even recommend it to those who don’t like horror (I’m looking at you, Dad)! Thank you so much for indulging in my little speech. Please have a great day, and be kind to each other. If nothing else, be kind.