Haunting Of Bly Manor - Blog Posts

My thoughts on

The Midnight Club (2022)

I just finished watching The Midnight Club last night and couldn't help feel how it was like a beautiful work of art left unfinished. When I started the show, I was really impressed by the way the foundation was laid but several things were left unexplained but we'll get there later.

First off, let's talk about the true essence of the show; the stories. While I absolutely loved the way the characters expressed their unconscious/concious desires through the stories knowing that they wouldn't come true, that the future they paint will continue to remain trapped behind words, I couldn't help but feel that we could've been introduced to this world in a better way.

By the time we learn about Natsuki's story regarding the Japanese myth, it's already progressed into a "frenzy of jump scares" which completely ruined the atmosphere for me and I found myself wanting it to be over as soon as possible.

The next thing I wish to address is Ilonka's character. She is a complex teen who is unable to accept the terminal nature of her life and that she cannot be saved. Initially, I liked her drive to survive but as the episodes carry on, we see her completely lose herself in the desperate attempt to grasp what's left of her life. Her character itself had multiple flaws which were further enhanced by the fact that so many things about her were left unexplained.

Why was Ilonka having visions?

Was it because of her medication? Maybe. But it could also, be due to her being most open to the spiritual aspect of the place. She openly sought to achieve wellness through the nature and was engrossed by the past which might've manifested in the form of visions. Maybe her sharing these thoughts with Kevin was the reason for his own visions.

Another aspect of the show I really wanted to see were the stories coming together in the end (as we had in the haunting series) but was really underwhelmed. There were too many plot holes which raised a lot of questions.

Who is Dr. Georgina Stanton?

In the final episode, her ties to the Paragon are hinted at. I personally found myself drawing ties between her and Regina Ballard (Aceso). Regina, upon performing the ritual had lost her hair which kinda made me think if Stanton had also tried to do the same for her son (resulting in the loss of her hair, being the only survivor).

Who are the old ghosts?

This really got me scratching my head finding answers. Maybe they're yet again manifestations of the negative emotions arising in the kids but I'm not sure. Also, how is Kevin connected to the old woman and why does Ilonka keep seeing her where Kevin is?

All these are left unanswered which really irks the viewers to know more.

(I have not read the books and all my interpretations are solely based on the show)

Not me crying during the last episode of 'The Haunting of Bly Manor'

Spoiler thought on Bly Manor:

Bly Manor was entirely different than Hill House. The speed of it, the horror, the jump scares - all varied and might put off people because they expected a hill house kind of show. 

But its not. 

The only thing it shares with Hill House is the theme of love. Bly Manor is basically centered around the theme of how relationships made by us will haunt us for the rest of our life, good or bad. We see that in the blind faith- toxic relationship of Peter and Rebecca, which in the end leads to Rebecca’s demise. In contrast, is the beautiful, pure relationship of Owen and Hannah. Owen is haunted by his love for Hannah that makes him build the restaurant and name it after his dad puns that made Hannah laugh. Then there is Dani and Jamie’s relation that has an impending doom attached to it and yet their love for each other haunts them so much which leads to Dani drowning her self in the lake to avoid physically hurting Jamie and Jamie searching for Dani in reflections after.

The kids relationship to their parents who have died, haunt them, Viola’s relation and attachment to her daughter leads her to become this forgetful horrible ghost that destroys anything and everything that comes in her path. The uncle’s betrayed love for his brother, the regretful romance with his sister-in-law haunts him. Dani’s love for Eddie and her guilt of breaking his heart, haunts her. 

The show is a goth romance in a way. It’s a love story as Flora observes in the end. I personally loved it and the underlying themes will wrench your heart out. It’s fucking beautiful.

i think what fucked me up most about the midnight club is how desperate everyone was to believe in something, in anything. and in their desperation, all they found was each other. the stories mike flanagan create are actually heart-wrenching but this was on another level. the fact that he’s shown in every show that ghosts are not simply ghosts, they are wishes, and faith, and love, and sadness, and desperation. how when no one can bring themselves to believe in the truth they take to tales, and stories, to help themselves feel better. how every ghost story in the show was just themselves coping with their diseases and their pain. how fantastical is it that they held onto something so tightly, but it slipped through. like the sunlight in the trees or the wind through the grass. how no one blamed ilonka for believing in something so.. strange to make her friend better.

at the end of the day all they wanted was each other to do better. to live. how terrifying is it to know that you cannot live for much longer? to accept it? to let go of the ghosts and to simply stay present? how do you love and how do you lose? how do you accept loss? how do you grieve? how do you hold someone’s hand and not let go even when they do? how do you let someone go when they’re ready to but you’re not?

anyways this was my little tangent thing i’m still sobbing over the show. no one hmu will be rotting in my room for the next month