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### It Started Again

I actually did not renew my Netflix subscription from a few months ago, there didn't seem to be a need for this- extra subscription cost, and besides we always end up watching on youtube. Another thing, I end up binge-watching and lose a lot of time. Anybody else here like me? I know there are!

But last week, the kids started persuading me to renew the subscription. I think they wanted to watch new Nexo Nights episodes. So I called my sister and asked her to just share her access to the kids. Whoops, she only has the standard package (2 screens simultaneously) and we ended up upgrading the plan so we'd just share the cost.

Then we talked about a series called <a href = "https://www.netflix.com/ae-en/title/81237854">The Haunting of Bly Manor</a>. She said I should watch it. About a year ago she suggested <a href = "https://www.netflix.com/ae-en/title/80189221"> The Haunting of Hill House</a> but I did not heed (I heeded on *Crash Landing on You* though. LOL). 

Again, I was hesitant to watch *the Bly Manor*.  I can't afford to start and be so immersed. I'm already busy as it is. But then...

<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/arrliinn/uuPauW3O-20201016_185627_0000.png</center><center><sub> Screenshot from Netflix, edited through Canva</sub></center>


### Trending

Browsing through the page, I saw its number 2 trending in the UAE (and worldwide too?). Could it really be *that* good?

##### The Haunting of Bly Manor [2020]

The Haunting of Bly Manor recently released on Netflix. It is a follow-up series to *The Haunting of Hill House*, released in 2018. Both are created by Mark Flanagan. The two stories are independent of each other but has mostly the same cast.


The Haunting of Bly Manor has 9 episodes, each 50-60 minutes long. It is a story of a young American woman, Dani, who landed a job as an au pair in England. She was to care for two young children whose parents had died, and whose last au pair died tragically.

I honestly expected a horror story, but it really was not *scary* at all. There were some moments of creepy, suspenseful scenes to jolt you out of your seat, but majority of the time I was trying to process the plot in my head. As the story goes back and forth from past to present to past, the plot thickens and the back story gets unravelled beautifully.

In the end, I decided that it was indeed not a horror story, but a story about love, deceit and sacrifice. Just "**perfectly splendid**"!




<center>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ</center><center><sub> The Haunting of Bly Manor Official Trailer</sub></center>

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##### The Haunting of Hill House [2018]

Blown away by the story of the Bly Manor, I decided to start watching The Haunting of Hill House as soon as I finished the former. The Haunting of Hill House was released on Netflix in 2018, from the same creator, Mark Flanagan.

There are 10 episodes in this series, 50 to 60 minutes each. It is a story of a family who came to the Hill House one summer to renovate then later sell it so they can build their own home. Strange things began to happen and they were forced to stay longer than planned, until one fateful night that they had to flee from the house leaving their mother behind. They got reunited again many years later after being confronted by another tragedy. 

In my opinion, there were more chilling, hair-raising scenes in this series than in Bly Manor. I especially loved the Episode 4 (It's A Twin Thing) which told the back story of Luke. It tugged the heart, he was a boy who was never listened to.

More than a suspense thriller, this story is also about family- dispute, differences, connection and unconditional love.

<center>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kGQj9Fmfm0</center><center><sub>The Haunting of Hill House Trailer</sub></center>


>“A ghost can be a lot of things. A memory, a daydream, a secret. Grief, anger, guilt. But, in my experience, most times they're just what we want to see.”
<sub>— Steven Crain, The Haunting of Hill House, Season 1: Steven Sees a Ghost</sub>

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### Notes

I watched the whole season, 10 episodes of The Haunting of Hill House in just one day! It was too captivating, I could not stop watching. My sister and I even had a teleparty for Eps 2 and 3, and supposed to see each other again tomorrow but I went on without her. See, I really have a reason why I do not want to start watching these series.  Besides, she has already seen the series before, so no harm done. LOL.

This is not a proper review, but instead, I just wanted to express my thoughts after spending 3 days watching both anthologies. 

Knowing how I can get too engrossed, I think I'd just stick to watching films or documentaries. I get *addicted* too fast.

Any interesting docus you can suggest? Have you watched The Haunting Series? What do you think of it?






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