Photo courtesy of TVLine

 In the much-anticipated second installment of “The Haunting” series, created for Netflix by Mike Flanagan, audiences find themselves exploring the grounds of yet another haunted gothic mansion, this time in London. Although fans of “The Haunting of Hill House” might not experience the same blinding and all-encompassing horror they felt while watching the first season, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” forges its own poignant path through its effective storytelling.

Danielle “Dani” Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) is hired as an au pair at Bly Manor and starts to raise two strange orphaned children, Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) Wingrave. What Dani is unaware of, however, is that Bly Manor seems to have both metaphorical and physical ghosts haunting the grounds. To start, the children have already felt the devastating loss of their parents as well as their previous au pair, Rebecca Jessel (Tahirah Sharif), who died on the grounds. As Dani becomes closer with the housekeeper Hannah Grose (T’Nia Miller), the cook Owen (Rahul Kohli), the gardener Jamie (Amelia Eve) and the children, she finds herself pulled deeper into the mysteries and shadows of Bly Manor. Soon, she becomes not only tasked with teaching and raising the children but also keeping them safe from the ghosts that threaten their safety and home.

 Although fans of the first season might be looking for a horror experience similar to that of the Crain family, they will certainly not find it in “Bly Manor.” Let’s get one thing clear: “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is just as good as “The Haunting of Hill House,” they just differ in their strengths. The story of “Hill House” is terrifying in an utterly petrifying manner and will leave you holding your breath without a moment of solace. While “The Haunting of Bly Manor” certainly has its frightening moments, they are much more psychological in nature.

 The writing of the series as a whole is extremely strong; however, there are moments that felt more like filler in some sections of the story. What the writing does successfully achieve is creating thematic links between the first and second season.  This gives the two seasons a sense of cohesiveness even though they don’t follow the same storyline or characters. “Bly Manor” and “Hill House” both explore themes of sexuality, childhood trauma, family struggles and death. Much like “Hill House”, the ghosts of Bly Manor seem far more terrifying before the audience is given context by learning their backstories; after, they almost seem bearable.

Likewise, fans of the first season will see some familiar faces, such as Pedretti, whose talent is electrifying and utterly addictive. Fans may also recognize Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who plays Peter Quint, and Henry Thomas, who portrays Henry Wingrave, as well as Kate Siegel.

If returning audience members start “The Haunting of Bly Manor” expecting it to check off every box that its preceding season did, it is destined to fail expectations. However, when it is examined for its individual storytelling, beautiful direction, strong, useful writing and powerful themes, it can be enjoyed by fans and celebrated in the capacity that it deserves.

“The Haunting of Bly Manor” is now available for streaming on Netflix.