Hugh did not want either the authorities or his children to know that their mother had murdered a child, nor did he want Olivia’s sister to know what had happened. Hugh is heroic.
You learn in these episodes that Poppy is the only evil ghost because she was insane when she died so she became an insane ghost (same thing happens to Olivia). All of the other ghosts are either helpful or just living their best ghost lives. - Hazel tries to warn Olivia about Poppy's lies. - William just wants his hat back. - Abigail is just a little girl. - The basement ghost puts Luke back into the dumbwaiter (ripping his shirt in the process) and pushes the button to send him back upstairs. The buttons in the kitchen don't bring the dumbwaiter back up, so it has to have been a button pressed in the basement. And we know the dumbwaiter won't work unless the door is closed so Luke couldn't have pressed it. It was the basement ghost. - The Bent Neck Lady is trying to warn Nell about her eventual fate.
@@SarahTheBloody I'm glad you are able to appreciate it despite not being your favorite, I think it get's too much hate online. I just think once people understand it's more a Gothic Romance then horror those who like stories like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre might appreciate it.
Carla Gugino is a gem. Her presence in movies and tv always drowns everyone else out. I loved her in Spy Kids and Geralds Game (same director as hill house)
I don't think any reactor i've seen has predicted, picked up and connected as many things correctly as you have. and i've seen MANY reactions. Cool that you uploaded both episodes together. Also great job on editing the videos!
She’s so good at this , i dont know if you watched her reacting to others shows or not , but i’ve been following her for years now and i always loved her videos , shes one of the best youtube reactors
@@pariamtzv I have watched other reactions by her before and was very hyped when she started to react to Hill House and i knew instantly that i will love it :D
"You guys go on without me." She's so beatific there, and lit like an angel. She gets me every time, especially considering what happens after. Carla Gugino is... wow. We've been waiting the whole time to see her story, and she gives us just a spectrum of emotions and states of mind, with all the nuances - no matter how strange it gets. Amazing.
I don't think I've ever watched a show with so many moving pieces and such emotional impact and be like clockwork. Never missing a beat. And it has such a good message by the end. Brilliant show. ❤
"I thought for so long that time was like a line? That our moments were laid out like dominoes, and that they fell one into another - and on it went. Just days tipping, one into the next - in a long line between the beginning and the end. But I was wrong.. it's not like that at all. Our moments fall around us like rain. Or snow. Or confetti. I learned a secret: there's no without. I am not gone. I'm scattered into so many pieces I’m scattered into so many pieces, sprinkled on your life like new snow. Forgiveness is warm. Like a tear on a cheek. Think of that, and of me, when you stand in the rain. I loved you completely - and you loved me the same. That's all. The rest is confetti." I feel like this is what we all just need to remember - and tell each other? That pure love that comes to us in SO many ways and forms - that love is all that matters. The rest is confetti. ♥
I'm not a Christian, but the fact that the big Christians in this show-Mrs. Dudley and presumably Mr. Dudley- ultimately chose Hill House with their children over the kingdom of heaven, just fucking gets me. It's so many different things, beautiful and also so tragic and human.
I have three kids, and when Hugh explains how he spent so much energy holding the door closed that he didn't have space in his arms to hold his children kills me.
When Poppy and Olivia first enter the Red Room there is only one chair there, but once Poppy goes to sit down a chair has appeared for her to sit in. I didn't notice this but one reaction video I saw mentioned it and now I noticed it every time.
THIS SERIES t changed my life .and has taking me on journey since it aired anytime i watch these reactions a piece of learns something new and reminds survive and fight ...
really hope you react to more of Mike Flanagan's work at some point; Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, Fall of the House of Usher. All as brilliant as this show in their own ways.
Then there's his movies like Occulus, which plays with time like this series, and Doctor Sleep, where he perfectly reconciled The Shining movie and book at the end.
A great touch with nel saving the siblings. She touches/grabs Steve Luke and shirl. But let's Theo reach out to touch her because she hates being touched
A top-notch reaction. There are so many things that could be said about this series: the acting, the story, including the motifs etc., the sound design, the sets .... I totally agree with this reactor. Hugh was absolutely correct in prioritising the safety of the children by physically removing them from the source of danger (the House AND Olivia) before dealing with Olivia. I feel that's what every parent would do. Olivia already held a screwdriver to his neck (in response to his trying to pry open the Red Room door), she did kill Abigail and she tried to kill Luke and Nell. She was clearly dangerous. Also, if something happened to Hugh while in the house or on the grounds of the house while the children were still there, what would be the children's fate? Olivia wanted to wake them all up, and the House wanted to consume them. The fact that they were all psychic made the Crains a particularly tasty meal for the House. The House would absorb their power and be made stronger, no doubt. The reactor wondered why Hugh didn't have his own version of the Red Room, but he did, in fact, have one. The point of the Red Room is to consume members of the house. For everyone but Hugh, the Red Room is a place where they relax and enjoy their hobbies and be digested. For Theo it's dancing, for Olivia it's reading, for Steve it's playing video games etc. Hugh, on the other hand, is never relaxed in Hill House. Hill House is only a means to an end for him. He wants to fix it and sell it so they can finally settle down in their _Forever House._ For the other family members, the Red Room offers them a sanctuary where they can _enjoy_ themselves. For Hugh it'll be something different. He enjoys fixing things. His hobby IS Hill House. So, what does the house do? It gives him things to fix while making the Red Room impossibly locked so that he cannot get in it. Trying to break into the Red Room and addressing the problems it's set for him like the mould etc., that is Hugh’s Red Room. It's what consumes him. For Hugh, his Red Room is the whole House. Oh, Poppy almost certainly poisoned her two children. The why she described her girl's death reminded one of Abigail's. Also, her boy's symptoms sounded like poisoning as well. One aspect of Poppy's insanity was manifested in Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP) which is a mental illness where a caregiver makes up or contributes to an illness of a person in their care. This disorder is now called factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). It usually involves a parent and child. FDIA is a relatively rare behavioral disorder. It affects a primary caretaker, often the mother. The caregiver often appears to be very loving and caring and extremely distraught over their child's illness. People with MSP may create or exaggerate a child's symptoms in several ways. They may simply lie about symptoms, alter tests (such as contaminating a urine sample), falsify medical records, or they may actually induce symptoms through various means, such as poisoning, suffocating, starving, and causing infection. For me, the motif which I early honed-in on was the colour red motif. I watched for the color red religiously. For instance, I noticed that the trap door to the Tree House was red. There were also red objects in certain rooms. I also noticed how people at various points in the series didn't knew where certain rooms were, too. For example, Olivia didn't know about the Tree House, Clara didn't know about the Game Room etc. This was a big tip-off for me, personally. The number five was another interesting motif. The five kittens, two of which were singled out for special treatment. The five Crain children. The five stages of grief which manifested themselves in the Crain children: Denial (Steve), Anger (Shirley), Bargaining (Theo), Depression (Luke) and Acceptance (Nell). Also, the five psychic powers the Crain children possessed: Steve (Sight), Shirley (Taste), Theo (Touch), Luke (Smell) and Nell (Hearing). Oh, some people switch the senses of Steve and Shirley, but I've settled on this order. Then there's the fixing motif. Hugh is Mr Fix-it, Steve fixes people of their delusions about the supernatural, Shirley fixes the dead and the grieving, Theo fixes children, Luke is trying to fix his addiction and Nell is trying to fix the family. There's the cup of stars motif for Nell. I take that to symbolise death/eternity because Flanagan, the atheist, seems to be a fan of Carl Sagan, who subscribed to the notion that we're all just stardust. The motif list goes on. There are so many motifs/themes that could be discussed. It's really a very intellectually interesting series. You really have to pay attention to EVERYTHING in order to fully enjoy it. Most people don't, though. This reactor should watch, or rewatch as the case may be, Kubrick's _The Shining_ and compare and contrast that film to Flanagan's _Hill House._ Stephen King's novel _The Shining_ owes a lot to Shirley Jackson's novel _The Haunting of Hill House._ Likewise, Mike Flanagan's Hill House owes a lot to Kubrick's realisation of The Shining. The basic story is the same, in fact. You have two families, the Torrances and the Crains, who have psychic abilities. The Hotel and the House are both alive. They consume people. They find people with psychic ability especially tasty. Consuming them increases the Hotel's/House's power. The heart/stomach of the Hotel is room 237. For the House, it's the Red Room. Note the play on words, REDRUM and Red Room. The color red is highly symbolic in both _The Shining_ and _Hill House._ Attempts were made to burn down both the Hotel and the House. Also, how the time-line is treated in both _The Shining_ and _Hill House._ Etc.
11:11 The actress playing Poppy is in most if not all of Mike Flannagan's series, certainly BLY MANOR and HOUSE OF USHER. She plays all her characters fantastically.
@lynetteoliva1256 the creators actually specified that it became a manifestation of his desire to fix the house. It's also alluded to by the mold continually grows back; Mr. Dudley and the gentleman Hugh hires both say it's likely originating from the red room. With the mold continually growing he can never fix the house.
@spencergrady4575 Yet, he was never in the stomach of the house, unless u want to count the few seconds he was in there to stop Olivia, & let his kids know they could leave.
@lynetteoliva1256 that's because the house didn't need him to be in the stomach. All it needed to do was keep him out to keep him in, that's the whole point of the Red Room; keep people in the house in order to digest them. Had Hugh been able to go in his mystery would be solved and he'd continue fixing. There's also the fact that there are many ghosts there, and it is very unlikely every single one of them was sensitive. The handlebar-mustached clock repairman, for instance. Abigail. Mrs. Dudley. Nothing points to the fact you must be sensitive in order for the house to 'want' you; all signs point to it wanting to devour anyone. All of which is again supported by the fact the creators themselves said the Red Room became a problem to fix for Hugh.
@spencergrady4575 I got the keeping Hugh out too keep him there without him the others wouldn't be there, I'm just saying that maybe most of the family being sensitive is why it wanted the Crain's so badly. They were there for maybe 2 weeks. All I know is u die there, then u r stuck there. By the way, for all we know the clock repairman could have just died of a heart attack while fixing the clock, & got stuck.
It has been a pleasure following your journey. You are a great reactor! I do hope that you continue to dive deeper into Mike Flanagan's works. The Haunting of Bly Manor should be next up!
Great reaction from you as always. You always approach the reactions with such emotional intelligence. I always know I’m going to get a really genuine, authentic, and insightful reaction from you. All of the main Flanagan-verse shows are worth a watch. I feel like everyone has their own personal favorites. Mine is Hill House but the story was very close and personal to my own life in a way. My wife loved Midnight Mass the most. But definitely check out Bly Manor next. Then Midnight Mass and The Fall of The House of Usher. I also recommend Flanagan’s films Hush and Gerald’s Game.
Sofie, I’ve watched just about every reaction to this masterpiece on YT (except for a couple that were just unwatchable), and I honestly think yours was the best. You’re so empathetic and intuitive, attentive, thoughtful, etc. Thank goodness for you & your channel. Like others, I’m super excited for LOTR ROTK reaction next!!😊
This is my favourite series of all time, and I've seen quite a few reactions to it now. Yours has been the best yet! You're right that Olivia was giving Steve an odd look at the end. Hugh and Nell seemed fairly content, but she was conflicted. She still wanted all of her kids with them but, I think, she took a compromise and will leave them alone. Also, they all know the truth of the house now. I like to think that should be enough for them to know what's real and what isn't if it, or Olivia, tries to draw them back. Sadly for Nell, she didn't have that, and didn't have anyone to protect her :(
A LOVELY reaction series. You're the perfect reactor for cleverly written shows - you have the best timing for putting things together and catching themes and meanings on your first watch. Off the top of my head, I would also recommend Mad Max: Fury Road (a lot of world-building with minimal dialogue), Knives Out (a tribute to murder mysteries), and of course more Mike Flanagan shows. Also, have you ever seen Sense8? I hope to find the time to check out your GoT or Buffy reactions soon!
Outstanding reaction videos , absolutely the best and most enjoyable to watch . 🏆 ❤ 📹 Don't forget , The Haunting of Bly Manor is next 😊 👍 Quite a few of the same actors , just different character roles portrayed. And, another storyline to unfold .
The part when young Hugh hug Olivia and Nelly, was heartbreaking. You can see Olivia is happy to see him joined them, but Nelly is sad because the house got him. 😢
You should definitely react to the haunting of Bly Manor now. In my opinion, it’s not as scary, but it’s potentially more emotional even but it’s very very good. Loosely based on the book, the turn of the screw and some other stories mixed in.
olivia was definitely possessed just like nell was when she was drawn back to the house. a ghost didn’t enter their bodies but it haunted their minds. they were not themselves when they went back to the house
Olivia wasn't possessed, no one was. Poppy drove Olivia insane, so Olivia became an insane ghost. Just like Poppy - she was an insane person who died and became an insane ghost.
22:47 You finally got it after Luke has been saying she’s real since episode 4😢😢😢. Probably the worst twist after the bent neck lady is finding out Abigail is real and completely innocent. To your point about the house being evil it is and isn’t. It’s like an otherworldly thing that just eats everything that goes into it. Is a lion evil when it eats a small animal?? Maybe to some but to others it’s just how life is and that’s how the house is to me. But the ghosts are the issue as they can influence you all the time even if you can see them and know better. Also the only known ghosts to haunt are William, Poppy, Nellie and Olivia each for different reasons. Nellie trying desperately to save her twin. William seemed to have done it so he could feel bigger than he was. Olivia tried to get the kids to come back to their mommy. And poppy did it because she was insane and the way you die in the house is kinda the way you’re kept forever. Nellie and Hugh both had acceptance and complete realization of what happened to them. The other three died in their delusions which persist even in the afterlife. Notice Nellie crying while Olivia looks like she still wants Steve to join her in the house. I think this show is one of the best at just constantly having us get a new viewpoint that changes what we’ve learned almost every episode prior.
The house isn't evil at all - it's just a place where if you die there you become a ghost. As far as it trapping the Cranes in the Red Room, that was Olivia and Poppy that trapped them in there. When the Cranes were young they entered and exited the RR all the time. As far as the RR damaging the kids, we never see any proof of this. Nell says that the RR is like the house's stomach and that it's digesting them there, but we never saw any signs of this. This is just her opinion.
nell's speech scene alone deserves everything. victoria pedretti is so underrated, and the fact that this was her first job as an actress is very impressive also, you didn't included the scene of luke celebrating his soberity, so i don't know if you caught that there is 7 people with him, because 7 keeps him safe
Olivia was definitely looking pissed off at the end. Nellie was happily embracing her dad and looked at peace. Liv looked like she was mad had to settle for anything less than her whole family “back together” again.
I'm so happy you enjoyed and analyzed this show that well! Avatar and this are my two favorite shows of all time and i have watched them more times than i can count! I cannot wait for you to watch season 2 of arcane and completely unrelated I love your nails 😂😂
You are the first person I have seen reacting mentioning Olivia’s look at the end. I feel like it implies she isn’t fully satisfied with the outcome. Something I only noticed recently is that Mrs. Dudley tells Olivia to hold the door even if they hate you and that is what ends up happening with Hugh. 😭
I think Poppy identified with Olivia because of the maternal aspect, and William identified with Luke because Luke always felt so small in comparison to his siblings.
PLEASE also watch Midnight Mass. Made by the same person, with a lot of the same actors, and it's right up here with this one in quality, emotion and character development!
I don’t believe there is a definitive answer as to why there is no red room for Hugh particularly - there are a bunch of theories swimming around online, I don’t find any of them satisfying. One is that the red room attacked entire family in order of who’s easiest / most vulnerable. Starting with Olivia (who was clairvoyant and the twins who were tortured by dark spirits) on one end,- and likely ending with Hugh and Steve who are skeptics on the other end.
Hey Sofie! U made some pretty good observations throughout the series😊 I really enjoyed your reactions to THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE series.👍 Now that u made it thru to the end, was it really all that scary? This is one of the best, if not the best series I have watched. I have seen a bunch of reactors watch this series, mainly for the jump scare😄 I like to see how reactors handle it. U did pretty well.😊 One reactor I watched sent his water bottle flying, & it cracked me up. One thing that always bugs me is when people in the comments (not just yours but to other reactors) & even the reactors themselves talk about the twist of Abigail being "real". She was always real! It's whether or not she was alive or a ghost!🙄 Personally, I think the reason the Red Room became something for everyone but Hugh, was because they all had some sort of gift or ability with the exception of Hugh. Even Steven had something, although he didn't realize it. The night Hugh fled the house w/the kids, he saw the ghosts of the house because either they revealed themselves to him or the house did, probably the latter. I mean, one could argue that the house was kind of keeping him there w/the mold issue possibly stemming from the Red Room, but he wasn't in the stomach of the house until he went to stop Olivia. Even, when they went to save Luke, Hugh was still outside the Red Room, the stomach. No matter how many reactors I see watching this series, I still cry. When Nell sees & dances w/Arthur in the house, I cry. When little Nellie says "Nobody could see me, nobody could see me.", & Bent Neck Nell is standing next to her own coffin, I cry. When Luke gives his little speech about being born 90 seconds before Nell, but she had always been his big sister, I cry. The scene at the end of Olivia's episode, where she says "U go on without me." Hugh's response "How could we?" I cry. Finally, Mr. Dudley taking Mrs. Dudley to the house to be reunited w/her children in death, I cry. Guess, I'm just a sensitive soul. Anyway, I think I have said enough. Great reaction.😊
So is the house fully evil? Or is it when it trapped the soul of a psychopath in Poppy did the true evil start? If the house was fully evil would it have let The Dudley’s have the souls of their children to console them?
I've always gone with the Poppy's insanity tainted the house and Hugh's sacrifice kind of purified it theory. Steven sees all of the ghosts on his way out, but they are kind of gathered like they are seeing him off and not like they are coming after him (even Poppy) and the next time we see ghosts in the house (the Dudley's) there is a soft glow to them that none of the ghosts had to them during the rest of the series.
I think they built the house on cursed land. The house was dark or evil even before Poppy. It drove William Hill mad so that he bricked himself behind a wall. According to Mrs. Dudley, Poppy lived to old age, & was still "bat shit" crazy.
@@plothole181 But none of the other ghosts are evil except Poppy (and Olivia). So how could Poppy's evil have affected the house and the other ghosts when we never see any other ghost doing anything evil? Nope, the house is not evil. Only Poppy and ghost-Olivia are evil because they were insane when they died, so they became insane ghosts.
The house is not evil - it's just a place where if you did there you become a ghost. Poppy is the only evil ghost (and Olivia) because she was insane when she died so she became an insane ghost.
@@jhornacek Then how do you explain all the evil stuff that wasn't specifically Poppy? The rot, etc. Also, just because the other ghosts aren't evil, doesn't mean that the house itself is not tainted. The other ghosts looked pretty miserable there, so it seemed like whatever it was that was messing with the Crain's had an effect on them too.
*poppy. Not the house. The house isn’t doing anything other than keeping the souls. But they control the house, as proven by the fact that Liv opens the door when she wants. It was just Poppy preying on an already emotionally unstable Liv.
You're not the only one who thought Olivia staring at Stephen looked creepy, but maybe it wasn't meant to be. All you can see is her eyes because Hugh's shoulder obscures her lower face, and it's very hard to judge intent when you can't see the entire expression. Maybe she was staring because she knew she wouldn't see him again and this was goodbye. I like to think that Hugh's sacrifice restored Olivia's core self.
I’m hoping that you will watch more from Mike Flanagan. The only way to keep track if you do is by hitting subscribe! Sorry, but you’re stuck with me now. LOL
Ive watched probably 20 hill house reactions and cry every time Mr. Dudley takes Mrs. Dudley to the house.
Same here
Only then?
The "how could we?" always immediately makes me cry lol
The final scene with the Dudley's is the final nail in my emotional coffin, I'm done every single time I relive it...
Hugh did not want either the authorities or his children to know that their mother had murdered a child, nor did he want Olivia’s sister to know what had happened. Hugh is heroic.
You learn in these episodes that Poppy is the only evil ghost because she was insane when she died so she became an insane ghost (same thing happens to Olivia). All of the other ghosts are either helpful or just living their best ghost lives.
- Hazel tries to warn Olivia about Poppy's lies.
- William just wants his hat back.
- Abigail is just a little girl.
- The basement ghost puts Luke back into the dumbwaiter (ripping his shirt in the process) and pushes the button to send him back upstairs. The buttons in the kitchen don't bring the dumbwaiter back up, so it has to have been a button pressed in the basement. And we know the dumbwaiter won't work unless the door is closed so Luke couldn't have pressed it. It was the basement ghost.
- The Bent Neck Lady is trying to warn Nell about her eventual fate.
After your battery has had time to recharge I think you would enjoy "The Haunting of Bly Manor." Same writer/director and much of the same cast.
yes! bly manor is my favorite!
It's mixed reviews of that. I personally didn't like it even half as much as _this_ show. But one of my best friends loved that one more :)
Yess! Hill house is my favorite but Bly Manor is brilliant too! 🤯
@@SarahTheBloody I'm glad you are able to appreciate it despite not being your favorite, I think it get's too much hate online. I just think once people understand it's more a Gothic Romance then horror those who like stories like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre might appreciate it.
One of THE BEST shows, in my opinion, of all time. So incredibly beautiful and haunting. I love it so much. I hope you try his other shows as well.
Carla Gugino is a gem. Her presence in movies and tv always drowns everyone else out. I loved her in Spy Kids and Geralds Game (same director as hill house)
"How could we?"
Exactly how I feel about my wife; that scene and line always hits me hard.
I’m so sorry. Sending you love 🫂♥️
@O___________0 sorry for any misunderstanding, my wife is perfectly fine and we're living happily 😁
I don't think any reactor i've seen has predicted, picked up and connected as many things correctly as you have. and i've seen MANY reactions. Cool that you uploaded both episodes together. Also great job on editing the videos!
I second ALL of this!
She’s so good at this , i dont know if you watched her reacting to others shows or not , but i’ve been following her for years now and i always loved her videos , shes one of the best youtube reactors
@@pariamtzv I have watched other reactions by her before and was very hyped when she started to react to Hill House and i knew instantly that i will love it :D
"You guys go on without me." She's so beatific there, and lit like an angel. She gets me every time, especially considering what happens after. Carla Gugino is... wow. We've been waiting the whole time to see her story, and she gives us just a spectrum of emotions and states of mind, with all the nuances - no matter how strange it gets. Amazing.
I don't think I've ever watched a show with so many moving pieces and such emotional impact and be like clockwork. Never missing a beat. And it has such a good message by the end. Brilliant show. ❤
Another great reaction, you get so involved. It's lovely to watch. Thank you. This show is a masterpiece.
"I thought for so long that time was like a line? That our moments were laid out like dominoes, and that they fell one into another - and on it went. Just days tipping, one into the next - in a long line between the beginning and the end. But I was wrong.. it's not like that at all. Our moments fall around us like rain. Or snow. Or confetti.
I learned a secret: there's no without. I am not gone. I'm scattered into so many pieces I’m scattered into so many pieces, sprinkled on your life like new snow.
Forgiveness is warm. Like a tear on a cheek. Think of that, and of me, when you stand in the rain. I loved you completely - and you loved me the same. That's all.
The rest is confetti."
I feel like this is what we all just need to remember - and tell each other? That pure love that comes to us in SO many ways and forms - that love is all that matters. The rest is confetti. ♥
I'm not a Christian, but the fact that the big Christians in this show-Mrs. Dudley and presumably Mr. Dudley- ultimately chose Hill House with their children over the kingdom of heaven, just fucking gets me. It's so many different things, beautiful and also so tragic and human.
Olivia: "You go on without me."
Hugh: "How could we?"
Me: (ever single time) 😭😭😭
I have three kids, and when Hugh explains how he spent so much energy holding the door closed that he didn't have space in his arms to hold his children kills me.
The Dudleys in the house at the end ALWAYS wrecks me.
When Poppy and Olivia first enter the Red Room there is only one chair there, but once Poppy goes to sit down a chair has appeared for her to sit in.
I didn't notice this but one reaction video I saw mentioned it and now I noticed it every time.
THIS SERIES t changed my life .and has taking me on journey since it aired anytime i watch these reactions a piece of learns something new and reminds survive and fight ...
Abigail is the real twist of the show😅
really hope you react to more of Mike Flanagan's work at some point; Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, Fall of the House of Usher. All as brilliant as this show in their own ways.
All pretty decent in their own way - but honestly none as brilliant as this one. This could go down as one of the best series ever written ♥
Then there's his movies like Occulus, which plays with time like this series, and Doctor Sleep, where he perfectly reconciled The Shining movie and book at the end.
Midnight Mass is in my opinion one of the best television shows to ever exist, it's just so beautifully executed and philosophically fascinating.
aw hell yeah. Early xmas for us getting the final two in one shot. Thank you!
A great touch with nel saving the siblings. She touches/grabs Steve Luke and shirl. But let's Theo reach out to touch her because she hates being touched
A top-notch reaction. There are so many things that could be said about this series: the acting, the story, including the motifs etc., the sound design, the sets ....
I totally agree with this reactor. Hugh was absolutely correct in prioritising the safety of the children by physically removing them from the source of danger (the House AND Olivia) before dealing with Olivia. I feel that's what every parent would do. Olivia already held a screwdriver to his neck (in response to his trying to pry open the Red Room door), she did kill Abigail and she tried to kill Luke and Nell. She was clearly dangerous. Also, if something happened to Hugh while in the house or on the grounds of the house while the children were still there, what would be the children's fate? Olivia wanted to wake them all up, and the House wanted to consume them. The fact that they were all psychic made the Crains a particularly tasty meal for the House. The House would absorb their power and be made stronger, no doubt.
The reactor wondered why Hugh didn't have his own version of the Red Room, but he did, in fact, have one. The point of the Red Room is to consume members of the house. For everyone but Hugh, the Red Room is a place where they relax and enjoy their hobbies and be digested. For Theo it's dancing, for Olivia it's reading, for Steve it's playing video games etc. Hugh, on the other hand, is never relaxed in Hill House. Hill House is only a means to an end for him. He wants to fix it and sell it so they can finally settle down in their _Forever House._ For the other family members, the Red Room offers them a sanctuary where they can _enjoy_ themselves. For Hugh it'll be something different. He enjoys fixing things. His hobby IS Hill House. So, what does the house do? It gives him things to fix while making the Red Room impossibly locked so that he cannot get in it. Trying to break into the Red Room and addressing the problems it's set for him like the mould etc., that is Hugh’s Red Room. It's what consumes him. For Hugh, his Red Room is the whole House.
Oh, Poppy almost certainly poisoned her two children. The why she described her girl's death reminded one of Abigail's. Also, her boy's symptoms sounded like poisoning as well. One aspect of Poppy's insanity was manifested in Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP) which is a mental illness where a caregiver makes up or contributes to an illness of a person in their care. This disorder is now called factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). It usually involves a parent and child. FDIA is a relatively rare behavioral disorder. It affects a primary caretaker, often the mother. The caregiver often appears to be very loving and caring and extremely distraught over their child's illness. People with MSP may create or exaggerate a child's symptoms in several ways. They may simply lie about symptoms, alter tests (such as contaminating a urine sample), falsify medical records, or they may actually induce symptoms through various means, such as poisoning, suffocating, starving, and causing infection.
For me, the motif which I early honed-in on was the colour red motif. I watched for the color red religiously. For instance, I noticed that the trap door to the Tree House was red. There were also red objects in certain rooms. I also noticed how people at various points in the series didn't knew where certain rooms were, too. For example, Olivia didn't know about the Tree House, Clara didn't know about the Game Room etc. This was a big tip-off for me, personally. The number five was another interesting motif. The five kittens, two of which were singled out for special treatment. The five Crain children. The five stages of grief which manifested themselves in the Crain children: Denial (Steve), Anger (Shirley), Bargaining (Theo), Depression (Luke) and Acceptance (Nell). Also, the five psychic powers the Crain children possessed: Steve (Sight), Shirley (Taste), Theo (Touch), Luke (Smell) and Nell (Hearing). Oh, some people switch the senses of Steve and Shirley, but I've settled on this order. Then there's the fixing motif. Hugh is Mr Fix-it, Steve fixes people of their delusions about the supernatural, Shirley fixes the dead and the grieving, Theo fixes children, Luke is trying to fix his addiction and Nell is trying to fix the family. There's the cup of stars motif for Nell. I take that to symbolise death/eternity because Flanagan, the atheist, seems to be a fan of Carl Sagan, who subscribed to the notion that we're all just stardust. The motif list goes on.
There are so many motifs/themes that could be discussed. It's really a very intellectually interesting series. You really have to pay attention to EVERYTHING in order to fully enjoy it. Most people don't, though.
This reactor should watch, or rewatch as the case may be, Kubrick's _The Shining_ and compare and contrast that film to Flanagan's _Hill House._ Stephen King's novel _The Shining_ owes a lot to Shirley Jackson's novel _The Haunting of Hill House._ Likewise, Mike Flanagan's Hill House owes a lot to Kubrick's realisation of The Shining. The basic story is the same, in fact. You have two families, the Torrances and the Crains, who have psychic abilities. The Hotel and the House are both alive. They consume people. They find people with psychic ability especially tasty. Consuming them increases the Hotel's/House's power. The heart/stomach of the Hotel is room 237. For the House, it's the Red Room. Note the play on words, REDRUM and Red Room. The color red is highly symbolic in both _The Shining_ and _Hill House._ Attempts were made to burn down both the Hotel and the House. Also, how the time-line is treated in both _The Shining_ and _Hill House._ Etc.
11:11 The actress playing Poppy is in most if not all of Mike Flannagan's series, certainly BLY MANOR and HOUSE OF USHER. She plays all her characters fantastically.
For Hugh the room was a problem that needed fixed. One he had to solve to sell the house.
Or he was the only one in the family that didn't have some sort of gift or ability, & the house didn't want him.
@lynetteoliva1256 the creators actually specified that it became a manifestation of his desire to fix the house.
It's also alluded to by the mold continually grows back; Mr. Dudley and the gentleman Hugh hires both say it's likely originating from the red room. With the mold continually growing he can never fix the house.
@spencergrady4575 Yet, he was never in the stomach of the house, unless u want to count the few seconds he was in there to stop Olivia, & let his kids know they could leave.
@lynetteoliva1256 that's because the house didn't need him to be in the stomach. All it needed to do was keep him out to keep him in, that's the whole point of the Red Room; keep people in the house in order to digest them. Had Hugh been able to go in his mystery would be solved and he'd continue fixing.
There's also the fact that there are many ghosts there, and it is very unlikely every single one of them was sensitive. The handlebar-mustached clock repairman, for instance. Abigail. Mrs. Dudley. Nothing points to the fact you must be sensitive in order for the house to 'want' you; all signs point to it wanting to devour anyone.
All of which is again supported by the fact the creators themselves said the Red Room became a problem to fix for Hugh.
@spencergrady4575 I got the keeping Hugh out too keep him there without him the others wouldn't be there, I'm just saying that maybe most of the family being sensitive is why it wanted the Crain's so badly. They were there for maybe 2 weeks. All I know is u die there, then u r stuck there. By the way, for all we know the clock repairman could have just died of a heart attack while fixing the clock, & got stuck.
It has been a pleasure following your journey. You are a great reactor! I do hope that you continue to dive deeper into Mike Flanagan's works. The Haunting of Bly Manor should be next up!
Great reaction from you as always. You always approach the reactions with such emotional intelligence. I always know I’m going to get a really genuine, authentic, and insightful reaction from you. All of the main Flanagan-verse shows are worth a watch. I feel like everyone has their own personal favorites. Mine is Hill House but the story was very close and personal to my own life in a way. My wife loved Midnight Mass the most. But definitely check out Bly Manor next. Then Midnight Mass and The Fall of The House of Usher. I also recommend Flanagan’s films Hush and Gerald’s Game.
I loved your reaction and I cried with you
Sofie, I’ve watched just about every reaction to this masterpiece on YT (except for a couple that were just unwatchable), and I honestly think yours was the best. You’re so empathetic and intuitive, attentive, thoughtful, etc. Thank goodness for you & your channel.
Like others, I’m super excited for LOTR ROTK reaction next!!😊
Restock on tissues! 😅
This is my favourite series of all time, and I've seen quite a few reactions to it now. Yours has been the best yet!
You're right that Olivia was giving Steve an odd look at the end. Hugh and Nell seemed fairly content, but she was conflicted. She still wanted all of her kids with them but, I think, she took a compromise and will leave them alone. Also, they all know the truth of the house now. I like to think that should be enough for them to know what's real and what isn't if it, or Olivia, tries to draw them back. Sadly for Nell, she didn't have that, and didn't have anyone to protect her :(
Don't forget that Olivia is still insane here.
A LOVELY reaction series. You're the perfect reactor for cleverly written shows - you have the best timing for putting things together and catching themes and meanings on your first watch. Off the top of my head, I would also recommend Mad Max: Fury Road (a lot of world-building with minimal dialogue), Knives Out (a tribute to murder mysteries), and of course more Mike Flanagan shows. Also, have you ever seen Sense8?
I hope to find the time to check out your GoT or Buffy reactions soon!
Outstanding reaction videos , absolutely the best and most enjoyable to watch . 🏆 ❤ 📹
Don't forget , The Haunting of Bly Manor is next 😊 👍 Quite a few of the same actors , just different character roles portrayed. And, another storyline to unfold .
Now…. Bly Manor!!
Oh she’d be devastated watching that right after this 😂
The part when young Hugh hug Olivia and Nelly, was heartbreaking. You can see Olivia is happy to see him joined them, but Nelly is sad because the house got him. 😢
The “how could we?” ALWAYS breaks me
You should definitely react to the haunting of Bly Manor now. In my opinion, it’s not as scary, but it’s potentially more emotional even but it’s very very good. Loosely based on the book, the turn of the screw and some other stories mixed in.
Great reaction. You should watch midnight mass as well. Amazing show
amazing episode and series literally my favorite
olivia was definitely possessed just like nell was when she was drawn back to the house. a ghost didn’t enter their bodies but it haunted their minds. they were not themselves when they went back to the house
Olivia wasn't possessed, no one was. Poppy drove Olivia insane, so Olivia became an insane ghost. Just like Poppy - she was an insane person who died and became an insane ghost.
Please do Bly Manor next
Thank you for your wonderful reactions to a truly amazing series.
Stop asking the "Is it a dream" questions. Nothing is a dream. Everything is life.
22:47 You finally got it after Luke has been saying she’s real since episode 4😢😢😢. Probably the worst twist after the bent neck lady is finding out Abigail is real and completely innocent. To your point about the house being evil it is and isn’t. It’s like an otherworldly thing that just eats everything that goes into it. Is a lion evil when it eats a small animal?? Maybe to some but to others it’s just how life is and that’s how the house is to me. But the ghosts are the issue as they can influence you all the time even if you can see them and know better. Also the only known ghosts to haunt are William, Poppy, Nellie and Olivia each for different reasons. Nellie trying desperately to save her twin. William seemed to have done it so he could feel bigger than he was. Olivia tried to get the kids to come back to their mommy. And poppy did it because she was insane and the way you die in the house is kinda the way you’re kept forever. Nellie and Hugh both had acceptance and complete realization of what happened to them. The other three died in their delusions which persist even in the afterlife. Notice Nellie crying while Olivia looks like she still wants Steve to join her in the house. I think this show is one of the best at just constantly having us get a new viewpoint that changes what we’ve learned almost every episode prior.
The house isn't evil at all - it's just a place where if you die there you become a ghost. As far as it trapping the Cranes in the Red Room, that was Olivia and Poppy that trapped them in there. When the Cranes were young they entered and exited the RR all the time.
As far as the RR damaging the kids, we never see any proof of this. Nell says that the RR is like the house's stomach and that it's digesting them there, but we never saw any signs of this. This is just her opinion.
"What is the reason for this?"
Probably just him checking out who is in his house.
Great reaction! You didn't miss a beat!🎉
nell's speech scene alone deserves everything. victoria pedretti is so underrated, and the fact that this was her first job as an actress is very impressive
also, you didn't included the scene of luke celebrating his soberity, so i don't know if you caught that there is 7 people with him, because 7 keeps him safe
Also Theo and Trish are wearing wedding rings in that scene.
Olivia was definitely looking pissed off at the end. Nellie was happily embracing her dad and looked at peace. Liv looked like she was mad had to settle for anything less than her whole family “back together” again.
I'm so happy you enjoyed and analyzed this show that well! Avatar and this are my two favorite shows of all time and i have watched them more times than i can count!
I cannot wait for you to watch season 2 of arcane and completely unrelated I love your nails 😂😂
You are the first person I have seen reacting mentioning Olivia’s look at the end. I feel like it implies she isn’t fully satisfied with the outcome.
Something I only noticed recently is that Mrs. Dudley tells Olivia to hold the door even if they hate you and that is what ends up happening with Hugh. 😭
30:35 hurts every time I watch this 😢
I think Poppy identified with Olivia because of the maternal aspect, and William identified with Luke because Luke always felt so small in comparison to his siblings.
Love your reactions!
you should look up all the ghost cameo are in this series...it was fun to rewatch and try and find them all!!
Hope you watch The Haunting of Bly Manor next ❤❤❤❤❤
PLEASE also watch Midnight Mass. Made by the same person, with a lot of the same actors, and it's right up here with this one in quality, emotion and character development!
Hugh didnt got a red room, I think the house kept him distracted by keeping him fixing things like the mold and all smaller issues
I don’t believe there is a definitive answer as to why there is no red room for Hugh particularly - there are a bunch of theories swimming around online, I don’t find any of them satisfying. One is that the red room attacked entire family in order of who’s easiest / most vulnerable. Starting with Olivia (who was clairvoyant and the twins who were tortured by dark spirits) on one end,- and likely ending with Hugh and Steve who are skeptics on the other end.
I will echo others that we are very much eager to see your Return of the King reactions ^_^
You were a brilliant reactor for this show. Loved revisiting it with you. Hope you react to Bly as well.
Hey Sofie! U made some pretty good observations throughout the series😊 I really enjoyed your reactions to THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE series.👍 Now that u made it thru to the end, was it really all that scary?
This is one of the best, if not the best series I have watched. I have seen a bunch of reactors watch this series, mainly for the jump scare😄 I like to see how reactors handle it. U did pretty well.😊 One reactor I watched sent his water bottle flying, & it cracked me up.
One thing that always bugs me is when people in the comments (not just yours but to other reactors) & even the reactors themselves talk about the twist of Abigail being "real". She was always real! It's whether or not she was alive or a ghost!🙄
Personally, I think the reason the Red Room became something for everyone but Hugh, was because they all had some sort of gift or ability with the exception of Hugh. Even Steven had something, although he didn't realize it. The night Hugh fled the house w/the kids, he saw the ghosts of the house because either they revealed themselves to him or the house did, probably the latter. I mean, one could argue that the house was kind of keeping him there w/the mold issue possibly stemming from the Red Room, but he wasn't in the stomach of the house until he went to stop Olivia. Even, when they went to save Luke, Hugh was still outside the Red Room, the stomach.
No matter how many reactors I see watching this series, I still cry. When Nell sees & dances w/Arthur in the house, I cry. When little Nellie says "Nobody could see me, nobody could see me.", & Bent Neck Nell is standing next to her own coffin, I cry. When Luke gives his little speech about being born 90 seconds before Nell, but she had always been his big sister, I cry. The scene at the end of Olivia's episode, where she says "U go on without me."
Hugh's response "How could we?"
I cry.
Finally, Mr. Dudley taking Mrs. Dudley to the house to be reunited w/her children in death, I cry. Guess, I'm just a sensitive soul. Anyway, I think I have said enough. Great reaction.😊
So is the house fully evil? Or is it when it trapped the soul of a psychopath in Poppy did the true evil start? If the house was fully evil would it have let The Dudley’s have the souls of their children to console them?
I've always gone with the Poppy's insanity tainted the house and Hugh's sacrifice kind of purified it theory. Steven sees all of the ghosts on his way out, but they are kind of gathered like they are seeing him off and not like they are coming after him (even Poppy) and the next time we see ghosts in the house (the Dudley's) there is a soft glow to them that none of the ghosts had to them during the rest of the series.
I think they built the house on cursed land. The house was dark or evil even before Poppy. It drove William Hill mad so that he bricked himself behind a wall. According to Mrs. Dudley, Poppy lived to old age, & was still "bat shit" crazy.
@@plothole181 But none of the other ghosts are evil except Poppy (and Olivia). So how could Poppy's evil have affected the house and the other ghosts when we never see any other ghost doing anything evil?
Nope, the house is not evil. Only Poppy and ghost-Olivia are evil because they were insane when they died, so they became insane ghosts.
The house is not evil - it's just a place where if you did there you become a ghost. Poppy is the only evil ghost (and Olivia) because she was insane when she died so she became an insane ghost.
@@jhornacek Then how do you explain all the evil stuff that wasn't specifically Poppy? The rot, etc.
Also, just because the other ghosts aren't evil, doesn't mean that the house itself is not tainted. The other ghosts looked pretty miserable there, so it seemed like whatever it was that was messing with the Crain's had an effect on them too.
Fun fact: Poppy never blinks.
*poppy. Not the house. The house isn’t doing anything other than keeping the souls. But they control the house, as proven by the fact that Liv opens the door when she wants. It was just Poppy preying on an already emotionally unstable Liv.
Really loved your reaction. I'm really hoping you will give Bly manor and midnight mass a go they are so good also.
You're not the only one who thought Olivia staring at Stephen looked creepy, but maybe it wasn't meant to be. All you can see is her eyes because Hugh's shoulder obscures her lower face, and it's very hard to judge intent when you can't see the entire expression. Maybe she was staring because she knew she wouldn't see him again and this was goodbye.
I like to think that Hugh's sacrifice restored Olivia's core self.
Olivia is still insane here.
I love/hate the small touch of Olivia watching Steve as the door closed.
I mean, she's still insane, even with Hugh choosing to stay with her.
@@jhornacek you’re not wrong haha. Hence the love/hate. I just love it as something strengthening the show
Please Sofie watch Midnight Mass next, same director as Hill House, Mike Flanagan and arguably his best work
You are more observant than the NSA.
I’m hoping that you will watch more from Mike Flanagan.
The only way to keep track if you do is by hitting subscribe! Sorry, but you’re stuck with me now. LOL
Where is Lotr, I can’t wait! 😅
Waiting for your reaction to the haunting of bly manor ❤️🙏🏻
15:14 This picture 🪽
Horror show right!!???
Wheres "The Return of the King " reaction! Im really looking forward to it.
I cant believe, you didn't finish LoTR yet 😢
Return of the King when?!
Does anybody know when she will release Lord of the Rings RoTK videos? Asking because I’m extremely excited, not trying to be rude.
girl you need to watch glee or something after this u need a good laugh😂
Yay best day everrr ❤❤
I think Poppy killed her children.
❤
All due respect, you better drop The Return of The King SOON! For the love of god....
Finallyyy😭😭❤️
Where is Return of the King?