‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ Ending Is ‘Tragic,’ but Also a ‘Good Thing,’ According To Victoria Pedretti
The Haunting of Bly Manor was not as full of jump-scares as The Haunting of Hill House. But that doesn’t make it any less good or make it less impactful at all. It was a love story, this time around, and had such a bittersweet ending. And there’s a silver lining to this sad ending if you think about it. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Haunting of Bly Manor].
Even though ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ wasn’t as scary as ‘Hill House,’ the ending was hauntingly beautiful
At the end of the season, it’s revealed that Jamie, the gardener, is the storyteller viewers met at the beginning (aka Carla Gugino). She told her life’s story, with Henry and Owen being the only two in the room who actually know it’s true. Flora and Miles forgot everything by the time they were teenagers, and Jamie changed everyone’s names in her retelling.
Jamie also still waits for Dani every single night, with a full bathtub and door slightly open, so that she might catch a glimpse of her lost love. It’s very, very heartwrenching, especially since audiences got to see Dani and Jamie have such a happy life for a decade or so.
Even though it’s so sad, Victoria Pedretti saw good in the ending
However, in all the sadness that surrounds the couple’s ending, Victoria Pedretti points out that it’s not all bad. In an interview with TV Guide on Oct. 13, she talked about the ending and the dichotomy between the mourning it evokes and also the necessity of it.
“It is tragic, but it also is kind of the way of the world,” she said. “I think that can actually be quite a good thing. Or a positive position that she’s found herself living in for eternity. Because she certainly found a lot of fulfillment in being a caretaker and a protector in her living life.”
Dani really was one of the most selfless people, taking on Viola’s ghost to save Flora and she did it without a second thought. Throughout all of The Haunting of Bly Manor, Dani continued to put the kids first and cared for them fiercely. Even if her sacrifices for them were forgotten, she would most likely do it again.
Dani is always with Jamie, even if Jamie thought she’d forget her
Both Pedretti and Amelia Eve (Jamie) believe that Dani is always with Jamie, as seen at the end with her hand on Jamie’s shoulder after Flora’s wedding. In an interview with BuzzFeed on Oct. 12, Eve said that Jamie doesn’t really know Dani’s there — she says that Dani has to walk Bly Manor like the Lady of the Lake — but that Dani probably comes back often while Jamie sleeps.
“I think Dani was so keen to absorb all of this bad energy and not let it ever affect anybody else again. She was so selfless in that respect,” Eve said. “And Jamie’s quite a selfless person. So I think if Jamie could have, she would have taken it off of Dani. But Dani wouldn’t let her and so that’s why Dani didn’t let Jamie know that she’s there but she is there this whole time.”
Jamie doesn’t actually know what happens after death, nor does she know that Dani is with her in the end. So who’s to say that the “tragic” ending won’t be a happy one someday. Dani’s not stuck at Bly Manor; instead, she visits Jamie at night but doesn’t reveal herself to hopefully give Jamie some peace. Dani’s hand on Jamie’s shoulder at the end really pushes the thought that once Jamie dies, they’ll be reunited.
While Viola was stuck at Bly Manor in a curse she put on herself, with her sadness and anger holding her to that spot, Dani isn’t the same. She selflessly took Viola’s place, and didn’t kill anyone. The fact that she’s able to visit Jamie proves she doesn’t forget about her. And that she’s just waiting until they can be together again.
