On The Haunting of Bly Manor, as the story progresses and past and present converge, viewers learn Peter Quint (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) possessed Miles Wingrave (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in scenes throughout the series. The Haunting of Bly Manor is the second installment of the anthology horror series created by Mike Flanagan. It's the follow up to The Haunting of Hill House, and while several cast members return, the story itself is an adaptation of the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw.
The story revolves around a young au pair, Dani Clayton, who is hired by Henry Wingrave to look after his niece and nephew, Flora and Miles. The children reside in Bly Manor, where they spent summers and holidays with their parents. Also tasked with looking after the children and the stately mansion are the housekeeper, Hannah Grose, the cook, Owen, and the gardener, Jamie. Dani's predecessor, Miss Rebecca Jessel, drowned herself in a lake on the property. Bly Manor also houses numerous ghosts, most of whom died by the hand of Bly Manor's former mistress, Viola Lloyd - aka "the Lady in the Lake" - a character who appears in James' short story, "The Romance of Certain Old Clothes". Viola died in the mid 17th century, but the Lady in the Lake refused to go peacefully, and instead turned Bly Manor into a purgatory full of lost souls.
Not all of Bly Manor's ghosts are innocent victims. Viola murders Peter Quint, a glorified valet with a checkered past who works for the Wingraves. Peter steals from the family and seduces Rebecca, leading to her eventual ruin. Following his death, Peter devises a plan that will allow him and Rebecca to be together forever, free from Bly Manor but at great cost to Miles and Flora. He teaches the children how to tuck themselves away into memories of their parents. He promises them they can exist in a "forever house" in the smallest recesses of their minds, enabling Peter and Rebecca to take possession of the children's bodies. Flora and Rebecca are less willing participants, but Peter's ability to manipulate Miles means that throughout almost every scene in the series, the audience is watching Miles acting under Peter's influence rather than as his true self.
There's a hint of Peter at play in the very first episode. As Dani is changing in her room, Miles peeks through a crack in the door. This could be attributed to a boyish curiosity, however, he presents Dani with a gift: a hair clip that Peter gives to Rebecca in a later episode. If it is Peter, his behavior is much more subtle than what comes later. The scene can easily be construed as a red flag along with Flora's dolls and dollhouse. Miles' peeping is creepy enough behavior to motivate Dani to lock her door.
Clues begin to emerge during episode 2 that there is something unusual about Miles' behavior. He encounters Jamie, and he says, "Have a lovely afternoon, Jamie darling." Jamie dismisses it as odd, but nothing more. The character of Peter Quint hasn't been fully introduced, appearing only as a handsome man Dani sees standing on the balcony outside the Wingraves' old bedroom.
The day after Miles and Flora lock Dani in the closet, Miles pulls the au pair aside and apologizes for what Dani believes to be a prank. He also takes the blame for the muddy footprints in the hallway. He refers to his behavior as childish, and offers her flowers: a similar bouquet to the one Peter gives Flora in episode 3, "The Two Faces, Part 1". Miles blames Flora for his behavior, claiming being around her sometimes causes him to forget himself. "I think Flora misses Miss Jessel terribly. So, we play little games to keep her from feeling sad. Such a draining thing. Dealing with children." He places a lock of Dani's hair behind her ear, a very intimate and odd gesture for a young boy.
During a hide and seek game that evening, Miles sneaks up behind Dani and puts her in a chokehold. He releases her, stating it's her turn, and runs off. As Dani tries to end the game, she spots Peter in a window. Miles says he doesn't feel well and collapses.
As Peter and Rebecca's love story is told through flashbacks, Peter continues to tuck Miles away. The morning after Miles faints, Peter is back. Dani finds Miles in his room with his hands in pockets, a telltale sign that Peter is present. He comments that it's a lovely day for a picnic.
Flora's strange behavior escalates as Rebecca increases her control over her former charge. Dani tries to make sense of why Flora would linger around the lake when she hates it. Miles eavesdrops on the conversation between Hannah and Dani, then claims his sister is a liar. Dani, Jamie, Hannah, and Owen acknowledge Flora and Miles' erratic behavior, and they attribute it to all of the trauma the siblings have endured. They appear to be themselves during storytime. However, as Miles begins to tell his tale of a puppeteer, he pauses, his hand slides into his pocket, and he's Peter again. His demeanor becomes hostile, and his story takes a dark turn.
Much of episode 4 focuses on the grief and loss endured by the adults, and Dani is haunted by images in the mirror of her dead fiance. However, when everyone gathers together for a somber dinner on the evening of Owen's mother's funeral, Peter makes another appearance. Miles requests a glass of wine. When he is denied, he grows infuriated and slams his fist on the table, demanding a drink. Dani sends him to bed, and when she comes to say goodnight, Miles has no memory of his outburst.
Having not yet accepted her death, Hannah revisits memories that serve as clues for her to follow. She's simultaneously solving several mysteries. What happened to her? What happened to Peter, and most importantly, what is wrong with Miles? Miles is prevalent throughout this episode, but Peter almost always possesses him.
While Jamie is on a ladder cleaning out the gutters, Miles begins shaking it. She grows angry, warning him never to do it again. Miles is smug and shows no remorse, simply stating, "Look at you, all flushed. You're pretty when you blush." Hannah recalls catching Miles smoking, using the lighter Peter gave him as a gift. She tells him she understands that Miles misses Peter, and she doesn't mind if he keeps the lighter if he's careful. Miles scoffs at her and runs off. Hannah speaks to Rebecca in the chapel - where Hannah spent much of her time lighting candles - warning her about Peter. After Rebecca grows upsets and leaves, Hannah finds herself trapped inside with Miles, who has a cigarette in his mouth and is flicking Peter's lighter.
Hannah finds herself going back and forth between memories, dreams, and fantasies. Her memories begin to be interwoven with those of the other spirits in the house. She witnesses the moments leading up to Peter's death at the hands of the Lady in the Lake. Miles and Flora are there as well, and as Viola, who died of "the Lung," drags Peter's lifeless body down the stairs, Peter's ghost grabs Miles' shoulder. Suddenly, Miles is Peter, who shouts at Viola to let him go. This is the first time Peter possesses Miles, and it allows him to figure out how to keep a foothold among the living.
As the final pieces of what happened to Hannah falls into place, Hannah sees Peter talking to Miles by the well. Peter disappears, and Hannah learns the truth: Peter is using Miles' body. Miles pushes her down a well, resulting in her death. As Hannah looks down on her lifeless body, Miles appears to be himself again. He doesn't realize what he's done or that Hannah is dead.
"The Jolly Corner" delves into Henry's dark backstory, and finally gives viewers an explanation of why he refuses to visit his niece and nephew. In addition to introducing Henry's evil doppelganger, it becomes painfully clear that neither Flora nor Miles can protect themselves from Peter and Rebecca. Peter has done a more adept job at managing Miles, who seems to resurface less and less, and is resigned to his fate when he does.
Flora spends more time locked away in her mind; when she emerges, she's confused, scared, and angry. She awakens from a dream to find everyone eating dinner, and grows upset they forgot her. Miles reminds her she's already eaten. While everyone else is concerned, Miles says his sister is fine, but weird. He's definitely not behaving like the concerned brother who got himself expelled from boarding home to come home and protect his sister. Peter's second appearance as Miles is in the episode's final moments when he knocks Dani unconscious after Flora lures her to the attic, which is the final resting place of Viola's dead sister's ghost.
"The Two Faces, Part 2" exposes Peter's plan to escape Bly Manor with Rebecca by his side. Peter turns out to be a bigger con man after his death than when he was alive. Instead of taking money and trinkets, he tricks Rebecca, robbing her of her free will and life. Despite his betrayal, Rebecca becomes his accomplice in doing the same to Flora and Miles. The children are themselves for most of the episode, and Peter has expertly manipulated them into believing they'll be happier trapped inside crumbling memories of their parents.
Peter and Rebecca are ready to take permanent possession of both children. All Flora and Miles have to do is invite them in. Miles is hesitant, but relents after a bit more cajoling. What child wouldn't be swayed by the promise of no more sadness? The possessed Miles immediately turns his attention to tying up loose ends, namely Dani and Hannah, unaware that Rebecca could not go through with his plan. He leads Hannah to the well, hoping to convince her to forget her former self and fade away.
On The Haunting of Bly Manor, as Viola's ghost carries Flora towards the lake, Miles says to Rebecca, "I gave you your freedom ... and you're letting it drown." He doesn't even view Flora as a person, but as a vessel — one that has ceased to be important to him. He's too much of a coward to try and save Flora, and he never cared as much about Rebecca as he did about gaining his own freedom. Once Dani makes the ultimate sacrifice of inviting Viola in, the spell over Bly Manor is lifted, and the spirits are free. Before Peter vanishes, he apologizes to Miles, who eventually forgets Bly Manor's many ghosts.
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