Netflix’s new take on ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ was a surprise hit and director Mike Flanagan gave us a compelling haunted house story which has truly resonated with fans. Only, a couple of the end scenes have been causing viewers to question what actually happened and if what we saw was as straightforward as what was on the screen. There were quite a few twists in the series and because of subtle imagery we’ve seen fans re-watching the series to look for clues and missed moments.
While it is hard to say that the Crain family had a happy ending, one major theory proposes it was much worse than what we had initially thought.
Now, we’re going to have to get into some spoiler territory for this so if you haven’t finished watching ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ you should probably drop whatever your doing, finish it up, and come back to this post after!
When it comes to the ending, there are two specific scenes which have viewers thinking that the Crains never actually left Hill House. The first of which is when Olivia, Nell and, Hugh are hugging it out at the end and we see a look that Olivia gives Steven which isn’t even remotely friendly. Subtle, but not a shocker given their relationship. However, the big one is that every time the family is in the Red Room, there is something Red in it.
The primary scene which has people talking though is when we see Luke hitting his second year of being sober. They’re celebrating with a red cake and this has had many viewers questioning as to if the Crains were still actually trapped in the house as it feeds on them.
While this is one of those subtle moments which has been seen throughout the series, that isn’t what happened here. According to Flanagan:
“I’ve said a lot about the ending, and I’m reluctant to say more. I like that people are able to put their own spin on things, so I’m not eager to take that away from them. In this case, though, the ending can be read at face value.
If they’re still in the Red Room, it robs Hugh’s sacrifice (and the show itself) of any meaning. For me, it ends exactly as it appears to.”
While this would have been the ultimate twist to have given only the most eagle-eyed of fans, sadly that isn’t the case. What does surprise Flanagan though is that many feel the series ended on an “uplifting” moment:
“Hugh is dead, Nell is dead, Olivia is still dead. I always looked at it as just having a hint of peace, just a glimpse into the fact that life goes on, and there’s some acceptance for the surviving characters. Acceptance, peace and a little forgiveness doesn’t lessen the loss they experience in that episode; it only shows that life has a way of going on and that these characters are finally accepting of that.”
It is easy to forget how much all of these characters have lost when given that quick flash forward to a happier moment in their lives.
Are you glad that Mike Flanagan clarified the ending of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’? Do you think he should have cleared the air or left this open-ended so fans could discuss it for years to come? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: TV Line
