Hmmm, typical american ending.
Why can't the show just end on Steven leaving the House?
Showing everyone is happy in the End? WTF?!? The House followed them for 30 years and suddenly just stops? Why, because it got the father?
I don't get why we had to get uncreeped in the end...
So I can again only give 8/10...
This was, by far, the most thrilling episode of the whole season. Which is ironic, considering they shamelessly ditched the creepy horror side of it and fully embraced the drama part of the show. And, for once, I was OK with that, because everything was beautifully told and events just flowed smoothly, one after the other, until they reached a satisfying sappy ending.
After the Red Room broke my heart with disappointment in the last episode, it redeemed itself in this finale, because its raison d'être was both disturbing and beautiful in itself. In the end, we just want to survive, evil houses included. We all gotta eat, right?
A surprisingly beautiful and emotional finale that put at ease the restlessness created by the eerie setting that the whole season made us go through.
One of the best psychological horror shows I've ever watched. Nothing is perfect, of course The Haunting of Hill House has its share of flaws (quite like the characters in the show), but I found it to be mostly consistent. The storytelling is as beautiful as the cinematography, and the motifs and metaphors were a delight to connect. Every aha moment a revelation of some fantastic gem about what it means to be human. The finale is to me the ultimate closure of this chapter in their lives, this must be the end of the show altogether. I cannot begin to imagine what a season 2 with this title would even be like... but I'm open to surprises.
[5.5/10] My exact words to my wife after the credits rolled on this episode were, “Well that was a thud.”
Honestly, I could kind of stop there. I’m not sure I’ve watched a season of television where the worst episodes were the opener and the finale. It’s odd that The Haunting of Hill House was able to sustain itself for a strong, eight-episode middle, but struggled to get going or to tie things up with any semblance of coherence or pithiness.
Let’s start with what I liked. While they started to get repetitive and predictable after a while, I liked the scenes of the house’s temptations to each of the Crain children. The notion of the house showing each of them what they want, only to twist and curdle that until it became repulsive and disturbing is a good trick. The episode probably goes to that well too many times, but the scenes of splendor punctuated by horror and shaming worked for the vibe this show is going for, and delivered some of the series best frights.
I also like the show’s use of non-linear time. Having Nellie vocalize that idea is a little too much, but the way that speeches or scenes or sequences that didn’t make sense in a straight line are rendered comprehensible by stitching them together in a new order is clever. By the same token, I like the idea that the house lured each member of the family (save Hugh for some reason) into the red room, by making it look like something comfortable and welcoming to them, while unbeknownst to each of them, the house had starting “digesting” each member of the family through that process. It’s an interesting concept and it works well as a twist.
I even like the presence of the ghosts in the house trying to get people to “wake up” or “go away.” It feels like this series borrows a fair amount from Twin Peaks, and I continue to appreciate the sense that there are good spirits and bad spirits, or at least helpful spirits and more destructive spirits, and it’s not always easy to discern what any particular one of them wants or how they can help or hurt you.
The big problem of this episode, then, is just the writing, at every level. Mike Flanagan goes way way way too writely with pretty much every line of dialogue and voiceover here. Steven’s description of the house and home, each of the house’s taunting avatars, Olivia welcoming in her brood -- every piece of it is just overly florid, neverending, and ultimately dull. I spent so much of this episode looking at my watch, when I wasn’t rolling my eyes. Some of the poetic imagery Flanagan writes is well-done, but all of his lines just piled on top of one another over and over again. It all feels very stage-y and pronounced, and while some of the show’s better performers -- Olivia, Hugh, and Luke -- can make it work, more often than not the momentum of an episode drops dead in the middle of one of those interminable, overblown speeches.
I also just didn’t feel much here at the end -- whether it was concern that the characters were in danger, sympathy for their moral difficulties, or relief when they make it out alright. Partly that’s due to the way the thicket of purple prose obscures any real human bearing amid the ample verbiage of the episode. But it’s also an episode that, apart from the quality of the dialogue itself, just stalls out into a series of extended conversations without much of consequence happening. The scene where Luke faces his mother again has some juice, largely because of the talent of the actors and the starkness of the scene, but otherwise “Silence Lay Steadily” just gives you girthy colloquy after girthy colloquy and blunts the force of any revelation contained therein.
There’s some neat ideas here and there in the finish. Something about the Dudleys reuniting in death, and the notion of people not really being gone is mildly touching, even if the show’s old age makeup is pretty bad. The sense of everyone having tried not to face their difficulties head on but getting better through doing so is solid, even if some of the triumphs in that closing montage don’t really feel earned. And while I don’t love the execution, I still like the idea that Hugh was struggling to protect his kids, and yet himself seems to have the personal realization that they understand now, and he too can let go and join his family on the other side. Hell, just the sense of the ghosts wanting others to “wake up” to join them is creepy but intriguing as a spectral motivator.
But I just can’t get past the way the show goes about this finale. So many of the lines are so bad and so overwritten. So many of the character moments feel extraordinarily far removed from actual human emotions or reactions because of that. In the throes of the supernatural in particular, making those reactions feel legitimate has to be priority number one, or else it’s easy to lose the audience in the practicedness of what they’re seeing on screen. Everything said here, from stageplay-esque conversations between characters, or the omnipresent faux-poetic ramblings, or good lord, the painfully bad voiceover, sap the finale of any energy or earned sentiment in the final tally.
It’s a sorry finish for what’s otherwise been a good show. The Haunting of Hill House closes its first (and, I hope, only) season with a big honking thud. Along the way it developed these characters, answered its mysteries in largely satisfying ways, and threw in a few good twists and revelations for good measure. But here, it spins its wheels and loses itself in a thicket of overwritten dialogue, and leaves the audience with a sour taste of what’s otherwise been an uneven, but undeniably worthy project. I just hope I never have to read Steven’s book.
every ghost in hill house must be chopping onions right now because bitch i am SOBBING
Lemme get this straight. They all spent extensive amounts of time in a room filled with concentrated amounts of black mold, something that causes hallucinations, hallucinations which continue long after exposure... lesson to take away: treat black mold and don't inhale it.
This finale was mostly fine until the last few minutes when the treacly music started and the tone jarringly shifted into oversentimental territory. Critic Mark Harris was bang on when he referred to the show as "This is Dead Us."
The pieces all fit together in the end. The Red Room provided each of them with what they needed, and perhaps with some of the glue to keep the pieces together. Other than that, can I just say that the Crain kids have the coolest dreams ever?
Good show but this episode was not What I wanted
That was a good closure tbh, I liked it a lot, and after all the red room was indeed full of surprises and not as I though in the previous episode.
Some parts of the episode will certainly make your tears flow away, a lot of love was there. It was very emotional watching this episode <3
Again, I really like the editing and how the director glow everything together to make this masterpiece show, I liked it and will recommend it for sure.
One might interpret this episode in a different manner, as if yes life is horrible to live in today's world, but you have to stay and do your best make a good living out of it. Each one of the children have put into dream like alternative reality, like a escape boat from the real life, but they chose (by Neil's help) to stay in the real life.
This show also showed some time altering moments, like virtualization and time travel, I like that Sci-Fic part, sort of reminded me of Lost.
On the other hand, Mr and Mrs Dudley, I really felt sorry for them, and the father and his sacrifice (and at least be with the one he loved the most).
All in all, the show was EPIC and for sure a hit.
Beautiful story... What an amazing show.
I'm glad all the questions were answered.
I don't know if we will see them again, the end was pretty much a closure.
Well done my friends. Well done.
That last episode was a mess. There were so many things in it that made no sense. Not that I didn't understand what they were trying to accomplish; just the way they chose to get from A to B was a lot of made-up nonsense that didn't add up.
Wow what a good way to go out of this story!! Less creepy - way more emotional. And it worked! The Ending of Mrs. Dudley had me sobbing.
Best show ive watched this year,10 out of 10!
By far the less interesting episode of the show. Disappointing both in story and style. I know it's often hard to finish correctly, but there were some good ideas and possibilities that were ignored, the stupid addition of a happy ending, several threads unexplained and parts that don't make sense. The Steve narration was awful too.
Still it was not really bad, there were great ideas in the middle, but they were also gross mistakes that this show had managed to avoid until now, and it makes them look so much worse because they contrast so much with the quality we had been accustomed to. Specially in the ending. It leaves a regretful aftertaste that this show did not deserve. The good part are a solid 9, while the bad ones go down to a bad 5.
Interesting part: when in their private room that actually are all the red room, they're cut from the rest. Theo appear as just a shadow inside for Shirley and Nell, while them trying to open it is a scary experience for her inside. That's a great concept and we should have seen more of that.
The scene with the thin man would have been extraordinarily creepy. Steve finally being confronted to what he thought wasn't real, the actual creepiness (though rather inoffensive ?) of the character, and his father still trying to protect me (look at me, not at the monster). And yet, it's totally ruined by Steve's book narration, what a waste.
An great concept also: The moment, for each of them, when they get inside and Poppy put them to sleep. And the parallel in the last few seconds of their dreams when it turns totally creepy and Nell appears to wake them up. These last seconds are all extremely good too (Steve's wife decomposing, Luke's friend with runny eyes, dead Shirley tearing her face off, less with Theo's.
Less interesting: The nice world that the house shows them, according to their desires, in between are kinda ok, but get a little boring quickly, specially past the first one on which you can wonder when would the scene fit, it gets a little too expected. It seems to be all about mending relationships.
Steve and his wife, obviously.
Luke and the friend he couldn't save, sure.
Then Shirley's part being all about the one time she cheated ? Totally out of place. Maybe this should have been shown before and this part would have been about fixing it, but here it was extremely ill fitted with the rest.
And Theo's part is about her one night stand ? What ? Sure, we get it, she's not been too much into relationships because of her power, but still..
An incredible good idea: Nell appearing and being out of sync, her sentences making no sense because they're not spoken at the right time, until she finally says them again when she's supposed to. A great idea, and a perfect execution.
Hugh, seeing Olivia again. Her real ghost this time, not his imagination. Quite emotional reunion, and they kinda make up. It's a little disturbing because in the end, she's still batshit crazy and is still actively trying to kill her children.
We finally see what happened during on the initial night.
Really sad drama with the Dudley, with a very American Horror Story conclusion (they decide to come die in the place where one can stay as a ghost, even though they avoided it like the plague before). But wow, they're pretty accommodating with her daughter's death. Even knowing that it was not entirely Olivia's fault because of the house.
Pretty good too: Steve taking his father's role. Coming back to end things, hiding to the others that their father is dead. However, even if the symbolic is great, how long could he actually hide that ?? It probably also means that he'll keep the house the same, instead of destroying it like it should be. And the show should have finished with him exiting the house.
FIxing things up with spouses ? Useless. Specially Shirley whose story came out of nowhere and was a disgraceful spot on this episode. Ten times worse for Theo. She's definitively hooking up with the one night stand girl. What. The. Actual. Fuck. A creep who, after sleeping with her twice comes uninvited to meet the whole family at her sister's funeral. Who in the world does that ?? Why would Theo choose this one to settle ? And what, in all of this story happened that would make it safe for her to just throw away her gloves ? Again, ok, the symbolic is strong but so out of place, trying to shove a meaningless happy ending down our throats. And all made worse by Steve narrating.
But that is not a happy ending. The house is still there. It took three of them. There's no reason to think it won't try again. Or other people.
Maybe it was because I was so anxious to know the answers but this last episode felt reaaallly long.
I can't believe that i cried watching a horror tv show!
I signed up for a spooky horror, not THIS. I'm a wreck.
jk jk. Really enjoyed the turn it took in the last few episode. Such a good show. Now I kinda want to read the book as well...
The old people make up and white hair ruined the ending for me. It took me out. It made me laugh . Why couldn't they end it before?!
Finale was a bit all over the place but goddamn did those Dudleys make me cry at the end
I wasn't going to watch the show cause I don't like horrors but I heard that Theo is gay so I had to and it was one of the best shows I've seen this year. It didn't feel like a horror. I love TV shows with complex characters and a story that unfolds itself as you go and that was done perfectly here. My heart was slowly breaking for Olivia. The Red Room intrigued me just as everyone else and I was not disappointed by the true nature of it. I'm happy for everyone's ending. The finale had me sobbing for most of it. I'm really happy I decided to watch it, amazing work!
Solid ending with some sweet themes, but quibbles like Kevin and Shirley’s resolutions keep it from being amazing
So when everyone was going on and on about this show I watched the first 3 episodes and was massively bored. I dropped it. That is just how I do it now. If a thing is not entertaining me, I move on. However, after a long time of probably a couple years, I watched it from where I left off (and just figured out what was happening as I went along) and the rest of it was great. I definitely recommend this show, but you have to force yourself to spend nearly 3 hours bored to tears. Enjoy lol.
Hill house needs to come back with a bang . 3 people died of the family and they felt it was just okay. Also no one truly dies in that house.
10/10
All Gold
Did it
Stick the Landing
yes it did in a very
successful and
unpredictable way.
The twists and turns
just kept coming and
coming from start to finish
and I thought this
Show Finale did a exceptional
job at answering all standing
Questions and everything
played out beautifully.
Fantastic set ups and
Awesome satisfying
Payoffs. The performances
were Outstanding and the
emotional pull in this
Finale alone was
Extraordinary, everything
hit it's mark.
What a pleasure and
privilege it was to enjoy
a Masterpiece of a show
of this calibre.
Yes there was two endings
Written for this shows
Finale and I definitely agree
with second choice not
the original one.
This Show Finale
Was Frickin Awesome
And I Enjoyed
Everything Single
Second Of It.
Rubbish finale.
One of the bad things about this show, is that the characters get worse as the show goes on. Almost all of them. Unlikeable assholes. It's ironic the sibling who seemed to be the most good, turned out to be the worst one in the end.
I support the ghost in killing them all. Not really, but i wouldn't mind either. The show makes me want to root for the bad ghosts.
Utterly nonsensical time travel and inconsistent ghost abilities. Those things pretty much ruin the logical sense of the show. The show has bad mysteries and bad resolutions. The finale really is bad. Bad story bad characterization bad dialogue bad horror.
If it wasn't for Nell (magically) saving them, all those idiots would have died in their own delusions/temptations they fell for. Which worsens the characters, showing even more a lack of intelligence and awareness. Ugh. Stupid.
It's rare to see a show fail so hard in the finale.
I didn’t expect such a beautiful ending. I expected it to be darker and gloomier. Since I heard the show made you feel depressed afterwards.
Definitely wasn’t as dark as I expected.
Pretty meh way to end a scary show..
"I'm home," I thought, and I stopped in wonder at the thought. I'm home. I'm home. Now to climb.
Steve's so bad with words! This was so cool the first time I watched it, this time I just feel pity for the Dudleys.
This last episode was a complete different style. Instead of horror it was more like watching a stage play and I found myself not really interested. Poor ending.
Emotional and good but i expected more 7.4/10
What happend after episode 5 ?. It got really boring. No second season for me.
That was a bit underwhelming... I kinda hoped for a turnaround but not a fully sappy ending. It's OK, I guess, but a weird way to end a this story. On the other hand, I'm 100% behind the Dudleys having a happy ending. They've dealt with this shit their entire lives and never waivered.
Season finale, it's been fine, revelations, intense scenes. I liked the series, those things that tell you from different points of view
amazing season, and the series. I had a great pleasure.
Shout by Anto ButeraBlockedParentSpoilers2018-10-14T05:42:32Z
A strangely hopeful and sort of happy ending for a scary story, nonetheless, a great ending to a pretty good show.