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The Haunting Of Hill House dominated streaming services when it was released on Netflix back in 2018, and its successor The Haunting Of Bly Manor has done similarly well in its release this past October. The story of The Haunting Of Bly Manor is completely different yet just as emotionally horrifying as the story of The Haunting Of Hill House, and it introduces some new and more inclusive storylines. The Haunting Of Bly Manor puts an enormous spin on the already terrifying classic story of The Turn of The Screw, strategically placing modern ghosts into any available spot. But for some viewers, the show itself unlocks a different kind of horror: the horror of being haunted by your hidden sexual identity.
This television show includes various lovable story arcs, including that of lead character Dani and her love interest, Jamie. There is a twist in Dani’s character development that highlights the horrors of being a closeted member of the LGBTQIA+ community — perhaps more-so than its writers may have intended — and the story resonates stronger because of it.
What Does Being “Closeted” Mean?
Being closeted is a term that describes a person who is not open or “out” about their sexuality yet. To be out sexually means that an individual has made the personal decision to acknowledge to themselves, friends, families, and others their sexual orientation, identity, or otherwise. The process of coming out is entirely different for every member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and in some cases, it is not something everybody can experience.
Unfortunately, due to familial circumstances, lack of tolerance, and a fear of being mistreated, many individuals choose to remain closeted for the entirety of their lives. Luckily as tolerance for the LGBTQIA+ community rises and inclusivity increases, more individuals have been able to find comfort and acceptance in coming out about their sexual identity.
The average age an individual chooses to come out is twenty-years-old — which means most people go nearly two decades remaining silent about a large part of who they are and who they love. In many cases, coming out in a largely heteronormative society takes a lot of self-love, growth, and identity before individuals may even come out to themselves. Coming out is no small venture, and the experience illustrated in The Haunting Of Bly Manor captures the essence in a horrifyingly accurate way.
Dani Tries To Come Out
In The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Dani is first introduced without her sexuality at the forefront. As the show’s producers repeatedly do so well, they keep hidden the most important aspects of the story arc. In Dani’s case, the most immediate question asked by audiences is, who is the glowing-eyed ghost stalking Dani in her reflection?
It is revealed that the ghost stalking Dani is actually the ghost of her ex-fiancé, Eddie. Since Dani is introduced as a mysterious American applying for the au-pair job in London at a spooky mansion, we conveniently don’t know anything about her family back home or her origin story until an entire half-episode is dedicated to it later on. It turns out that Dani was engaged to childhood sweetheart, Eddie. The romance between the two blossoms from childhood with growing expectations from both families on their relationship.
The two are to be married, but as the wedding planning carries on, Dani becomes visibly weary. The arc climaxes when it is revealed that Dani is not heterosexual — something that she has not admitted to anybody out of fear of not being accepted and letting her family, as well as Eddie, down.
Dani and Eddie are seated in a car discussing the break-up, and in a rage, Eddie steps out of the car, shouting about her ruining his life with the news of her sexuality. Eddie is almost immediately run over by a fast-moving truck — hence the spooky glow on his glasses from the truck’s headlights. Eddie’s passing both figuratively and literally haunts Dani, and she holds on to the guilt for most of the season.
Dani’s LGBTQIA+ Shame
The producers of the show do a great job alluding to Dani’s weariness of her impending marriage to Eddie and simultaneously excel at hinting at her sexuality without hitting the audience over the head with it. In one notable scene, Dani is being fitted for her wedding dress when she shares a romantic exchange with the female seamstress, suggesting to audiences her true sexuality.
While her sexuality does not impact Dani’s likability as a character, it is clear that she cares deeply about the opinions of others. In the moments leading up to her breaking off the marriage, Dani can be seen troubled by her circumstance’s reality. In a monologue shared with her love interest Jamie, Dani admits she was afraid of who she is and how people around her would receive her differently after she came out.
As many would, Dani chooses to come out to the one closest to her: Eddie. However, Eddie literally gets hit by a truck just after she comes out to him. Although correlation rarely means causation, Dani is understandably traumatized by this series of events and chooses to run from who she is rather than carry on through the steps of coming out as homosexual. As a result, the ghost of Eddie follows her all the way across the pond to provide a constant reminder of what she is running from.
Eddie’s deplorable reaction to Dani’s coming out mimics an experience had by many members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Many people who come out have positive experiences, but others have been disowned, kicked out of childhood homes, and even resented by those they love the most. Dani’s decision to remain closeted after this experience also mimics being terrified that your identity will cause others harm. Dani blames herself for Eddie’s death, and as a result, smothers her own happiness to avoid hurting anyone else with her identity.
Dani Finds Acceptance
Much of Dani’s story alludes to the need for her to accept herself before gaining acceptance from anyone else. The band of members who tend for Bly Manor are all quirky and have issues of their own that help Dani find this acceptance. Owen, the punny chef, tends to his dying mother and loves a woman who has already died. Hannah, the housekeeper, is tormented by her fleeting memory and being left by her lifelong partner and husband. Jamie, the gardener, is haunted by her family’s broken history and finds solace in isolation and her garden. But as stories like this go, Dani is able to feel at peace with the help of her tormented friends.
While the others learn to deal with their own demons, Dani falls in love with Jamie. When she first tries to pursue her, though, she is still being haunted by the ghost of Eddie. During their first on-screen kiss, Dani opens her eyes to see Eddie’s glowing glasses staring back at her and jumps back from the kiss. Jamie is noticeably upset and tells Dani that she will let her be from now on — but Dani doesn’t want Jamie to leave. Faced with an opportunity for love, acceptance, and happiness in a relationship with Jamie, Dani takes the difficult step to face the ghost of Eddie. While simultaneously fighting the horrors of the mansion and her own demons, Dani admits to herself who she is and how she identifies. She then confidently pursues Jamie, and she finds joy in the love shared with a partner who accepts and loves her for who she is.
Obviously, the experience of coming out for Dani is heightened and made more interesting and powerful by the presence of ghosts, but it is still extremely accurate and credible. Dani is faced with a decision to pursue her own happiness or risk hurting and losing others in her life and is ultimately able to find the strength within herself as well as from supportive allies to be true to her identity.
What Can We Takeaway?
Those who have watched the entirety of The Haunting Of Bly Manor already know the devastating conclusion of Dani and Jamie’s romance. However, the relationship they share is by far the strongest and healthiest depiction of a relationship in the show. Dani cannot only shake her demons regarding her identity, but she is also able to embrace her true self and find joy in a loving partner.
Ultimately it is up to the individual to come out as LGBTQIA+, but situations like Dani remind us that every experience coming out is notably different and worthy of love. We are all different in our identities, and it is our differences that make us more beautiful and powerful as a community. Hopefully, Dani’s experience in facing her demons empowers younger LGBTQIA+ audience members to embrace their true identity, or at least motivates audiences to treat others with care and patience. We are all fighting our own battles but, luckily, true love reminds us why we can never give up the fight.