The Haunting of Bly Manor Season 1 Episode 5 Recap – The Altar of the Dead

[00:01:00] Before Jamie and Dani went back to the bonfire, Owen and Hannah had a little talk. Owen was a bit relieved that his mother was gone. After enduring her dementia for years, he could finally breathe. He told Hannah about his takeaway from taking care of his mother. Owen stated that people couldn’t rely on their past or future selves. There’s no guarantee for the future, and there’s a chance you won’t remember the past. Given what he’s learned, he wants to go back to Paris to continue where he left off in life. Owen invited Hannah to tag along. Hannah didn’t know what she would do in Paris, but Owen knew she’d had her share of troubles. Owen told Hannah they could drink good wine and enjoy their remaining days on Earth in Paris.

[00:04:30] Before Hannah could mount a response, Jamie and Dani arrived. Jamie took Owen home, and that was the end of their conversation. Hannah reminisced the first time she met Owen. She was not her usual self that day. Something or someone may have caused Hannah to be confounded, but she continued the interview with Owen. She asked Owen why he wanted to work in Bly, given that he’s a chef from Paris. She knew Owen could make money elsewhere. Owen responded that he needed to be close to home as possible. Owen told Hannah the truth: he needed to work in Bly because her mother was starting to develop dementia. He needs to take care of his mother and make money on the side for them both. Hannah and Owen continued talking, and it was right then and there that she may have fallen for him.

[00:08:30] Part of Hannah’s memory was a day when the Wingraves arrived in Bly. Dominic and Charlotte were with Miles and Flora. Henry came with Peter, whom Hannah never liked. She remembered everything like it was just yesterday. Her decision to return to the manor came after finding out her husband was cheating on her. She entered the manor and went right back out. Hannah wailed in anguish as Charlotte found her in the driveway. She thought Hannah had gone home. Charlotte asked if her husband was going to come to pick her up. Hannah told Charlotte that she’s fine and that her husband, Sam, was also fine in the hands of another woman. Charlotte offered to arrange a ride for Hannah to get home. She didn’t want her to walk back to town.

[00:12:30] Charlotte even volunteered to take her home, but that’s not what Hannah wanted to hear. Charlotte knew what Hannah needed to hear and offered Hannah to stay at Bly as long as she needed. Hannah’s trip down memory lane continued as she went back to the bonfire. She tried to figure out what memories mean and what they really are, but they just couldn’t get a grasp on it. Hannah went back to the time she overheard Peter and Rebecca fighting. It was just after the time he went ballistic on Rebecca because she didn’t want to talk with Peter, yet he was able to sweet-talk her into submission. Hannah took a peek into the classroom where Rebecca and Peter were talking. He apologized to Rebecca for getting jealous of Owen and his batter. Peter promised it wouldn’t happen again.

[00:16:00] The door creaked, catching Peter and Rebecca’s attention. Hannah knew they saw her, so she hurried back along the corridor and continued vacuuming. Peter exited the classroom and turned the vacuum off. He told Hannah that she should live a little. That time, Hannah started seeing cracks in the house. She tried to touch the gap, but that only brought her to another memory: the time she caught Peter stealing a necklace from Charlotte’s drawer. Peter tried to sliver out by telling Hannah that he’s taking the necklace on Henry’s orders, but that didn’t fly with her. Peter told Hannah to stop thinking that she’s part of the family. He made it clear that they are part of the help, replaceable at any time.

[00:18:00] Peter went as far as threatening Hannah’s job, but she knew better. Hannah calls Bly her home, and she’ll stay at Bly long after Peter’s gone. Hannah demanded the necklace back from Peter, so he didn’t have a choice but to surrender the necklace and leave. Hannah saw another crack as Peter left. Hannah went down the rabbit hole: this time, a memory of Rebecca by the lake. It seems it was the first time she saw the muddy footprints, so she followed where it went. The prints led her to the lake, where she saw Rebecca standing by the edge wearing a black dress. She knew that it was Rebecca’s spirit, but she didn’t understand why. We went back to Hannah’s interview with Owen. This time the interview changed—somehow, the memories are talking back to Hannah like she wanted them to.

[00:22:00] Owen and Hannah discussed things about Miles. Owen kept asking questions like Hannah’s conscience. He knew that something about Miles was bothering Hannah, and they both wanted an answer to it. Owen implied that little boys are often cruel; he knew that because he was cruel, too. Hannah glimpsed to another memory: this time of Miles, where he caught him smoking by the garden statues. It was after Peter left Bly. Hannah knew that Miles missed Peter, but it didn’t give him the right to smoke. He was far too young to start on his vices. Miles ran off with his cigarette and headed for the chapel. Hannah chased him, but it was a whole different memory when she entered the chapel.

[00:24:00] Hannah saw Charlotte sitting on the front pew. She asked Charlotte if she happened to see Miles enter the chapel. Charlotte didn’t answer the question and instead proceeded as a memory. Charlotte offered to make Hannah’s position for the Wingrave family permanent and live-in. Hannah knew she was going to have to sell her house. Charlotte agreed to the idea and told her she would have a little nest by the time she retires if she decided to sell her house and move in to Bly manor. Hannah still hadn’t given up on her husband and told Charlotte he would return to her. Charlotte asked Hannah how she could still have faith in her husband after what happened. She knew that faith has its limits, and you can choose to abandon faith. Charlotte already lit a candle for Sam, implying that he’s gone.

[00:26:30] Hannah responded to Charlotte that she still loves her husband even after what happened. The memory suddenly shifted to Rebecca. She told Hannah about how she used to be a daddy’s girl. But when she grew up, her views and opinions no longer aligned with her father’s. So, they started to grow apart as her father’s constantly reminded her—she couldn’t reach for her dreams. Rebecca felt differently with Peter; he believed in her, and she thought she was smart, capable, and beautiful in her own way. Love blinded her, and nothing could talk her out of it. Hannah tried, despite the uphill climb, but Rebecca still chose Peter in the end. She defended Peter and her love for him, then walked out of the chapel. Hannah tried to follow her. She opened the door, but a brick wall blocked her way. Once again, the memory changed.

[00:30:00] We go back to her chase with Miles. He was sitting on the altar table flipping the lighter Peter gave him. He continued flipping the lighter with a cigarette in his mouth, turning it on and off. Hannah teleported into another memory: she was back in the manor, specifically the kitchen. Owen asked Rebecca if she could tell him what’s missing from his stew. He handed the wooden spatula to Rebecca to have a taste, but she refused. Owen went back to cooking when Peter arrived. He told Rebecca he needed a hand in the cellar. Both went downstairs giggling. Hannah told Owen a story about a mouse glue trap. She remembered when the manor had a mouse problem. The old gardener bought glue traps to catch the mouse.

[00:31:00] The gardener explained glue traps were best because they didn’t kill the mice. They set the traps, and the wait was on. After a few days, Hannah saw something in one of the traps. It wasn’t a mouse, so she looked closer—it was a mouse leg, the mouse was lying a few feet away from the trap. It chewed on its leg to free itself from the trap, bleeding to death afterward. Hannah referred to Peter as a glue trap. Rebecca will no longer come out whole once their relationship ends, and once she realizes that it’s a trap, it will be too late. After her talk with Owen, Hannah returned to the memory of Owen’s interview: this time, Owen changed his statements and referred to life as a glue trap.

[00:32:30] Hannah told Owen that they’d had a conversation about glue traps before. Owen responded that, technically, the discussion still hasn’t happened yet. Owen continued rambling about life and compared it to being a glue trap. He told Hannah that the mouse couldn’t know it’s trapped in glue. It didn’t know when it’s time to call it quits and give up and know that life would be over, and maybe, people also didn’t know or understand when life was over. People tend to tell themselves that everything will be okay when they’re already sitting in the glue trap, without anywhere else to go. Hannah couldn’t take the topic of the glue trap anymore. She left the kitchen and thought of her conversation with Owen as morbid. Owen warned her about the next memory, but she didn’t listen.

[00:34:00] Hannah went inside Rebecca’s room. She found her lying in Peter’s arms the night before Peter left. He told Rebecca that she should pack her bags and be ready to leave the next night. He had plans to move to America because he knew Henry wouldn’t give him nor Rebecca a chance at a good life. He knew he would not become a partner at Henry’s firm nor take Rebecca as his pupil; he knew they would always be the help of the Wingrave’s, and he didn’t want to waste his life as the help. So, he told Rebecca to just be ready and trust him. Peter told Rebecca that they would start anew in America. He promised to return for her the following night. Peter left the room and closed the door.

[00:37:00] Rebecca suddenly talked to Hannah. She told Hannah that it was her favorite memory of Peter, but she wasn’t part of the memory. Rebecca asked her how she managed to get into her memory. Hannah tried to leave as soon as Rebecca asked her the question. Rebecca told her not to open the door because she couldn’t bear to watch the next memory. Still, Hannah opened the door and left the room. It was another memory: Hannah is with Miles and Flora this time, but it seems she’s also not supposed to be a part of this memory. Miles and Flora found Peter in the hallway. They heard a loud noise from downstairs, and it woke them up. Peter told them it was nothing, then went to the old wing. He entered Dominic and Charlotte’s room to get the necklace he intended to steal long ago.

[00:39:00] Hannah was inside the room, but everything was already covered in sheets indicating that Dominic and Charlotte were already dead. Peter went back outside and asked the children why they were still awake. He was about to leave when the lady of the lake suddenly appeared. She was faceless, wet as a fish, and wore a white dress. She dragged Peter by his neck into the next room. After that, Peter came out like nothing had happened. He went over to talk to Flora and Miles. Peter saw Flora holding the doll she had made—it was the lady of the lake. Peter tried to take the doll from Flora, but he couldn’t grab hold of it. Peter was already a spirit. He tried to take the doll and succeeded on his third try. The children saw the lady of the lake emerge from the room.

[00:42:00] She was still dragging Peter by his neck. This time, she went down the stairs. Peter called out to her. He ordered her to stop, but she couldn’t hear him. Peter bumped into Miles, and suddenly, Miles talked to the lady of the lake. Somehow, Peter got inside Miles’ body. The two of them couldn’t believe what had happened. Hannah went on to another memory: she was standing by the lake. The lady was dragging Peter into the lake. They went deeper and deeper until Hannah could no longer see them. After the bubbles disappeared, Hannah turned around. She was startled by Rebecca, staring into the lake with her eyes white as pearls.

[00:44:00] Hannah froze and was returned to her interview with Owen. The interview started again, and Hannah decided to cut straight to the chase. She asked Owen why they’re doing the interview again. She referred to the memories as dreams, someone else’s dreams. Owen didn’t know why they’re doing the interview again. He told Hannah that everything was her doing—she is trying to find out something, so things will repeat until she has the answers. Owen told Hannah to go over things again. Hannah remembered the memory or dream about Rebecca. She hasn’t arrived in Bly, Owen told her. It was two years too early. So, Owen told her to focus and go through things again. It was 1987. Dominic, Charlotte, and Rebecca were dead. Peter is missing. Flora is eight years old, and something is wrong with Miles.

[00:46:00] Hannah rushed out of the manor and found Miles smoking again. Miles ran off, so Hannah gave chase. They ended up near the well where she saw Peter with Miles. She told Miles to stay away from Peter because he’s a wanted man. Hannah reached the well, but Peter wasn’t there; it was just them. Miles told Hannah to just leave him alone. Peter was talking inside Miles. He wished the police would’ve captured him and dragged him off Bly manor. Peter told Hannah that he couldn’t leave, then Hannah realized—Peter was already dead. He confirmed that he’s dead, and he blamed Hannah for it. He told Hannah that things were going so well, but she followed them. Peter used Miles and pushed Hannah down the well.

[00:48:00] She fell to the bottom and broke her neck. Over the top of the well, Hannah looked at her dead body. Miles was behind her. Then, he heard Flora shouting. Hannah was back at the time when Dani first arrived at Bly. They greeted each other and went back to the manor. Peter looked at them from afar as they walked back to the manor. Hannah suddenly returned to the bonfire. She agreed to go with Owen to Paris this time, but he didn’t hear her response. Jamie took Owen home. They were walking away from the bonfire when Hannah decided to chase them. She lost them to the blackness of the night.

[00:51:30] Hannah stopped in the middle of the darkness. She muttered to herself that she’s Hannah Grose, the year is 1987, she’s at Bly, and Miles is ten, Flora is eight. Hannah continued muttering it to herself to make sense of it all. Everything went full circle. Hannah could no longer tell reality from her dreams, from her memories. Hannah no longer knew if she was just dreaming as everything felt so real.