SYMN JAYMS

Ignore the low ratings... I think that people just expected this series to be as scary as Hill House. You need to approach this as a completely separate series, using the same actors, as you would with American Horror Story, for example. I actually saw Bly Manor first, so I had no prior expectations. It's gripping and just as thought provoking as Hill House. Less of the CGI ghosts and and jump scares in comparison to HH, but it doesn't need them to tell this story. It still has it's scarier moments though. Without giving anything away, a character explains in the final episode that this story is not quite what you anticipated it to be, and I liked that. Be prepared for more non-linear storytelling that often leaves you with burning questions for a few episodes, and a few dodgy English (and Scottish) accents. Otherwise, I enjoyed it.