The Haunting Of Bly Manor Episode 7 Explained The Two Faces, Part Two-Betrayal And Classism

Better than any other, The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 7 showcases the corruptibility of tainted love and when one is lonely.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor Episode 7 opens with Dani in mortal danger and terrified. This time not of bespeckled ghosts but the children. What she doesn’t realize is the ghosts have been controlling Miles and Flora every time they were “tucked away.” By the end of the episode, she realizes what is happening. Peter convinced Ms. Jessel and the children to tie Dani up in the attic. As with most of the episodes in The Haunting Of Bly Manor, they present time action bookends the more storyboarded aspects of James’ other works.

In The Haunting Of Bly Manor Episode 7, Peter and Ms. Jessel have learned to dream hop or, as the children put it, tuck themselves away in memories. Some of the memories are good, and for some less altruistic characters are painful. Those memories haunt them more than any faceless ghost in Bly Manor. Peter was born poor. He has a colorful, criminal past. His parents took advantage of him. His father abused him for years. He was unloved and lonely, making him very dangerous when he finally finds love in Rebecca.

He was stealing from Henry, but it was to escape from his parents and his former life from Peter’s memories. Peter was definitely wrong, and there is no question he had dubious morals. He wasn’t the monster he became until after he died, though. He killed Ms. Jessel because, just like every other ghost in the manor, he was filled with need once he was locked in the house. Awful, grasping need that only intensifies with time.

Ms. Jessel was kinder, and Peter betrayed her. As such, she didn’t disintegrate as fast as Peter. She retained some of her humanity. Her memories are more regretful and nostalgic. She remembers being questioned by the police and the kindness Owen, Hannah, and Jamie showed her. Rebecca Jessel feels guilty about her relationship with Peter, and she feels hurt by his betrayal. As Jamie points out, he may have done her a favor by allowing her to get back on track. Unfortunately, Peter returns to Rebecca in ghost form, and all the pieces come together for the terrible murders that are to come. The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 7 is all about guilt, remorse, betrayal, and comeuppance.

Many of Henry James’ stories deal with loneliness and revenge. One of the lesser-known Henry James stories is not a ghost story at all, but rather a story about classism, betrayal, and karma. The Two Faces first appeared in Harper’s Bizarre in 1900. It is primarily about the deception of civility and class structure. A young man Lord Gwyther ends an affair with a wealth socialite May Grantham and, shortly after, marries a German immigrant named Valda with no social standing.

He asks May to help his new wife be introduced to society by offering clothing and dining etiquette advice. Still feeling jilted and angry, May encourages Valda to wear the wrong clothes and use inappropriate place settings. May’s current romantic interest Mr. Sutton learns about her cruel behavior and promptly dumps her. Of course, the lesson that cruelty begets cruelty, and all parties are impacted by May’s betrayal and Lord Gwyther’s poor decision.

In Netflix’s version, there are several betrayals. The first being Peter’s embezzlement. Rebecca is angry because he made her an accomplice. She initially thinks he ran away without her and then later learned he died. The second far greater betrayal happens when Peter kills Rebecca to ensure he is not alone. She trusted him just as Lord Gwyther trusted May, and that trust was misguided. Finally, Ms. Jessel betrays Peter to save Dani and Flora. Bly Manor had not wholly destroyed her. Rebecca had the benefit of caring parents and a good family. Peter never had a chance. He was a ghost long before he was ever dead, and his decisions were inevitable.

Rebecca and Peter come from very different stations and circumstances. He earned for a time he could provide for her what she has lived for her whole life. She has always been comfortable but hadn’t found love. Peter was exciting and passionate. He couldn’t face the idea of life or death without her and was willing to sacrifice anything to hold on to her. He convinces the children to be tucked by showing his love for Rebecca. It was an honest speech to the children, but he left out a few details. They would not be happy forever with their memories, and Peter had no intention of sparing Dani as he had already killed Ms. Grose. Although originally sympathetic, Peter becomes a monster, and that is the ultimate betrayal. Find all our The Haunting Of Bly Manor analysis here.