31 Days of Halloween: Some More TV...

We binged through The Haunting of Bly Manor, enjoying every moment of it, reminding me once again why I love Mike Flanagan. He is a man constantly re-working his craft, learning and expanding on what he is doing, not repeating but fine tuning. Like an artist who paints the same subject matter again and again, exploring more themes and techniques through familiar imagery, Flanagan delights me by re-visiting the same fear and sorrow and tragedy he does in many of his horror movies. Unlike Shyamalan, who failed (in audiences' viewpoint) when he didn't provide a satisfactory twist, Flanagan has a style of story telling that I gravitate towards.

So, we know well that Bly Manor is haunted, but we do not know exactly how much it is so thoroughly full of ghosts. Of course, like the first series, each and every ghost has its reasons for being there, but there is an anchor, a tie that binds them to the house. And that tie is the true heart of the horror in this show.

As the story moves on, we become very attached to the "living" characters. Gentle Owen, whose mother is dying with dementia. Distracted, but attentive housekeeper Hannah Grose. Sensitive Flora and Miles, who are more aware and more connected to the ghosts than anyone. And Jamie, who prefers plants to people, but Dani has caught her eye, if she can only get past Dani's personal tragedy. We even get to understand some of the ghosts, and despite their terrible terrible intentions, we at least understand them, if not sympathize. And Dani, of course, the central focus (as Nell was before her), who seems destined to doom. Or at least tragedy.

There is much world building here, as Flanagan likes pseudo-explanations for his supernatural. We spent much of the time putting together the puzzle pieces, bemoaning the things we anticipated and then being torn once they came to fulfillment. By the end I was very satisfied, and very sad. I don't binge often, but this was worth it.

And then there was some catchup on Lovecraft Country (which should be in a What I Have Been Watching post on its own) which is reworking the book in some surprising and even more enthralling ways. If the book was supposed to tell the tales of black folk in the 50s mixed up in the evil magics of white folk from the 50s, then the show is about how the main characters, and the culture they come from, has gained so much strength and power from their histories & stories (that the book barely touched on), that not even Cthulhu-ian monsters and evil magics can stop them from protecting those they love. 

If The Watchmen took some historical events that few white folk know about, and used them to educate, this show is making many an episode a time for education and reminders. And the thematic music pieces, poetry readings and almost monologuing historical recordings, speeches and such, makes me wonder if there is an Annotations webpage out there, that can further elucidate to the less than aware of us.

I also love how the show is expanding on the mythology of what is happening, adding more monsters, more magic and letting the ideas spread their wings. Some fly, some falter, but everything is fascinating. I hope, that they don't sputter and fall, as I found the book had.

Finally, we started watching Helstrom, a show that I cannot honestly understand how they pitched. But maybe its because I am not aware of more recent renditions of Marvel's Son of Satan. Yes, Marvel did a comic based around a man born of Satan himself, a demi-being with demonic powers, but a mortal's moral compass. And a superhero aesthetic. Did later Marvel stories go down the expected horror aspect of this background? Maybe, but I came into this green.

At the outset, this reminds me of the two shows from last year, Evil and Prodigal Son, which both failed soon our of the gate, for me. Damon Helstrom, the titular son of Satan, and his sister Ana are the children of a serial killer. And the children of a mother, possessed and long institutionalized. Damon plays pseudo-exorcist but cares little for the trappings of the Church, as he just has powers. Ana also has powers but seems to be using them for her own gain, monetarily, as well as punishment of evil men. The siblings do not get along.

But then something connected to the demon inside their mother escapes, or is released or... these shows like their mysteries, where people hide important details from each other, when just having a good sit down would help everyone. I don't care if you have epic level family drama, when there is Evil (capital E) involved, set it aside and just talk.

I rather liked the first few eps we have watched, and have not bothered caring whether they are going to connect to some expanded Marvel alternate universe. This could be a fun show unless it gets far too wrapped up in the stretching-out-the-mystery until the last episode bullshit most supernatural shows do. We shall see. It was released in a one full season on Hulu, so we have an opportunity to watch as the time goes by.