8 Spooky Details You Missed in ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

The Haunting of Hill House continues to spark conversation among fans of Netflix original series and horror.

The series, based on the 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson, tells the terrifying story of the Crain family and how their lives were affected by living in the haunted Hill House.

It is nearly impossible to catch all of the subtle Easter eggs and subtleties that the creators put into the 10-episode series, what with the impressive storytelling and bone-chilling moments that had viewers shocked throughout the show.

Take a look at some of the spookiest details from the Netflix series you probably missed.

Seven

Viewers seemed to notice the overarching theme of the number seven throughout the series, relating to the Crain children’s feelings of safety. The theme played a part in the series’ full circle ending when Luke celebrates his second year of sobriety and seven people are in attendance.

Throughout the series, Nell and Luke were seen counting to seven when they felt scared, referencing the seven members of their family, as well as seven steps to go from Nell’s bed to Luke’s. The ending finds Luke once again a part of a family of seven.

A Dance of Death

Perhaps the most tragic character in Hill House is Nell, who spends most of her life terrified of a ghost that turns out to be herself. Before the Crain sister dies from hanging herself, the House tricks her to get to the top of the stairs by having her dance with a hallucination of her dead husband.

An episode later, the show makes a sinister reference to the girl’s gruesome death when young Nell is seen doing a similar dance as the one she does as an adult, during the fateful storm. Further indication that her fate was determined as soon as she set foot in the cursed mansion.

Loose Ropes

The foreshadowing to Nell’s shocking death also comes one episode before, when Olivia and Hugh are seen settling into the home.

Olivia is seen telling her husband to take down number of loose ropes that are seen on the top of the stairs.

The Red Room

One of the series’ biggest twists was the discovery that the Red Room had been disguising itself as whatever room the family wanted it to be in the moment — including a game room, dance studio, reading room and a tree house. But the series dropped hints to that reality multiple times.

In the first episode, Olivia wonders where Luke is, and Steve suggests she try looking for him in the tree house. “Very funny mister,” she says. That is just one of multiple scenes were characters seemed confused when the Crains mentioned rooms that were supposedly a part of the house — when in the reality they were just the Red Room poisoning their minds.

Drawings of the Future

Episode one gives a clear message to Luke and Nell’s connection when Steve finds one of Luke’s drawings in the tree house featuring a woman with dead eyes, screaming with a wide open mouth.

The drawing is later re-enacted by Nell at the end of the episode when she appears to Steven in his apartment after she dies, giving him the scare of his life.

Time to Come Home

Early on in the series Olivia tells Nell as a child that when it is time for her to come back home after being allowed to go outside to play, she will see the porch light flash twice.

The house proves to be a terrifying character of its own in a quick moment, when adult Nell returns to the haunted mansion and the porch light flickers. Not a big detail, but it sure is exciting when you know it’s there.

A Promise Fulfilled

It is never a good sign when characters mention leaving family heirlooms to their kids after they pass away, but when Olivia told young Nell that she would get to keep her precious locket someday it was especially creepy.

In perhaps the most heartbreaking moment before Nell met her tragic fate, the ghost of Olivia hands over the locket to her and she rocks it on her neck, just seconds before she falls and becomes the Bent-Neck Lady.

ET reference

Fans of the series are aware that the the younger version of Hugh is played by Henry Thomas — the actor who played Elliott on Steven Spielberg’s classic film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

The show made a subtle homage to the cast member’s iconic role by having young Luke be seen in his tree house in episode one with an E.T. lunchbox nearby.

Are there any other Easter Eggs you’ve noticed? The Haunting of Hill House is available for streaming on Netflix.