I am not ashamed to say that I really failed at finding easter eggs in Haunting of Bly Manor. I was so consumed by the ghost mystery and Owen's delightful puns, I don't even notice the creepy Plague Doctor hiding in the background. But, even the most observant Haunting fan will be surprised to learn how this Haunting of Bly Manor dress connects to Haunting of Hill House. Spoilers for both Bly Manor and Hill House ahead.
In a new interview with SYFY Wire, Haunting of Bly Manor costume designer Lynn Falconer revealed that the dress Dani (Victoria Pedretti) dies in is actually made of the same red velvet fabric as Olivia Crain's (Carla Gugino) robe from Hill House. Falconer didn't say that there was any deeper connection between Olivia and Dani's matching death outfits. But, she did confirm that the dress, which has a decidedly un-Dani feel to it, was Pedretti's idea. "If the Lady of the Lake is part of me, I need to die in something elegant," the actor reportedly told Falconer, inspiring the designer to reach for the most elegant death fabric in the Haunting playbook.
The designer also added that the dark color of the dress was representative of how Dani had shifted from a light, smiley au pair, to a depressed ghost. The deep, red velvet fabric represented a similar journey in the first installment of the series. As Falconer told Refinery 29 in 2018, Olivia's red robe in Hill House was actually the same as the green robe she wears earlier in the series. "It turns red when she becomes a ghost," she explained at the time, adding that the color change also reflected her transition into the Red Room. (It's also worth noting that, while Pedretti's Hill House character Nell doesn't die wearing red, her sister dresses her corpse in red for her funeral.)
The red velvet was also used make Miles' bowtie, which doesn't quite fit the pattern. Although, Miles theoretically was in the process of becoming a ghost at the time, as he was constantly being possessed by Peter. If Miles had really been doomed, he probably would have rocked a red velvet suit.
As for why red has come to signify death in the Haunting franchise, that's unclear. But, I do have a theory. One simple Google search — red symbolize death — brought me to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Mask of the Red Death," a short story from 1845. The story is about a prince who shuts his gates to protect himself and his courtiers from a plague killing everyone outside, known as the Red Death. There, he throws a ball, decorating each room in his house a different color, with the last, most ominous room being black with red windows. Of course, by the time everyone gets to the last room, the Red Death has come for them, and everyone dies. Hm... a red room where everyone dies... sound familiar?
Look, I'm not 100% sure that Haunting's decision to have the color red signify death was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. The only thing I am sure of is that if Haunting returns for a Season 3, watch out for a character in red velvet; odds are their time is running out.
Image: Netflix