The Haunting of Bly Manor's Lady in the Lake Is Actually the Heart of the Entire Story

It's no surprise that the eighth episode of The Haunting of Bly Manor, "The Certain Romance of Old Clothes," quickly became a fan favourite — particularly with its heart-wrenching story and a masterful performance from Kate Siegel. Netflix recently released a behind-the-scenes video about the episode, giving fans an in-depth look at how it came to be and what the cast and creators thought of the episode as a whole. In case you were wondering, it wasn't just a fan favourite, it was the writers' favourite episode, too.

"We expected it to be . . . one of the most interesting opportunities we had to change things up for the season," said creator Mike Flanagan, and change things up they did. The episode is the only one of the season to be shot in black and white and shows the Lady in the Lake's origins. "The heartbreak and the misery and the loss and the stubborn willfulness in Viola's heart become this gravity well in all of Bly Manor," Siegel added. The Lady in the Lake is the reason that the ghosts can't leave Bly Manor, so it only makes sense that her origin episode holds all the answers for the season and makes her the heart of Bly Manor. You can watch the full video above to see just how big an impact her story had on everyone involved in the making of the show.