Haunting of Hill House: Every Episode Ranked

Warning! SPOILERS Below For The Haunting Of Hill House!

The Haunting Of Hill House is packed with frights and feelings, but which episode is the best? The acclaimed horror series created by Mike Flanagan has been a sensation that has left fans in awe since it premiered on Netflix in mid-October. The 10 episodes of The Haunting of Hill House tell the story of the ill-fated Crain family, who moved into the ghostly Massachusetts house in the summer of 1992 and were afflicted by horrific tragedy and supernatural hauntings, which left them deeply scarred and followed them throughout their lives for the next two decades.

The Haunting Of Hill House utilizes a non-linear form of serialized storytelling that alternates between the present and the past, with a cast of talented child actors as the young Crains and Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas as the Crain parents, while Michiel Huisman, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Victoria Pedretti play the older versions of Steven, Hugh, Shirley, Theodora, Luke, and Nell, respectively. While the ghost story is certainly a frightening feast for horror fans, the series is also a harrowing and deeply affecting glimpse at the varied forms of trauma each family member harbors.

Ranking The Haunting Of Hill House's episodes is a unique challenge because there is no 'worst' episode. Thanks to masterful writing, acting, directing, and cinematography, the series is an embarrassment of riches where every episode is a standout in its own way. Think of this list as more of "the best of the best" as we quantify the finest hours of this remarkable horror series:

This Page: Haunting of Hill House Episodes Ranked 10 to 6
Page 2: Haunting of Hill House Episodes Ranked 5 to 1

10. Episode 7 - "Eulogy"

After the intensity of "Two Storms", "Eulogy" lets the series settle a bit as the Crains mourn Nell at her funeral and lay her to rest - though Luke is horrified by seeing the ghosts of Nell and Olivia and makes the fateful decision to desert his family so he can burn down Hill House. It's also made clear that Hugh has been haunted by Olivia's ghost ever since her death. In the past, Hugh discovers the body of William Hill walled up in the basement as the Dudleys explain their own history with the house and Hugh begins to realize the magnitude of Olivia's haunting.

"Eulogy" is a melancholy but crucial episode that mostly acts as set up for the endgame of the series. It offers huge clues about the secrets of Hill House. what happened during that last night as Hugh is interrogated by the police, and drops hints about how much Olivia's mind deteriorated from her visits by the ghosts that would pay off in "Screaming Meemies".

9. Episode 1 - Steven Sees A Ghost"

"Steven Sees A Ghost" introduces the Crain family both as adults and in the past as it alternates between the present day and their life in Hill House decades ago - including their shocking escape during that fateful last night. As the adult Steven - who claims he doesn't believe in ghosts - interviews a woman about her paranormal experience for his new book, his baby sister Nell desperately tries to contact her family before she visits Hill House, where she is believed to have committed suicide.

The episode is nearly all set-up but brilliantly highlights all of the main characters across the two timelines while also weaving in some shocking key moments that later make sense in context after watching the next few episodes (and greatly benefits from a second watch). "Steven Sees A Ghost" also lives up to its title when Steve encounters the specter of Nell in his apartment, delivering one of the series' first and most effective scares.

8. Episode 2 - "Open Casket"

Shirley gets the spotlight as "Open Casket" deals with the aftermath of Olivia's death in the past. Meanwhile, in the present, Nell's body arrives at Shirley's funeral home and she insists on "fixing" her sister for her funeral - just as a mortician had been able to "fix" her mother's body in the past. The episode also reveals that Shirley objected to Steve's book about Hill House and pressured the family not to accept royalties, which Theo and Shirley's husband Kevin (Anthony Ruivivar) did in secret. In the past, young Shirley learns about death when she discovers kittens that she's unable to keep alive. One of the highlights of "Open Casket" is how each Crain sibling finds out about Nell's death simultaneously. Elizabeth Reaser as adult Shirley and Lulu Wilson as young Shirley both excel in their synchronous performances as the eldest Crain daughter.

7. Episode 8 - "Witness Marks"

"Witness Marks" is a powerful episode where Steve/Hugh and Shirley/Theo resolve long-standing issues. It also delivers some hardcore scares and long-awaited revelations - like the fact that Hugh never built the treehouse that Luke played in as a child. As Steve and Hugh chase after Luke and realize he plans to burn Hill House down, Hugh explains that the Crain family "is like an unfinished meal" to the house. This counters Steve's belief that the family suffers from untreated mental illness; he secretly got a vasectomy, which is why he's separated from his wife Leigh. Hugh's explanation forces Steve to re-examine an incident in the past where Olivia smashed the mirror of a vanity that Steve restored as a gift.

Meanwhile, Theo and Shirley are frightened by mysterious poundings on the doors of the funeral home and then also decide to go after Luke, which leads to Nell's ghost appearing in the biggest scare of the episode. But this leads to one of the most emotional moments of the series, as Theo delivers a heartbreaking speech to Shirley. Luke's arrival at the house, where he's attacked by the ghosts, sets the stage for the big finale.

6. Episode 4 - "The Twin Thing"

Luke's tragic life story of addiction and recovery takes center stage, as well has his bond to his twin sister Nell - whom Luke knows didn't commit suicide as everyone else thinks because of their "twin thing". As Luke tries to help his friend Joey (Anna Enger), a fellow recovering addict he has feelings for, we learn that in the past Luke was visited by the ghost of a very tall man. This ghost continued to haunt Luke into adulthood, following him throughout the streets of LA as he looks for Joey.

"The Twin Thing" highlights Luke's heartwrenching life; as a child, his family didn't believe him about Abigail (Olive Elise Abercrombie) or any of the times he was attacked by ghosts, which is what made him resort to drug addiction in order to cope. As the adult Luke, Oliver Jackson-Cohen's desperation makes fans truly feel for his inability to connect with his siblings and his betrayal by Joey.

Page 2: Haunting of Hill House Episodes Ranked 5 to 1

5. Episode 3 - "Touch"

Theo Crain emerges as one of the most compelling members of her family as "Touch" reveals her story. As an adult, Theo is a child psychiatrist who uncovers that one of her patients is being molested by her foster father and Theo brings him to justice. In the past, the young Theo begins to learn she is "sensitive" and has psychic gifts like her mother Olivia, which manifests when she touches other people or objects. Theo also makes a terrible mistake that leads to one of Luke's first attacks by one of the ghosts in the house and her discovery of a secret bootlegging basement.

One of the best parts of "Touch" is a flashback to Nell's wedding where Nell and Steve learn that Theo is gay; it's also one of the only times the Crain siblings laugh with each other in the series. Throughout the episode, Kate Siegel as adult Theo and McKenna Grace as young Theo deliver amazing performances as the gifted middle Crain child.

4. Episode 9 - "Screaming Meemies"

What really happened to Olivia Crain - especially the events of that final night that led to her death as the family escaped Hill House - was a mystery woven throughout the series. The house's ghosts - primarily Poppy Hill (Catherine Parker) - make their presence felt as they torment Olivia, whose psychic sensitivity makes her especially vulnerable. The house preys on Olivia's desire to keep the twins "like this forever" and manipulates her psychological breakdown, leading to her eventual suicide.

"Screaming Meemies" also reveals that Luke's friend Abigail was originally not a ghost but was the daughter of the Dudleys; Olivia killed her with rat poison during a tea party with Luke and Nell. With a riveting performance by Carla Gugino at its center, "Screaming Meemies" is a pivotal episode that finally offers vital answers about who and what Olivia really was, and her death disturbingly parallel's Nell's death in "The Bent-Neck Lady".

3. Episode 10 - "Silence Lay Steadily"

In the finale, the surviving Crains return to Hill House and "Silence Lay Steadily" finally reveals the secret of the Red Room - that the Crain family were the key to it all along, every member of the clan has been inside, and the Red Room manifested differently for each Crain (a tree house, a toy room, a reading room, a tea room, etc.). As Steve, Shirley, Theo, and Luke find themselves back in the Red Room and are confronted with their long-held traumas, Nell's spirit manifests and finally offers the answers to the questions that have haunted the Crain children their whole lives.

In the end, all of the show's secrets are laid bare. Hugh's deal with the Dudleys the night of Liv's death is revealed as he dies and takes his place in Hill House with Olivia and Nell so that Steve, Shirley, Theo, and Luke can have a second chance to continue to live their lives. Through a hypnotic speech by Nell's spirit, "Silence Lay Steadily" explains the series' grand themes and offers an emotional absolution for the Crains that some fans feel wrapped up the story in a too-pat way. But after the heartstopping emotional turmoil they (and the viewers) endured throughout the series, it's a powerful denoument because the remaining Crain siblings truly deserve the happy ending they receive.

2. Episode 5 - "The Bent-Neck Lady"

"The Bent-Neck Lady" finally tells Nell's harrowing life story and reveals that the youngest Crain child never really had a chance, thanks to Hill House preying on her since she was 6 years old. Nell's death and its aftermath are woven throughout the first four episodes but "The Bent-Neck Lady" shows that adult Nell was able to find love and happiness for two years with her sleep technologist Arthur (Jordane Christie) before he was suddenly killed by the Bent-Neck Lady. As Nell's emotional state deteriorates, Hill House lures her back so she can die and fulfill her shocking destiny: Nell herself is the Bent-Neck Lady who has haunted herself her whole life!

Victoria Pedretti as adult Nell and Violet McGraw as young Nell both deliver heartbreaking performances as the mind-bending episode plays with time, revealing Nell's life as a series of fractured moments scattered throughout the series."The Bent-Neck Lady" stands out as one of the scariest and most shocking episodes of The Haunting Of Hill House.

1. Episode 6 - "Two Storms"

"Two Storms" is an absolute masterpiece. In the present, the Crain family comes together at Shirley's funeral home to mourn Nell on the rainy night before her funeral. Meanwhile, flashbacks show the family enduring a terrible storm afflicting Hill House, where Nell mysteriously vanishes (although she claims she was there the whole time and no one could see her - echoing the tragedy of Nell's whole life) and the ghosts make their presence felt. The present-day scenes are also the first time in the series the adult Crain children confront their father Hugh and demand the answers about the death of their mother that Hugh had withheld for 20 years.

The filmmaking behind "Two Storms" is remarkable; the episode features multiple single camera takes following the Crains throughout the funeral home, which then transforms into Hill House of the past in unbroken shots. There are numerous scary moments where Nell and other ghosts manifest in the past and present, and the ending where Nell's coffin suddenly falls on the floor is a heart-stopper - a visceral shock marking the end to the best episode of The Haunting Of Hill House.