Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan's new Netflix horror series, reunites Flanagan with many actors in The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, possibly hinting at further connections. Netflix's The Haunting series is a ghost-filled anthology created by Flanagan, which adapts and adds a new spin to classic horror tales. Season 1 of the show adapted The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and season 2 put a twist on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Though the seasons are distinctly different, the series often deals with themes of love, addiction, and abuse, having deeply personal pain manifest into ghostly horrors, such as the nightmare-inducing Bent-Neck Lady.

Flanagan's new series, Midnight Mass, is a whole new story. The series follows an isolated community on Crockett Island, which is deeply affected by the return of a disgraced man, Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), and the arrival of a mysterious priest, Father Paul (Hamish Linklater). The priest's appearance on the island seemingly brings unexplained phenomena and miraculous events, reinvigorating the community's zest for the church and religious teachings. But Gilford’s character may not be buying it, and something sinister could be lurking just beneath the surface.

Related: The Haunting of Bly Manor's Biggest Changes From The Book

The new show has raised questions of whether there will be a connection to The Haunting series. Though the stories appear to be distinctly different, Midnight Mass brings back several of The Haunting stars. Kate Siegel (Hill HouseBly Manor), Henry Thomas (Hill HouseBly Manor), Rahul Kohli (Bly Manor), Alex Essoe (Bly Manor), Annabeth Gish (Hill House), Robert Longstreet (Hill House), and Samantha Sloyan (Hill House) are all returning. Like in The Haunting series, the actors will have different roles in Midnight Mass; however, the returns have fans believing there's a deeper connection going on. Unfortunately, those fans may be disappointed.

Joe Collie screams and cries over Pike's body in Midnight Mass

For all intents and purposes, Midnight Mass is a standalone project. Yes, the actor returns may make the show feel connected to The Haunting series, but all indications are that the projects aren't technically linked. After all, The Haunting series is an anthology, and it's also on Netflix. If the shows were connected, Flanagan would have Haunting somewhere in the title of Midnight Mass. Linking the shows would also help in Midnight Mass' marketing, bringing fans of The Haunting series to the new show. Though the show has returning actors, it doesn't appear to be connected story-wise.

Despite the differences, Flanagan could include some subtle connections. For example, the series creator often deals with themes of addiction, and Flanagan talked about his sobriety in a letter introducing the series, indicating that the theme will continue into Midnight Mass. Additionally, Flanagan is a fan of Easter eggs, often hiding ghosts in the background of The Haunting series, which adds to the show's creepiness and makes it continually rewatchable. With the success of the background ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, fans should be on the lookout for potentially haunting Easter eggs.

More: The Haunting of Bly Manor: Every Ghost In The Show