
TV Show review
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Woke Score
Lower is better
- Release Date
- October 9, 2020
- Age Rating
- TV-MA
Breakdown
Factors & Ratings
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Haunting of Bly Manor.
Representation / casting choices
Noticeable diverse casting places actors of color in prominent staff roles at a 1980s English manor without direct story-world justification, paired with a visible central lesbian romance that signals modern inclusivity to many viewers.
Political / ideological dialogue
Almost none present; conversations stay personal and emotional with no activist language, current-events references, or institutional lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
The lesbian romance between Dani and Jamie serves as a core emotional driver with explicit focus on Dani's sexuality and same-sex past; this queer element receives prominent screen time and thematic weight in a story otherwise centered on grief and possession.
Institutional / cultural critique
Explores burdens on women and dangers of possessive relationships through personal gothic stories like Viola's, but frames them as timeless individual tragedies rather than critiques of patriarchy, capitalism, or Western institutions.
