🚨Warning: There are spoilers ahead!🚨
If you watched The Haunting of Hill House, you know there was fun/terror to be had in spotting all the hidden ghosts in the background of scenes.
Naturally, when The Haunting of Bly Manor dropped, we were all on the lookout for hidden ghosts — and Bly Manor delivered.
Watching The Haunting of Bly Manor And I see a ghost in the background
Unlike The Haunting of Hill House, though, the hidden spirits aren't random — their backstories are revealed towards the end of the season. For this reason, there aren't any hidden sightings after Episode 6 — because the ghosts are explicit in the episodes that follow. However, there are PLENTY of shots before that in which they are hiding in plain (and sometimes not-so-plain) sight. Here's all the secret spirits I spotted....
Episode 1: "The Great Good Place":
When Flora is showing Dani around Bly Manor after she first arrives, there's a figure in a hat below the stairs.
Moments later, the same hatted figure seems to be hiding in the corner of Dani's room, as seen in the reflection in the mirror.
As the gang are eating dinner, there appears to be a figure standing in the shadows behind Miles.
The plague doctor is apparently very interested in Dani's arrival — he follows her and the kids as Dani gets them ready for bed. Here he is in Flora's room while Dani stands in the adjacent bathroom.
After Dani tucks Miles in, the plague doctor can be see in the bathroom behind her.
And as Dani moves through the bathroom, you can see him in the reflection of the mirror.
Also, Flora's doll version of the plague doctor is placed in the bathroom, indicating she is very much aware of his presence in the next room as she tucks her dolls in for the night.
When Dani picks up Flora's lady in the lake doll, the plague doctor can be seen in the reflection of the mirror, having apparently moved to Flora's room.
And as Dani tucks Flora in, you can see the plague doctor over her shoulder.
When Dani gets up in the middle of the night, we actually see her through an out-of-focus shot of the plague doctor as she walks down the corridor.
When Dani is making tea and stares into the dark house, we can see the plague doctor behind her.
Then — in what isn't really a hidden shot but is worth mentioning here because of the sequence of shots preceding it — we go back to the view through the plague doctor as Dani walks back down the corridor. Only this time he's in focus — and we see him move.
Our friend the plague doctor is back the next day, seen behind Dani when Miles tries to scare her with a spider and she puts him in his place.
And he appears AGAIN when the kids sit down to lunch. There he is, just chilling in the fireplace.
That night, as Dani tucks Flora in bed, the plague doctor is lurking in the hallway.
When Miles comes into Flora's room, the plague doctor is in the bathroom behind him.
Then, when the two kids trick Dani into going into Flora's closet, what looks like the plague doctor can be seen in the reflection of the mirror.
After the kids trap Dani in the closet, the plague doctor is seen in the hallway.
Finally, proving once and for all he is a very, very busy ghost, the plague doctor appears outside moments later when Dani investigates the muddy footprints that lead outside.
Episode 2: "The Pupil":
When Dani retrieves Flora's lady in the lake doll from the basement, we get another less hidden glimpse of a ghost — the little boy who Flora gives a doll's face to. After Dani turns the light off, we actually see him move his head.
As Dani moves through the house a few moments later, we see the ghost boy in the hallway behind her.
Later in the episode, when Hannah and Owen sit at the kitchen table together, a small pair of hands can be seen resting on one of the empty chairs.
And it's quite hard to see because it's SO dark in these scenes, but when Dani plays hide and seek with the kids at night, you can see the plague doctor in several shots.
Episode 3: "The Two Faces, Part One":
The plague doctor is back again (at least, that looks like his pointed mask in the background) when Dani, Hannah and the kids report the Peter Quint sighting to the police.
Moments later, we get our first glimpse of a soldier ghost, standing in the shadows behind Hannah.
As the police officer leaves, what appears to be the little boy ghost can be seen outside.
This is almost impossible to see, but in the shadows in the chapel, when Dani and Jamie are searching for Peter Quint, you can just make out the soldier ghost again.
In a flashback, as Rebecca and Peter chat in the kitchen at night, the soldier ghost can be seen in the background when the lightning flashes.
Later in the episode, as Dani walks through Bly Manor, you can see the little boy ghost in the shadows behind her.
And, in another flashback scene, as Peter Quint exits the kitchen, you can see the little boy crouched in the corner.
Episode 4: "The Way It Came":
When Owen arrives at Bly Manor after his mother's funeral, a figure that appears to be a man can be seen at the back of the foyer.
Later, as Dani walks through the house at night, we get a glimpse of the plague doctor.
After Dani tucks Flora into bed, we can see the little boy ghost hiding amongst Flora's dolls. If you look closely you can see him move.
Finally, as Dani disposes of her dead fiancé's glasses in the fire, what appears to be the soldier ghost stands watch in the background.
Episode 5: "The Altar of the Dead":
This episode doesn't have many hidden ghosts — although early in the episode, we do see two in one scene. Spot the ghost boy on one side of the stairs, and a strange man on the other.
And later, in a flashback scene, we see the ghost boy again in the corner of the kitchen.
Episode 6: "The Jolly Corner":
The only secret ghosts I spotted in this episode — and the last actually hidden ones I noticed — were towards the end, when Flora/Rebecca lures Dani into the attic.
It's all very spooky! And also a strain on the eyes!
lookin for hidden ghosts in bly manor like