S01.E07: Eulogy

[TexasGal]

Quote

As the Crains gather to say their final goodbyes, a flashback reveals Mr. Dudley's connection to the house -- and exposes a secret in the walls.

So, dude in the wall had a cane.  I guess this is Luke's floaty ghost?

[patty1h]

SORRY - I got my episodes confused.  My comments are related to episode "Two Storms", not Eulogy.  I'm deleting them as irrelevant but my comments are quoted below. 

Edited October 18, 2018 by patty1h
Discussing wrong ep

[DangerousMinds]

Steven didn't see any ghosts while they were living in the house (that he's aware of). So the others' insistence on seeing them seems like mental illness to him.

[patty1h]

***See statement above

Edited October 18, 2018 by patty1h

[Whimsy]

1 hour ago, patty1h said:

I'm confused because Steven saw Nell's ghost in his apartment, then he was seeing her up and walking in the funeral home.  Is he thinking that the whole family has a form of mental illness, that there are no such thing as ghosts?  Even more confused because in the first episode, he was at the widow's house to see if her husbands ghost/spirit appeared on the ceiling like she said.  

No one saw Nell in the funeral home. That’s why it was paralleled with the night  en they were younger and she said she was right there but no one could hear here. She’s right there again, and no one can see her. 

[bilgistic]

This was so, so sad. The groundskeeper's storytelling was just riveting. The body in the wall is pretty much one of my biggest fears in an old house.

So Luke, Theo and dad have all seen Nell now. I want peace for her so badly. I want her and her mother to find each other.

Edited October 19, 2018 by bilgistic

[BeeBop88]

18 hours ago, bilgistic said:

This was so, so sad. The groundskeeper's storytelling was just riveting. The body in the wall is pretty much one of my biggest fears in an old house.

So Luke, Theo and dad have all seen Nell now. I want peace for her so badly. I want her and her mother to find each other.

Yeah, the groundskeeper's story was pretty sad.  And creepy at the same time. I wonder who's body that is in the wall? Pretty creepy when Luke was being pulled into Nell's grave. Shirley seems to have a holier than thou attitude towards her family. My guess is that she is not so miss perfect as she likes to think she is.  I can't believe that the dad did not go to the emergency room after that fan chewed up his hand. Gross. Definitely needed stitches and expert medical attention.  

[Anela]

On 10/18/2018 at 9:59 PM, bilgistic said:

This was so, so sad. The groundskeeper's storytelling was just riveting. The body in the wall is pretty much one of my biggest fears in an old house.

So Luke, Theo and dad have all seen Nell now. I want peace for her so badly. I want her and her mother to find each other.

I thought that was their mother's ashes, and their mum crawling across the floor. Was it Nell? 

I'm ready for them to be out of the funeral home. I didn't think they would spend that much time there, but of course, they had to go through each family member. 

I understand Shirley being so upset, and needing space. I understood her anger at Theo taking that money, and living in her guest house rent-free or or inexpensively, and then I guess she did come onto her husband at the viewing? She cut Luke off financially, for a reason. The others, she didn't cut off at all. So I don't think she's that uptight, or pretending to be perfect. 

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, Anela said:

I thought that was their mother's ashes, and their mum crawling across the floor. Was it Nell?

I assumed it was Nell. I didn't think of their mom. It was so damn dark I couldn't see anything clearly, of course! I'll have to rewatch that scene.

[TexasGal]

I think it was their mom.  She had the partially caved in face thing going on, instead of bent neck.

[Pondlass1]

On a practical note - it seems a bit ridiculous that husband and wife could possibly think they can fix up a huge rambling house like this all by themselves.  Surely there would be construction crews all over the place?   I wouldn't live in a house like that for all the tea in China.  The door knobs alone give me the heebie jeebies. 

The acting, atmosphere, editing, camera work, etc., all brilliant although they could use a little more lighting sometimes.  Loving this series.  I usually cringe when children are involved in horror stories as the acting is usually pretty wooden.  But these kid actors are awesome.

I'm forcing myself to watch slowly and not binge as I don't want it to end.

[leighdear]

FFS, you do NOT live in a house like that and keep whining "We can't find the key to that one room we think is the cause of all the damage". 

You go to the hardware store, you buy a fire ax, and you chop the freakin door open!  Jeez, I HATE stupid plot devices like that. You can replace the door.  

Why does Theo keep leaning against walls?  It's her default stance.  She kept doing it in the funeral home.  Maybe to keep things from sneaking up behind her?

Edited October 21, 2018 by leighdear

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, leighdear said:

You go to the hardware store, you buy a fire ax, and you chop the freakin door open!  Jeez, I HATE stupid plot devices like that. You can replace the door.  

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking chop the freaking thing down!

And if that doesn't work, if you take an axe to a wooden door and the axe just bounces off... get the fuck out of that house. Just saying. I don't care how much money you have wrapped up in that shit, you can't bust down a door that should, by all appearances be bust down-able, go sleep in your car, go live on the streets, just get your tiny, adorable little children the hell out of that house right then. 

[Rap541]

On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:05 AM, leighdear said:

FFS, you do NOT live in a house like that and keep whining "We can't find the key to that one room we think is the cause of all the damage". 

You go to the hardware store, you buy a fire ax, and you chop the freakin door open!  Jeez, I HATE stupid plot devices like that. You can replace the door.  

Well, to go a step further, who BUYS a house that has a completely locked room that no one can get into?

But really, was calling a locksmith going to break the budget? How about Hugh "I can fix this" Crain and Mr. Dudley getting a screw driver and taking the door off it's hinges? Or yes, the ax, or a rented chainsaw or power saw - I mean it's a shame to destroy an antique door but it's also a shame to let black mold kill your children. 

Although I did at one point wonder if the answer to the mystery was "everyone was infected by hallucinatory black mold".

[xander874]

Carla Gugino is just breathtaking. Woman does not age. 

Loved the caretakers story. Great scene. 

Did anyone see the woman in the background when young Hugh was inching towards the hole with the flashlight? 

[Nordly Beaumont]

There's actually a lot of hidden ghosties through the series - and I missed every single one of them (including the one you caught - very cool!) But there's a video on youtube. I can't remember if there are spoilers, you should probably wait until you're done watching the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmE4M6puY-4

[Blue Plastic]

1 hour ago, xander874 said:

Carla Gugino is just breathtaking. Woman does not age. 

Loved the caretakers story. Great scene. 

Did anyone see the woman in the background when young Hugh was inching towards the hole with the flashlight? 

I actually saw that one!  I have missed some of the ones I've heard about but definitely caught this one.

Glad to see others liked the caretaker Mr. Dudley's story.  It really kept my attention and was well acted IMO.  Up to this point Mr. Dudley had been pretty much in the background and didn't seem like a very interesting character, but he was great here.  A fun surprise.

[tennisgurl]

Those ghost effects are creepy as hell. Both the background ghosts and the mom/Nell ghosts that are chasing after the family. So, is Olivia really following her husband around as a ghost, or is it just a coping mechanism? With this show, its hard to tell. 

Steve can be an ass, but I did really feel for him in the graveyard when Luke started freaking out about seeing his dead mother. You really could feel his terror at the idea that he could lose even more of his family to suicide. Also, now Luke, Theo, and dad have all seen the ghosts. Well, been attacked by them more like it, as it looks like. 

Liked Mr. Dudley's story, it was both really sad, and really creepy. Monologues can easily be really great or really dull, depending on writing and acting, and I thought this was pulled really well by the actor, and by the writing staff. 

That injury dad got on his hand was nasty, it looked like that would require an emergency room ASAP. I cant wait to re-watch to see all of the hidden ghosts I missed!

[millennium]

I have to eat some crow here because I shit all over this series in the episode 1 thread.   Turns out it's actually worth watching, particularly for the acting, if not for the story itself.   I don't know the names of the actresses playing Nell and Theo, but their performances are gripping and believable.    The mother is bewitching.   The child actors are quite good too.   I'm not so keen on adult Luke -- he seems miscast.   But Timothy Hutton is always great, just perfect for this role.   And the guy who plays his younger self carries it off like they are indeed older and younger versions of the same man.

Sad to see Annabeth Gish relegated to a minor role, but that's Hollywood for women of a certain age.  Her husband's soliloquy in this episode was a great bit of acting.

I haven't been able to accept the premise that the parents bought Hill House planning to flip it.   It makes no sense given the immensity of such a project and the incalculable costs involved.   It furnishes a reason for them to move their family into the house, but on all other fronts it begs credibility.

I like the approach of every new episode telling the story through a different character's eyes, with each adding another piece of the puzzle as the tale advances.   I'm not so terrified by the ghosts.   They are run of the mill.   In fact, the power of the original Hill House movie is that you never saw whatever it was that "walked alone."  For me, the real horror is derived from witnessing a bunch of once bright, happy children becoming dissipated, broken, haunted adults.   Like they never had a chance.  Nell really brought that home in this episode.

[JenE4]

On 10/20/2018 at 12:45 PM, TexasGal said:

I think it was their mom.  She had the partially caved in face thing going on, instead of bent neck.

I thought that was the mom, too. She had been inside of Nell’s grave trying to pull Luke into it, hence tracking the (disappearing) dirt through the funeral home. Frankly, I thought that was Nell both above and IN the grave until Luke said they were both there. Which made me realize last episode I think Steve saw mom, not Nell. They’re hard to tell apart—why have them both wearing the same flowy nightgown? (Well, I guess that’s why mom has “something special” for Nell to put on at the house.) But I guess unless there are any other more distinguishing markers—bent neck equals Nell and straight neck equals mom. But, yeah, now they’ve ALL seen ghosts of mom and/or Nell except for Shirley. I’m glad dad also sees mom looking good. I think it’s more than just a coping mechanism because he doesn’t seem to always follow her good advice. If this were any other show i’d think we’ll we all sometimes KNOW what we should do and say but emotional walls yadda-yadda. But this show—nope, ghost mom ?. However, if she’s really been around since the day she died, I don’t think she would have let Hugh become estranged from the kids, but, well, character motivation/development and plot device.

[Lady Calypso]

I can't blame Steve this time around for freaking out on Luke when he said he was seeing Nell and his mom. I can understand, since he doesn't want to believe in what's going on, that he's afraid that Luke is showing signs of severe mental illness and doesn't want him to be the next to go. It's probably the rare time I was ok with Steve. And I felt bad for Luke, who is not in a good headspace and with him taking Shirley's wallet and Theo's car...I wonder if he's heading back to the house. 

I didn't expect the Dudleys story to be as sad as it was, but even they know to stay away from the house at night.

I'm glad we got more of Hugh and Olivia, especially when the house started to really affect her. We've seen her as this normal mother and wife so far that they're finally leading up to her death. Also, we're getting a little look into Hugh's mind in 2018. 

Shirley is still very frustrating to watch. She's making the whole Theo/Kevin thing to be about her. And when she came in to see the destroyed forever house and was more concerned with that over her sobbing sister and speechless father, I just was in disbelief. I know her and Steve are living in denial here, but both of them are handling things so very wrong.

It does seem like Theo saw her dead mother. I'm guessing, with her caved in face, that she died from Hugh beating her to death.

[RalyWilmy]

On 10/21/2018 at 2:05 PM, leighdear said:

FFS, you do NOT live in a house like that and keep whining "We can't find the key to that one room we think is the cause of all the damage". 

You go to the hardware store, you buy a fire ax, and you chop the freakin door open!  Jeez, I HATE stupid plot devices like that. You can replace the door.  

Why does Theo keep leaning against walls?  It's her default stance.  She kept doing it in the funeral home.  Maybe to keep things from sneaking up behind her?

I noticed Theo leaning against the walls, too.  She was doing something similar as a child in "Two Storms", leaning up against the staircase.  I'm sure there's some significance to it and that's a great theory! 

I watched Two Storms and this episode last night and I went to bed genuinely freaked out.  Mostly by Two Storms, but by Eulogy, too.  

Freaked out or not, I love this show.

[Ilovepie]

I wasn't a fan of Luke until this episode. I actually got teary when he was talking about Nell during the funeral. I have only watched to this episode so far, but I think each episode gets better and better. Shirley is the worst for me - sanctimonious, humorless (and yes I know this isn't a funny show but she is cold) and bullying. I thought it was Nell crawling at the end of the episode, but maybe it is Olivia. I find it hard to tell them apart sometimes.......

I second the idea of just do whatever you need to get that red door off, but obviously that's part of the big mystery so of course no one does that.......

[Peanut6711]

I'm still a little confused about the Dudley's--do they have living children or just the one that was stillborn? Mr. Dubley kept referring to her as his first daughter or first child, implying they had other ones but nothing has been shown or mentioned.  

 

On 10/21/2018 at 11:08 AM, Pondlass1 said:

On a practical note - it seems a bit ridiculous that husband and wife could possibly think they can fix up a huge rambling house like this all by themselves.  Surely there would be construction crews all over the place?   I wouldn't live in a house like that for all the tea in China.  The door knobs alone give me the heebie jeebies. 

Agree! This seems like a huge project for two people w/5 kids. I'm kinda assuming their previous homes weren't this large. Am also wondering if they purchased this house at an auction or by some cheaper means to make them think it would be profitable given the size and age of the house. I'm also assuming they are the first owners since the Hills.  And flipping this place in 8 weeks--no way!  If flipping is their career, you'd think they'd have known that was out of reach even without spirits messing with you at every turn. 

 

On 10/21/2018 at 2:05 PM, leighdear said:

FFS, you do NOT live in a house like that and keep whining "We can't find the key to that one room we think is the cause of all the damage". 

You go to the hardware store, you buy a fire ax, and you chop the freakin door open!  Jeez, I HATE stupid plot devices like that. You can replace the door.  

 

Their line about the key has been grating me too. Even if they were trying to preserve that ornate handle and probably original door, call a locksmith!  

Edited November 1, 2018 by Peanut6711

[methodwriter85]

On 10/24/2018 at 5:22 PM, millennium said:

  I'm not so keen on adult Luke -- he seems miscast.

I love his performance but I have to kind of suspend disbelief that a heroin addict who's only been sober for three months is going to look like he should play quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Seriously, no one suggested to the actor that he should lay off the cross-fit for a month or two?

Quote

My guess is that she is not so miss perfect as she likes to think she is. 

I think Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill is not a ghost but a vision of a guy she had an affair with.

Edited November 4, 2018 by methodwriter85

[llewis823]

On 10/30/2018 at 6:47 AM, RalyWilmy said:

I watched Two Storms and this episode last night and I went to bed genuinely freaked out. 

I watched these same two episodes last night and also went to bed freaked out. Here's the thing though...I'm not scared easily but this show just has me creeped out. I think maybe it's because it is so psychological, which is scarier than ghosts to me. I guess because it's a perception is reality kind of thing making hallucinations, etc. "real" to the person experiencing them.  That's why it makes it so scary to me. It could really happen - in someone's mind - making it their reality.

[archer1267]

I totally agree, llewis823. My dad passed away abruptly in 2003 and my mother was devastated. She started hearing things in the house and wanted to believe it was him. But soon the noises began to scare her, and she'd tell me stories of how a door bolted behind her, objects were being moved. She was afraid to go to sleep at night, which just made things worse. After a while, it became clear that something else was going on with her, and it turned out that she had dementia. When I'd visit, she would sometimes write things down for me to read, so that the spirits wouldn't hear us talking about them.

Since she had episodes when my dad was alive and well, and used to "see" dead people as a little girl, I couldn't discount this all as the ramblings of an ill person. Two of my sisters experienced things in the house too, so there's that. But I will never know the extent to which this was "real" and how much of this was in her mind...and that is why this show is especially resonating with me. (And bringing me to tears at times.)