Ranking Every Episode Of The Haunting Of Hill House

10. Episode 1: Steven Sees A Ghost

Let's make something clear: there are no bad episodes of The Haunting of Hill House. Hell, there aren't even mediocre episodes of The Haunting of Hill House. Creator Mike Flanagan has created something truly special here, in which every episode plays like an integral cog in a larger piece of machinery. The episodes' quality ranges from very good to flat-out masterful.

But alas, one of them has to be at the bottom of this list and the first episode is the unlucky winner.

Steven Sees A Ghost is an incredibly solid episode but one that suffers from having to do extensive work to introduce all of the characters and plot threads to the audience. Considering that the show's central cast of characters includes the Crain parents and all five of their children in not just one but two different time periods, starting the show can feel a bit like hopping on an already running treadmill.

Which isn't a bad thing. If anything, Steven Sees A Ghost is immeasurably benefits from repeat viewings, where viewers can come back to the start after finishing the series once through. And there are genuinely great sequences here, such as the cold opening that immediately sets the tone for everything that is to follow or Steven's final moment where he sees Nell's ghost.

This episode does a splendid job of setting the table for later episodes to capitalize on.