10 Small Details You Only Notice Rewatching The Haunting Of Hill House

3. Luke’s Obsession With The Number 7 Is More Significant Than You Think

Haunting Of Hill House Spooky Pooky
Netflix

Everyone has a weird thing that they do as a kid. For some, it’s having a pet rock, for others its using the number seven to keep you safe from ghosts. In the case of the latter, Luke Crain’s obsession with the number seven stems seemingly from nowhere, and functions as a kind of coping mechanism for him. If you keep that number in mind, however, when re-watching The Haunting of Hill House you might notice a thing or two.

Firstly, as kids, Luke explains to Nell to count to seven whenever she feels scared. The reasoning for this is implied to be because there are seven members of the Crain family. Eagle-eyed fans of Hill House have noticed that, on top of that, seven is also exactly the number of steps it takes to get from Luke's bed to Nell's. But wait, there’s more! When Olivia, Nell, and Hugh die, there is a deficit in the Crain family. But in the final episode of the show, as Luke celebrates two years of sobriety, we see seven people around him once again.

Contributor
Contributor

Dan is a writer and actor originally from South Australia who now lives in a constant state of anxiety... and Los Angeles. Whether writing about movies, watching movies, or binging the Great British Bake-off, Dan approaches any endeavour with a steely resolve which is rivalled only by his ability to lie about his strengths. For professional inquiries, call Melissa Cropley - Dan's mum; she wishes he would call more often and you'd really be doing him a favour.