Ranking Every Episode Of The Haunting Of Hill House
7. Episode 3: Touch
This is where things get really, really good.
Touch explores Theo's history in Hill House and offers up a compelling modern-set tale in which Theo investigates one of her child psychology patients. This episode is easily one of the most self-contained of the series and is all the stronger for it.
The modern-set storyline is bolstered almost entirely by Kate Siegel's tremendous performance. The standout moment of the entire episode is when she lays down on the couch in her patient's basement and is able to feel what has happened there.
It's all conveyed in one shot without a single word, only Siegel's superb performance, and it immediately sells the entire episode. It also features one of the show's most haunting creations, in the form of Mr. Smiley, an incredibly disturbing creature who gets inside Theo's head early on.
The past storyline in Hill House is also incredible, as Theo and Luke go exploring a secret basement together. From the suspense-laden dumbwaiter scene to the later reveal of the literal monster in the basement, this episode features some truly incendiary work from Flanagan.