The Haunting Of Bly Manor: 9 Henry James Stories That Inspired The Series

The Jolly Corner follows Spencer Brydon who returns home after thirty-three years abroad to his childhood home on "the jolly corner," the source of his income, to oversee the property being turned into apartments. He realises that he's pretty good at directing renovation, suggesting an innate talent for business had been there all along.

Spencer becomes consumed with thoughts of the astute businessman he could've become if he'd stayed in American to make money, rather than seeking a life of leisure. Soon, he finds himself haunted by his American alter ego — the ghost of a man he might have been.

In episode six of Bly Manor, the children's uncle Henry is haunted by his own alter ego. In denial and embroiled in his work, Henry must reconcile with himself and face the truth. Flashbacks reveal that Henry was sleeping with Charlotte, the wife of his brother Dominic, and Flora is actually his daughter.

When Dominic found out about the affair, he banished Henry from their lives and Bly, and planned a trip with Charlotte to India in an attempt to save their marriage, but they were killed in a car accident. Henry carries around a lot of guilt as he spends his time drinking and contending with his alter ego about the past.