As of yet, we’ve been given no official sign that Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House would find any future life. But while the finale does conclude the story of the Crain family pretty concretely, it does open doors for a possible anthology approach in future seasons, should the show want to go that way. Here is our interpretation of those final moments, and how they might indicate The Haunting of Hill House‘s future.

“Whatever walks there, walks together.”

In the final episode of season one, Hugh Crain makes the decision to stay (and presumably die) in Hill House, so he can remain with the ghosts of his wife Olivia and daughter Nell. He joins them in the mysterious “red room” after bidding adieu to eldest son Steven, to whom he has just relayed the true story of Olivia’s death.

Steven, having finally gained closure, walks out of the house, lost in thought. As he leaves, we see a large number of ghosts gathering behind him. Some of them we’ve seen before, some look less familiar, but all of them presumably have their own stories to tell. If the show does go the anthology route, these ghosts might be Easter Eggs for future stories. Perhaps will learn about the Hill family, who built the house and whose ghosts have lingered on.

We could learn more about Luke’s ghost

One of the scariest parts of season one was the floating ghost who haunted Luke. Though we learned about the Hills and the true identity of the Bent-Neck Lady, we never found out who exactly the bowler hat-wearing, cane-wielding spook is. Perhaps he was merely a manifestation of Luke’s fears, or maybe he’s a ghost with a specific backstory that we’ll explore in season two, sort of like how The Conjuring 2‘s nun ghost got her own movie.

The Crains may return!

Or maybe the show will go the direct sequel route and pick back up with the Crains. The family’s big problems seem to be solved based on the finale’s final montage; Luke is two years sober, Steven has reunited with his wife—who is pregnant—Shirley and Kevin have patched up their martial woes, and Theo is dating the woman she met in the premiere. But is everything as squeaky clean as it looks? The fissures of grief run deep, and no one is ever fully healed from the wounds of the past. It’s possible the Crains have more ghosts left to conquer, and we’ll see them again.

Back to the books

Many fans just couldn’t get over the fact that this version of Hill House wasn’t a straight adaptation of Jackson’s book. Though Mike Flanagan told Vulture the main reason for the change is because the novel didn’t offer up enough material to sustain a ten-episode season, maybe the writers will reconsider that for season two. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, it follows a man named Dr. Montague who brings a pair of paranormally inclined women to a famously haunted house in the hopes of obtaining proof of the supernatural.

The first season of the Netflix version borrows everything but the plot from Jackson’s story, particularly names like Nell, Theo, and Luke. The show also had a character named Dr. Montague: Nell’s psychiatrist (played by Russ Tamblyn). It could be neat to use him as the starting point for season two; after his disbelief in Nell’s stories led to her suicide, he could return to the house with his own team to get to the bottom of Hill House’s ghost problem. This could also be a way of bringing in the Crains, who might protest the doctor’s investigation.

Those are our thoughts about the future of The Haunting of Hill House, but what do you think? Let us know below!

Images: Netflix