Surprisingly Wholesome Moments From 'The Haunting of Hill House'

The show's finale is filled with misty-eyed moments, and one of the most touching comes in the final montage. One shot shows the Crains and their partners surrounding a smiling Luke. Before him is a red cake topped with a golden "2," indicating he has been sober for two years. 

After watching Luke's ongoing struggle with addiction, this moment really takes the cake - pun intended - by showing just how far the family has come since their final harrowing night in Hill House.

Some fans do doubt the authenticity of this scene, though: Since the color red was used throughout the series as a subtle sign that the characters were in the red room, some viewers were suspicious of the red icing on Luke's cake. If true, this twist would certainly put a damper on the story, which is why many fans choose to believe the celebration is happening in the real world.

Nell and Arthur's meet-cute is straight out of a romantic comedy, which may be why their ultimate fate is so tragic. When Arthur, a sleep technologist, asks Nell if she drinks coffee, she says yes and asks if he's asking her out. He isn't, at least, not yet.

He says he needed the information for the health history segment on her patient file, but then reveals he was going to wait until after their visit to ask her out. She agrees, and the rest is history, albeit a tragic one.

Luke and Nell's bond is one of the highlights of the show, and never is it more touching than when they're children. When the two are playing in Hill House and a troublesome spirit interferes with their game, Nell can tell that Luke is scared, though he denies it. When he asks how she knows, she simply replies, "Because I'm scared," showing just how close the twins really are.

Nell and Arthur's wedding is one of the final happy moments we see of Nell's life before it begins to unravel. The occasion is beautiful, not only because of the venue and decked-out guests, but because the audience knows this single blissful moment can never last.

Shirley and Kevin's daughter, Allie, is enamored with her Aunt Theo's gloves, even though she doesn't know what they're truly for. In one heartwarming moment at the dinner table, Shirley tells Theo that Allie practically begged her for the gloves, which Allie vehemently denies.

The Dudleys, Hill House's caretakers, are an unknown quantity throughout much of the show. Not until the final few episodes do we discover that they only remained near Hill House because their daughter's spirit is trapped there, as is their other daughter, Abigail's once Olivia Crain poisons her in the red room. 

When Clara Dudley's time has come, her aged husband, Horace, carries her weakened body into Hill House, where he lays her down and gives her a final kiss. When he looks up, he sees her spirit standing with their two children, happy and together, and he cries joyful tears.