These Are Objectively The Worst Decisions In 'The Haunting Of Hill House'

On multiple occasions, both Dudleys talk about how creepy Hill House can be. They tell Hugh and Olivia about losing their first child to Hill House and the dangers of lingering there. But despite their past tragedies, the couple doesn't keep track of their only living child, Abigail. While the Dudleys work at Hill House during the day, their daughter, Abigail, stays home alone on the other side of the property. Clara mentions to Olivia she doesn't let Abigail out into the world because she fears something will happen to her.

They leave a 6-year-old alone all day and don't even notice when she sneaks out at night to have a sleepover with Luke and Nell at Hill House - an act with serious consequences.

The Dudleys have worked in Hill House for years, and they warn Hugh and Olivia not to stay there. Both Clara and Horace tell the Crains that staying in the haunted building at night is especially dangerous. The Dudleys themselves are only there during the day.

Mrs. Dudley even tells Olivia how she lost her first child while working at the house, but the Crains don't leave.

While Hugh and his son Steven are cleaning black mold at Hill House, Hugh asks the boy to unplug a high-powered fan. Steven does, but unbeknownst to Hugh, some ghostly entity switches the device on again.

A distracted Hugh puts his hand back into it without checking the cord and gets a nasty cut he probably could've avoided.

After departing from Hill House on the last night, Hugh stops at the nearest motel and drops off his children. Then he returns to Hill House to check on Olivia - without telling his kids anything. Steven is left to watch four other children.

The kids don't seem to have a way to contact Hugh, and they don't know when he's going to return. At one point, 6-year-old Nell leaves the motel room and waits outside for her dad's return. Anything could have happened.

After a thunderstorm, Hugh finds a leak in the basement that leads to an entire wall covered in black mold. The outbreak requires professional attention, and everyone wears coveralls and masks. Hugh lets his young son Steven help remove the mold despite the health risks.

This decision doesn't affect the plot, but it's still nonsensical.

After they leave Hill House, Shirley becomes the matriarch of the Crain family. She's the only sibling who seems to have her life together. Shirley has a lovely husband, two kids, a business, and a home. She still struggles with her demons and her mother's passing but manages to lead the family in the right direction. So it's especially confusing that she cheats on her husband, Kevin.

In a flashback dream sequence, Shirley attends a conference without Kevin and goes upstairs with a man she doesn't know. She and her husband weren't getting along at the time, but she still feels guilty about the affair. It all feels pretty random, though.