This article “Who is Rebecca Jessel in The Haunting of Bly Manor” contains minor spoilers. Major spoilers are at the end of the article — warning.
We recapped the whole Netflix series — check out the archive.
At the start of the series, Dani wonders why the au pair position had taken so long to fill — in fact, that’s one of the key reasons she got the role. The previous au pair had died on site which had caused a stigma for anyone else who had applied. So who is Rebecca Jessel in The Haunting of Bly Manor?
She was the au pair
Yes, Rebecca Jessel was the initial au pair for Flora and Miles. Her journey to Bly Manor was oddly similar, with Henry Wingrave and Peter Quint wondering why an intelligent, beautiful woman like her was interested in looking after children. The only difference is, Rebecca is not exactly trying to run away like Dani. She has a plan.
Do the children like her?
Yes, they love her. In fact, one of the main reasons Dani struggled to engage with the children at first is that they miss Rebecca.
Is Rebecca romantically involved with anyone? (minor spoiler)
Almost instantly, soon after being hired, Rebecca Jessel and Peter Quint enjoy each other’s company intensely. It’s love at first sight and the pair are immediately hooking up in different areas of the manor, much to the disapproval of Hannah Grose.
— warning: major spoilers ahead —
How did Rebecca die? (major spoiler)
The reason Rebecca dies is purely Peter’s fault. Peter disappears for a while after a brief argument where he got paranoid that she was flirting with Owen. When he returns, he reveals to Rebecca he is not a ghost. Desperate for them to both be together, he tries to bring her in and share their consciousness — while in this state, Rebecca walks into the lake and drowns. Peter mishandled and underestimated the curse of Bly Manor and it led to Rebecca’s death.
So both Rebecca and Peter are ghosts (major spoiler)
Yes, they both become ghosts; they are plotting together in the Netflix series, trying to find ways to not fade and have a chance of being together. The one contributing factor is that Rebecca has more of a moral compass than Peter and she has love for the children. So while they plan to use the children as part of their bigger plans, Rebecca ultimately is the turning point in ensuring Peter’s plans do not go ahead.
