Ep 2. Part 2 of 3

The Secret of Crickley Hall season 1 episode 2, titled "Part 2 of 3," continues the spine-chilling story of the Caleigh family who have moved to the old Crickley Hall in order to start a new life after their son Cam went missing in the floods which had hit the town the previous year. The episode picks up where the previous one left off, with the family experiencing strange happenings in their new home. The opening scene shows Eve, the mother, sitting alone and frightened in the darkened library, which had earlier echoed with the sound of slamming doors and a woman's ghostly voice.

The episode begins to reveal more about the history of the house as the Caleighs begin to investigate the strange happenings. They discover that the house had served as an orphanage during the Second World War and the atrocities that had been committed there have left a dark stain on its history. The characters have to unravel the secrets of the house to bring closure to the ghosts still wandering the halls.

As the investigation continues, the Caleighs begin to realize that all is not as it seems. They delve deeper into the history of their new home and come across a man named Augustus Cribben, who had run the orphanage during the war. Augustus was known to be cruel, and the children in his care were often subjected to brutal beatings and confinement in a small cupboard under the stairs. The story takes a further turn when the family learns that one of the children who died at the orphanage had been a psychic and had foreseen the tragic and gruesome ends that were to come.

The episode sees the family experience more supernatural occurrences which include the sound of children running and giggling through the halls, moving objects, and shadowy apparitions that vanish without a trace. These unexplained occurrences increase the tension in the house, leaving the Caleighs feeling trapped and frightened.

Meanwhile, in flashback scenes, we see the story of the Cribben's unfold. Augustus is seen as a caricature of pure evil, who enjoys tormenting the children and is constantly thwarting the efforts made by his wife Magda, the true life-force behind the orphanage, to bring some joy and comfort to the terrified children. Given what we know of the house's history, we can sense that the flashback scenes will culminate in a horrifying end that will explain why the house is so haunted.

The episode is a continuation of the series' invigorating approach to horror that fuses family drama with the supernatural, and it manages to do so brilliantly. There is plenty of suspense, dread, and even some shocks that jump up out of nowhere. The episode is engaging and well-paced and each character is given enough development to feel real and relatable.

Overall, The Secret of Crickley Hall season 1 episode 2 is a well-scripted, well-acted episode that perfectly balances supernatural horror with family drama. The episode sets up the story for a tense and frightening climax in the final part of the series. Moving into the final act, we can only expect more twists and turns as the horror of the house is fully revealed, and the fate of the Caleigh family is determined.