1. Why are Jamie and Owen at the wedding when Flora and Miles don't remember them? And why is Jamie actually telling the story?
2. Why are there no accents anymore?
3. How can Jamie be so "old"?
4. Why don't Flora and Miles recognize the story even though their names and dates are used?
Many people get upset about these 4 questions and thus declare the story to be incorrect, illogical. I have my own personal opinion on this. It's probably worth noting that I've watched the show but have no background. I'm only interested in the result on screen and how I perceive the matter without prejudice, not what the cast might have said about it. By the way, English is not my mother tongue, so please excuse any mistakes.
For me the first reason doesn't matter. Though they seem like strangers, their presence doesn't come as a surprise. This shows that a certain relationship must exist, albeit not a deeper one. I'm not going to speculate about that, I see that as a fact. And I think Jamie is telling the story, because 1) it seems like the moment is fitting and 2) the truth should be out on the table at least once (albeit in the form of a story). Maybe even Henry secretly wants Jamie to tell the story. We learn later in the show that he wanted to keep the truth hidden away. Maybe he changed his mind. And who is suited better to tell the truth than Jamie?
Another point of criticism is that the accents have been lost. Honestly? That's also a side issue for me. It's no surprise that people in a linguistically diverse area can lose their accent. It doesn't even take that long, 3-4 years at most. And since Flora and Miles, for example, have been living in America for many years, it is no surprise that they no longer have a British accent.
3 and 4 can be explained well together. When Jamie tells the story, she tells the truth. But I'm sure she changed names and dates. I mean, how would you react if a woman summarized your life in a ghost story? How would Miles react when he found out he was Hannah's killer? No, she changes the names, the place and even the time. Who says the woman's real name is Jamie? Her character in the story is called Jamie, but in reality her name could be Alice, Rosa and so on. My theory is supported by the other woman's question - if she (the woman) went to Bly Manor, would she find Dani there? - No, because Bly Manor doesn't exist. So it's possible that a lot more has changed. The fact that Miles doesn't respond to the story at all supports my thesis. Jamie used Flora's name, because it's a middle name and so can be explained as coincidence. And that's why Jamie can be so "old", because we can't tell if the dates are true. Ultimately, only Henry, Owen and Jamie know the real story.
If you keep all of that in mind, the story makes sense to me. What do you think?
A few final words...
I think the ending was bittersweet, but still hopeful. Because I think Jamie is wrong. Dani doesn't wander around Bly Manor, it just doesn't make sense. Spirits trapped in our world are usually the hapless departed. People who were murdered or killed themselves for bad reasons. Or held in this world by unfinished business, or held by others. A spirit departed in peace has no reason to wander - Dani died peacefully, for love, thereby freeing Viola. She is not the new lady in the lake, nor is she wandering around Bly Manor. Why should she? Unlike Viola, she is not tied to the place. And there is no curse condemning her to roam. She is free. If there was a bond, it would be to Jamie or her wedding ring. But I think she's with Jamie voluntarily and deliberately not showing herself to her. Jamie wanted to follow her before and I think she would try again if Dani revealed herself. That Jamie is wrong is proven: Viola could only leave Bly Manor in Dani's body. So if Dani is the new woman in the lake, she would not be able to „touch“ Jamie in the final scene.
That's it already. :)
Kind regards
LEXAARIA