Plotlines

How can you tell if a series is excellent? It completely absorbs you, making you forget your surroundings. I notice this strongly with The Fall of the House of Usher, especially at the end of each episode when the logo appears with that spine-chilling sound. It’s already shocked me three times because I completely lose track of time and have no idea how much more is left.

We learn that Roderick and Madeline’s beginnings were far from easy, even though they have a certain right to the company. Remember, their father was the former manager of Fortunato before he was strangled by the siblings’ resurrected mother.

By now, you start to understand how the series works, and your mind begins to race. From the beginning of each episode, you start wondering which of the Usher children will die next—and more importantly, how.

Right after it’s revealed that Perry is dead, and that the family should keep a low profile because of the ongoing trial, we see Camille in full swing. She’s trying to exploit her brother’s death, and the more you listen to her, the more realistic her plans seem. Every tasteless media strategy she suggests has been done before in real life. We’ve all seen people turn the death of a loved one into a way to promote themselves. Whether intentional or not, there’s always that small voice in the back of your head saying something feels off. I think when that voice speaks up, someone like Camille is behind it.

But Camille’s curiosity and ambition, especially with her role in the Usher family, ultimately lead to her downfall. She’s suspicious of her sister Victorine, doubting her research is as advanced as she claims. Naturally, Camille starts snooping around and comes across one of Victorine’s chimpanzees, which becomes rabid (not literally, but in a state of rage) and mauls her. She dies from her injuries, but not before taking a picture of the mysterious woman, revealing the chimpanzee.

I haven’t mentioned Juno, Roderick’s current wife, yet. Honestly, the series hasn’t really given me a reason to. She’s there, she has her own backstory, and she’s apparently taking an insanely high dose of Ligodone, but that’s about it. Maybe there’s more to come, but for now, she feels more like a side character.

What Roderick says about the lemon is fascinating. It sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it? There are products that have followed this exact trajectory, and I’m not naming names, but we’ve all seen it happen. The way he describes the campaigns and all the steps they take—it’s incredibly relatable. These kinds of things aren’t often revealed openly, and it can take years or even decades for the truth to come out. But this isn’t even allegorical anymore—it’s a direct parallel to the real world. Given the series’ setting, it could be interpreted as the result of the very process Roderick describes. Not a very comforting thought.

We’re getting a clearer picture of the Usher family’s shady dealings, and it’s not just Madeline and Roderick. The children are far from good people, too. We haven’t seen much of some of them yet, but I’m convinced they have plenty of skeletons in their closets as well.
This episode felt incredibly close to reality, despite being fiction. I’ve done some reading, and I found out that each episode not only draws from The Fall of the House of Usher, but also shares the title of one of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, with thematic similarities. I think I need to dig deeper into that. Furthermore, I love these kinds of connections—it’s like finishing a delicious five-course meal and getting an extra dessert!