Plotlines

Once again, we learn more about Roderick and Madeline’s turbulent past. However, it quickly becomes clear that Roderick wasn’t always as strong as his older self. His early days at Fortunato were full of difficulties, and his sister advised him to submit to the system, even if it meant getting involved in illegal activities.

But this episode focuses mainly on Leo. He has moved in with his boyfriend, Julius, but we already know that Leo wasn’t ready to take him to the family gathering. It seems like, in a drug-induced state, Leo killed Julius’ black cat. So, he tries to find a replacement, and along the way, he too encounters Verna.

After a lot of drugs, broken drywall, and several seemingly dead small animals, Leo also ends up dead. That sounds simplistic, but Leo endures some serious psychological torment. It’s almost as if he’s driven mad, and he ultimately takes his own life, obsessed with the black cat on the balcony.

By now, it’s clear through the flashbacks and Verna’s repeated appearances before each child’s death that everything is connected. Something Madeline and Roderick did on New Year’s Eve in 1979 has had lasting consequences for the entire family.

What stands out to me is that Perry is the only one who doesn’t die from a hallucination or vision caused by Verna. While all the other children encounter Verna before their deaths, Perry dies as a result of the acid in the sprinkler system. Camille dies from a vision of Verna, who actually turns out to be the chimpanzee, and Leo dies chasing a vision of the black cat on the balcony railing.

These visions are obviously caused by Verna, and maybe I’m overthinking it, but I find this detail fascinating.

Roderick, plagued by unnecessary jump-scare-style shocks, increasingly sees his dead children. Sometimes it’s during the retelling of events, but often it happens while he’s talking to Auguste. And we keep seeing that open door, wondering what’s happening down in the basement.

There’s one more thing I want to highlight because it’s important to me, and this show sets a great example. Victorine and Leo both have same-sex partners, and Camille has sex with her two assistants. What I really love about the way the show handles this is that it doesn’t make a big deal out of it. Let me explain! The show doesn’t force it in your face, nor does it make any special mention or focus on it. It’s treated as completely normal, just like everything else, and I love that. I wish we could see much more of this in other series.

In my first post, I mentioned that not every episode centers on one of the Usher children, but now I realize that’s not entirely accurate. There’s a constant mix with the past of the Usher siblings and the rise of Fortunato, but we’re also getting more of the present. As the story refers back to the past, we can see that something terrible must have happened back then.

It’s clearer in the flashbacks, but even in the present, we’re constantly reminded that maybe Roderick is just a figurehead, and the real captain of the Usher/Fortunato ship is Madeline.

I also feel a growing urge to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. I think I’ll need to visit some bookstores in the coming days and see what I can find.
The show continues to entertain and remains consistently thrilling! It was created by Mike Flanagan, and I think I’ve seen something from him before—The Haunting of Hill House, if I’m not mistaken. I liked that too, but after The Fall of the House of Usher, I’ll definitely check out more of his work. He also wrote and directed Gerald’s Game, and interestingly enough, the lead actors from that movie, Bruce Greenwood (Roderick) and Carla Gugino (Verna), are also in this series. I love it when directors and actors form a team, work well together, and then reappear in other productions.