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The Fall of the House of Usher 1x08 Full Reaction! (Patreon)

Published:
2023-12-28 13:45:01
Imported:
2026-06
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The Fall of the House of Usher 1x08 Full Reaction

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Ryan

I won't have time to watch until later today, but the part I'm most looking forward to is seeing if you were like me and your mind immediately went to Lenore upon hearing that part of the deal was the death of their "entire bloodline." Verna explaining the future is perhaps Carla's best acting in the whole show, as it's clear she truly doesn't want to do it, and was probably thinking any descendants would inevitably be just as bad when she first made the deal, so now she's stuck with it. Also have to give a real shoutout to Bruce Greenwood for so effectively selling the only time Roderick feels true grief in just a few silent seconds. And not to be outdone, even Mark Hamill does his series-best work in rejecting Verna's offer. The final reveal about Griswold is another time where I imagine it's much more effective if you don't know Poe's stories, in which case you'll probably see it coming the moment we first see Roderick addressing him while facing a brick wall, if not the entire show starting with Another Brick in the Wall. Conversely, I have to imagine just about everyone gets the "Nevermore" reference, again thanks to The Simpsons. I actually went back and watched that segment after the show, and it truly is a masterpiece of animation, with special attention to Dan Castellaneta being able to give such an effective dramatic performance of Poe's dialogue while never once slipping out of Homer's voice. I also have to wonder if Frank Langella had recorded the poem before he was fired, and how that performance stacks up against the two classic ones by Vincent Price and James Earl Jones. I have no hesitation in labelling this show the best work that Mike Flanagan has ever done, and if he tops it one day, I have no idea what that would even look like.

Thomas Corp

Another brilliant ending to the latest round of Shenanigans by Mike Flanagan. This ending, for me, is tied with Midnight Mass for being the best, or at least my favorite ending of one of his works. Your reaction to this whole show has been one for the books. Start by talking about how you feel sorry for Annabel Lee. It is sad to hear about the sad fate she had, and how they show her ghost which tells us she put a pistol in her mouth. Katie killed it in her scene where Annabel’s phantom confronts Roderick, especially that line, “The poverty of you.” Then when she goes to her children, grieves, and then presumably returns to “her sepulchre there by the sea. In her tomb by the sounding sea.” As you observe, it is a strength of the show that they lay enough groundwork, even for a layman unfamiliar with Poe’s work, where things are going. Take Griswold, where all the pieces were there: the name Fortunato, the consistent metaphors of bricks and walls, the wall Roderick talks to whilst drowning his sorrows, and of course the appearance of the jester. Thus, when we see Griswold in the jester costume, I simply nodded, “Yeah, I figured as much.” You had a reaction similar to what my brother expressed that seeing Griswold in the jester costume was the final piece of that puzzle, and it all fell into place. I knew his death would be triggering for you, though I will say, you handled it well. In this episode, we finally learn the deal, and I am happy you finally got that. It broke my heart some when you made the connection with the use of the word bloodline. This show is quite contrary to your usual experience where rather than being sad over character deaths, the thought is more, “No, who’d they kill this time?” The debates are more what was the most fucked up death, which my brother still says Prospero’s. I still say Tamerlane’s death, if not the most fucked up, she is the one I felt sorriest for of the Usher children. Everyone is in agreement that Lenore’s death is unquestionably the saddest. She was the best of them. It is a strength of the writing for this show that they find the right balance of Lenore is a pure soul, yet she’s not naive. Well shown by Kyliegh Curran selling the scene where Lenore stands her ground against Arthur, which impresses Roderick, I suspect impresses Arthur as well, and in her final conversation with Roderick where she speaks of dissolving the empire. Further evidence of how sad her death is, is that Verna shows pure remorse in having to take her life. Good Lord did Carla deliver in that scene, and your reaction to it tore into my heart. And we see that for all his sins and crimes, Roderick truly loved his granddaughter, and he then finds his impending death preferable as it would provide “surcease of sorrow. Sorrow for the lost Lenore. For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.” as is said in the macabre and BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful poem which is finally quoted in this episode; Bruce was brilliant. There is great comfort in Juno and Morella ultimately getting happy endings. Now to the scene of Verna and Arthur, my two favorite characters of this series. Frightening to see Arthur’s skills in action; tellingly Verna is legitimately impressed. The scene also contains the gut buster of the line exchange of Verna revealing what she told one of her more infamous clients, and Arthur inquiring if that debt will be paid soon, as even he has his limits. I went, “DAMN!! HAHAHA!!” Loved you got a laugh at that too. MASSIVE praise to Carla and Mark both in that whole scene; I wept over how much I loved their performances. It is such a moving moment when Arthur rejects Verna’s offer, and she is moved to the point that she offers the comforting gesture, that as you said, you can tell Arthur perhaps has never received such a gesture. And in the end, he gets, strangely enough, at least I think so, one of the happiest endings of the show. He faces up to what he did, and he does it on his own terms. And it would be quite freeing, I’d imagine. No longer the need to believe in either side, or any side. There is no cause. There is only himself. And I imagine Arthur lives in prison, peacefully for many years until he goes to the church, then to the prison hospital, and then to the graveyard. Such haunting imagery of the falling bodies. I concur with you on the killer speech Mary gave as Madeline. Much like in Judgment at Nuremberg or A Few Good Men, it’s a speech that raises valid points, and the speaker is correct in some regards. But it still does not change the fact of the matter at hand. And it exposes that for all Madeline’s talk, she ultimately wanted all the freedom without any of the responsibilities. The “twist” about Madeline, at least in its simplest form, is again, not a twist for those familiar with the story. I do love as you pointed out, the ambiguity in this series of she could have been dead, but Verna may have woken her up for one last jump scare. One of a few jump scares where even when you know it’s coming, the jump scares still get you. I like how Roderick has the realization of the poetry of his and Madeline’s fate, says his final farewell to Dupin. Shares the look with Dupin as if to say, “You’re seeing this too, right?” and faces his death, merely saying, “Nevermore.” Lovely that Dupin gains the peace and closure. I loved your comments to him on that. And we end with Carla’s gorgeous recitation of Poe’s Spirits of the Dead as we see Verna do her own spin on the Poe Toaster. And thus, we conclude our journey through this series as we reach the conclusion of this year. This has been one of the most beautiful times, Jess, shared with you journeying through a show. I thank you most sincerely for the reactions to this show, and how much they meant to me. They were all so lovely.

Thomas Corp
>>125554298

When the word bloodline was first said, it did not immediately register, but within a short amount of time, the word, combined with the name Lenore, caused the heartbreak to sink in. Good thought on Verna’s thinking the descendants would all be rotten, and when that turns out not to be the case with Lenore, it breaks Verna’s heart. I wonder if Roderick simply overlooked, deliberately or unknowingly, the word bloodline being used, or he and Madeline simply focused on the next generation part of the deal. The look Bruce gave to Roderick’s grief and heartbreak for Lenore was striking. Mark was sensational in his scene with Verna. Bruce, Carla, and Mark are the three that I would push the most for awards attention for individual awards; I definitely would push for this show to win ensemble awards. Even if they wouldn’t win, I would still want to see those three at the very least nominated for the major awards. My brother and my sister in-law were unfamiliar with the Poe story in question concerning Griswold. Though like I said, the story was structured in a way that my brother had it largely figured out, and seeing Griswold in the jester costume was the last piece that caused it all to fall into place. I told him that it was more readily apparent if you knew the story. The usage of Nevermore, I would imagine, most would know through things like The Simpsons, which yes, that is a brilliant one. Or even recently, in Wednesday, the school being named Nevermore Academy. Frank Langella reading The Raven, well, the voice that man has, I wouldn’t say no to that. The recitations by Vincent Price and James Earl Jones are lovely recitations. Another one I love is by Sir Christopher Lee. Here’s a link if you’ve not heard it, if you’re interested. https://youtu.be/BefliMlEzZ8?si=BnTtUCob86NVaKvB This whole show’s tied with Hill House and Midnight Mass for my favorite Flanagan show. I heard Flanagan has said those are his top three of his own work, this coming in at a close second behind Midnight Mass. If he ever tops those three, whatever that would look like, I don’t know, but I will be so here for that. And even if he doesn’t, I await his future works, and the reactions and analysis that Jess will have to them with great interest.

Ryan
>>125575817

Very appreciated the references to The Irishman, and Madeline fighting for the right to be a baby. And now I'm wondering how many more stealth references you've slipped in these things that I didn't catch. I've seen some people get the impression that maybe the whole thing is just a CADISIL delusion since Roderick is the one telling the whole story, and Madeline isn't in any position to give her own side when she appears in front of Dupin, but I very much prefer to think the other way. Like how the Duffers were recently forced to deny the inexplicably popular theory that Stranger Things is going to be revealed as a big tabletop game at the end, what the hell kind of meaning are we supposed to take from that? My position has always been that Alice in Wonderland is the only story yet written where "It was all a dream" is the appropriate ending.

Thomas Corp
>>125575817

So, you caught those references, well done. I have heard the CADISIL theory that it’s Roderick suffering from the disease that results in the story. I too prefer the idea that Verna was the real McCoy. I favor the idea, in theory at least, that some of the children, such as Napoleon, Victorine, and Tamerlane, may have suffered from early onset CADISIL. Or at least since that idea would not be impossible, it raises questions and debates one could have about what is or isn’t really Verna and how much is in their head. I agree with you on Alice in Wonderland being a story where “It was all a dream” is the appropriate ending.