The Dark Secrets Unveiled: Unraveling the Haunting of Hill House's Mysterious Death After 5 Years
Unveiling the eerie connection between Gris's demise in House of Usher and William Hill's tragic death in Hill House Prepare for a haunting repetition of Hill House's darkest horrors in the Fall of the House of Usher
WARNING! This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher's ending!
Summary
The demise of Rufus "Gris" Griswold in The Fall of the House of Usher mirrors the death of William Hill in The Haunting of Hill House. Gris' tragic fate of being entombed within a brick wall bears a striking similarity to the discovery of William Hill's remains within the walls of the eponymous Hill House.
In Mike Flanagan's 2023 Netflix horror show, The Fall of the House of Usher, the tragic themes and deaths from The Haunting of Hill House are revisited. These include blackouts, visions of supernatural figures, burns, and fatal falls. The show unexpectedly brings to light the mystery surrounding the death of one ghost from The Haunting of Hill House. While the plots and characters are not explicitly connected in the same universe, Flanagan often incorporates common themes and motifs as a nod to his other works. The ending of The Fall of the House of Usher also includes a connection to Flanagan's previous Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House.
The Fall of the House of Usher includes multiple grim character deaths, a signature element of Mike Flanagan horror shows. One of the characters to meet his demise is Rufus "Gris" Griswold, former head of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals and boss of young Roderick. Flashbacks to 1979 reveal that Roderick and Madeline killed Gris during a work party. They chained him to a wall, sealed him in the Fortunato basement, and allowed him to slowly suffocate and starve to death behind a wall of bricks. Gris's death serves as a significant catalyst for the show's events, similar to the fate of a ghost in Hill House.
Gris's Death In House Of Usher Shows How William Hill Was Killed In Hill House
Gris' fate, being chained up and fatally sealed into a brick wall, is strangely familiar in the Flanaverse. It mirrors the death of William Hill in The Haunting of Hill House. While tearing down a wall infested with mold in the house, Hugh Crain discovers the body of William Hill, who had been missing since 1948. The Haunting of Hill House reveals that William had willingly trapped himself inside, attempting to scratch his way out. Hugh often hears the ghostly scratches of William's futile escape, reminiscent of Roderick hearing the jingle of Gris' jester bells in The Fall of the House of Usher.
Although The Haunting of Hill House shows only the aftermath of William's death, with his skeleton found within the walls, The Fall of the House of Usher depicts the actual process of a character being murdered in this manner. In The Fall of the House of Usher, Gris' body is never recovered, paralleling the explanation of William's fate offered in the 2023 series. Both deaths and their undisturbed burials pay homage to Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Cask of Amontillado, in which a man is entombed within catacombs.
Fall Of The House Of Usher Repeats Several Hill House Tragedies
In The Fall of the House of Usher, there are tragic events that parallel the misfortunes of characters in Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House. Tamerlane Usher's death shares similarities with Olivia Crain's haunting experiences, as both had unexplained blackouts and glimpses of supernatural entities. Tamerlane saw Verna transforming during her blackouts, while Olivia encountered ghosts like Poppy Hill. Perry Usher's death by acid burns is reminiscent of Edward Hill, also known as the Basement Ghost, who suffered a similar fate. Additionally, both Olivia Crain and Napoleon Usher meet their demise by falling. Just like the haunting events that consumed the titular family of The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher witnesses the eponymous family's gruesome ends.
