The Shocking Truth: Untangling the Mystery of Death in The Fall of the House of Usher

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Fall of the House of Usher.

Summary

Character deaths in "The Fall of the House of Usher" are depicted in gruesome manner, magnifying the thematic elements of the story and the inevitable grip of destiny.

By drawing a parallel between Eliza Usher's death and the premature passing of Edgar Allan Poe's mother, the show skillfully underscores the impact of Poe's literary contributions on its own narrative.

Each character's demise in the show carries great importance, drawing influence from Poe's literature and showcasing the duality of humanity and the repercussions of moral trespasses. With an eight-episode duration, The Fall of the House of Usher features numerous character fatalities, each with hidden depths. This adaptation skillfully weaves together multiple works by Edgar Allan Poe, presenting a haunting narrative encompassing themes such as greed, morality, mortality, and the inescapable grip of destiny. The Netflix horror series fearlessly presents these thematic elements through its unreserved depiction of character deaths.

Eliza Usher & William Longfellow

: The Fall of the House of the Usher is known for its haunting episodes, where members of the central Usher family inevitably meet their tragic demise. Adding to the sense of terror, the show vividly portrays the characters' unfortunate ends, leaving no room for peaceful departures. These macabre deaths serve a vital purpose in advancing the show's overarching narrative, despite their unsettling nature.

Eliza Usher, in The Fall of the House of Usher, derives her name from Edgar Allan Poe's mother, Eliza Poe. Throughout the series, Eliza's health rapidly declines, but her unwavering faith in God remains steadfast. Consequently, she adamantly refuses any treatment for her ailment. Although the series initially withholds information regarding her condition, Roderick Usher eventually discloses that she suffered from CADASIL, also referred to as cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy. Tragically, Eliza's children, Roderick and Madeline, unintentionally bury her alive—an unsettling motif recurrent in Edgar Allan Poe's literary repertoire.

In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Premature Burial," the theme of being buried alive is explored through the narrator's obsessive preparations to ensure his own death before burial. This fear-inspired narrative is reminiscent of the Netflix horror series, where Eliza's character, similar to Poe's mother, dies prematurely. This connection to Poe's poem "To My Mother" reflects the impact of his mother's untimely death on him, just as Roderick's tragic loss of his mother is depicted in the show's opening episode.

Eliza Usher, after rising from her deathbed, seeks vengeance by killing William Longfellow before succumbing to her own illness. Her actions before her demise serve to magnify the paradox of her unwavering loyalty to Longfellow, despite his neglect and mistreatment, and her ultimate sense of justice and tranquility in death, as she finally gains the courage to confront him. Although Longfellow's storyline and eventual demise do not directly reference any specific works by Edgar Allan Poe, they bear thematic resemblances to Poe's stories "Ligea" and "Morella."

Annabel Lee

Annabel Lee, crafted by the renowned Edgar Allan Poe, stands as a poignant poetic creation that delves into the depths of a man's everlasting devotion to a woman bearing the same name. Intriguingly, the moniker Annabel Lee resurfaces within the narrative of The Fall of the House of Usher, belonging to Roderick Usher's former spouse who tragically succumbed to suicide following their separation. Consequently, Roderick finds himself entrusted with the care of their children. As time passes and Roderick reflects upon Annabel Lee and their shared bond, he glimpses the alternate course his life might have embarked upon had he never strayed from his ethical path.

Prospero Usher

In a desperate bid to prove his worth to his father, Prospero Usher embarks on a venture to establish a nightclub business. Unfortunately, Roderick dismisses both his idea and his business acumen. Determined to showcase his capabilities, Prospero organizes a masque rave at one of his father's neglected company facilities. Moreover, Prospero assumes that the storage tanks located above the abandoned factory contain water. Viewing this as an opportunity to enhance the allure of his party, Prospero connects the tanks to the factory's water sprinkler system. However, just before activating the sprinklers, Verna cautions him to reconsider.

Prospero proceeds with his plan despite hesitations, leading to an unexpected twist. Upon activating the sprinklers in his vibrant gathering, a deadly acid instead of water spews out, causing severe burns and fatalities to all attendees except for Morelle, the guards, and the bartenders. The tragic demise of the young Usher and the underlying plot are taken from Edgar Allan Poe's renowned tale, The Masque of Red Death. This narrative revolves around Prospero, an affluent prince who organizes a masquerade ball within his castle's confines amidst a devastating plague tormenting his kingdom. However, the atmosphere takes a dark turn as an enigmatic figure wearing a red mask similar to Verna's appearance suddenly emerges at the castle. The conclusion of the story mirrors the fate met by those at Prospero's rave, symbolizing the inevitable grip of mortality that transcends power and influence.

Camille Usher

In her quest to uncover the Usher family informant in The Fall of the House of Usher, Camille Usher decides to pay a visit to her sister Victorine's animal laboratory. Little does she know that this encounter will lead her to a horrifying revelation. As she comes face to face with Verna, the embodiment of death itself, Camille stumbles upon the shocking truth—Victorine subjects chimpanzees to cruel experiments, slicing open their chests and implanting cardiac devices in their hearts. To make matters worse, her sister manipulates the test results by injecting the chimps with adrenaline, callously discarding them once they succumb to the trials. However, just as Camille prepares to expose Victorine's sinister activities, Verna assumes the form of a chimpanzee and mercilessly ends her life in a brutal act of murder.

Napoleon Usher

Camille's demise parallels the plight of the characters depicted in Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, drawing attention to the intricate connection between the duality of human nature and the blurred boundaries separating civilization from primitive brutality. The juxtaposition of Camille's death and the events unraveling in The Murders in the Rue Morgue emphasizes that, despite their privileged position in society, Camille and the other Ushers exhibit no less ferocity than a chimpanzee driven solely by primal instincts.

Rahul Kohli stars in The Fall of the House of Usher, episode 4. The title of this episode, The Fall of the House of Usher, indicates that Napoleon Usher’s character is inspired by the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Black Cat. Just like Napoleon, the narrator in the story kills his partner's black cat, Pluto, in a fit of rage after abusing substances. To hide his guilt, he brings home another black cat that closely resembles Pluto, but his guilt eventually consumes him. In the end, Napoleon takes his own life during his senseless quest to kill the cat, while the narrator in the short story ends up killing his own wife. In both narratives, the cat (or Verna in The Fall of the House Usher) symbolizes the troubled conscience of the characters and the inevitable consequences of their moral transgressions.

Dr. Alessandra Ruiz & Victorine Usher

During a heated argument over the ethical implications of testing their cardiac device on humans, Victorine loses control and hurls a bookend at Alessandra, unintentionally causing her death. After this traumatic incident, Victorine becomes tormented by muffled, rhythmic sounds that persist throughout the episode. In episode 5 of The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick pays Victorine a visit and is also disturbed by the mysterious sound. Upon investigation, he discovers that it is emanating from Alessandra's heart, connected to the blood-pumping cardiac device.

Victorine's narrative parallels Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, where the protagonist is haunted by the sound of a beating heart after committing a murder driven by obsession. Like Victorine, the narrator gradually succumbs to guilt and paranoia, hearing the relentless beating sound. Both characters struggle to comprehend their reality, burdened by overwhelming guilt. While Victorine tragically commits suicide, the narrator in Poe's short story confesses his crimes to the authorities.

Tamerlane Usher

Samantha Sloyan in The Fall of the House of Usher. 

Tamerlane Usher's narrative in The Fall of the House of Usher derives inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, Tamerlane. Similar to the character in the original poem, the protagonist of the show mourns her lost youth and grapples with a sense of unfulfillment in various aspects of her life. Her relentless pursuit of greater achievement takes a dark turn when she becomes haunted by Verna's apparitions, encountering her presence everywhere she turns. Eventually, Tamerlane becomes so enthralled by these visions that it ultimately leads her to her demise. Tragically, she meets her end when she shatters a mirror above her bed, resulting in a shard severing her neck.

Frederick Usher

In episode 7 of The Fall of the House of Usher, Fredrick inflicts torture upon his wife Morelle as he discovers her actions at Prospero's rave. However, his own tragic destiny catches up with him when he inadvertently overdoses on the same medication he used to immobilize and torment Morelle. In a state of drug-induced disarray, Fredrick proceeds to demolish the very factory where Prospero held his infamous rave.

As Fredrick collapses from the overdose, Verna seizes the opportunity to exact revenge. She impersonates Fredrick's voice and commands his employees to raze the building. To render him a taste of his own cruel treatment, Verna orchestrates a pendulum-like metal blade to gradually descend towards Fredrick's body. This slow, agonizing descent ensures that Fredrick experiences a lingering and painful demise.

Lenore Usher

Like the protagonist in Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale, The Pit and The Pendulum, Fredrick helplessly observes as the pendulum gradually approaches his vulnerable body with each ominous swing. Contrary to the fate of Poe's character, Fredrick meets his untimely demise. Prior to his death, Verna candidly reveals that his father's transgressions had predetermined his destiny, though she could have bestowed upon him a less agonizing end had he treated his spouse with more kindness.

At the conclusion of The Fall of the House of Usher, the only innocent character left is Lenore. Unlike the others, she does not meet her demise as a result of her own wrongdoings, but rather due to the fateful decisions made by her grandfather, Roderick. Through a flashback, we learn that Madeline and Roderick had once struck a bargain with Verna. In exchange for material success, they agreed to sacrifice their entire bloodline. By killing Lenore, just like the other Ushers before her, Verna fulfills her part of the bargain and puts an end to Roderick's lineage. However, she ensures Lenore's passing is painless, recognizing the young girl's undeserving fate.

Following the demise of Lenore, The Fall of the House of Usher portrays a sequence from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, The Raven. This sequence emphasizes how Roderick is haunted by the guilt and grief resulting from his granddaughter's death. Incessantly uttering "Nevermore" to Roderick, the raven serves as a constant reminder that he will never be able to overcome the remorse he feels for being accountable for his granddaughter's demise. Furthermore, the untimely passing of Lenore serves as a reminder of the eerie nature of one's destiny and how it may not always be a consequence of one's own actions.

Rufus Wilmot Griswold

In Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, a man named Montresor endures numerous injuries inflicted by a wine enthusiast named Fortunato and vows to exact revenge on him. During a carnival, where Fortunato masquerades as a jester, Montresor entices him to explore his family's catacombs by offering a taste of the rare wine, Amontillado. Once deep inside the catacombs, Montresor binds Fortunato to a wall and entombs him alive by sealing him behind a brick enclosure. In a similar manner, Rufus Wilmot Griswold from The Fall of the House of Usher, who had formerly headed Fortunato Pharmaceuticals prior to Roderick assuming control of the company, meets a fate identical to that of Fortunato in The Cask of Amontillado.

Roderick and his sister, Madeline, go to extreme measures to seek revenge on him, trapping him behind a wall of bricks. As a result, his jester costume symbolizes the humiliation and shame he experiences in his final moments. Rufus Wilmot Griswold, another American author and poet who was Poe's rival and critic, also shares the same name. Like the character Rufus in the show, this poet's hatred and ego led him to continuously harm Poe's reputation until his death at the age of 42.

In addition to being inspired by the real poet and Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrative of Rufus Wilmot Griswold in "The Fall of the House of Usher" incorporates elements from Poe's poem, "The Bells." In the poem, the author portrays iron bells as a representation of death and sorrow. The show utilizes these bells as a storytelling tool, foreshadowing Roderick's demise by depicting how Roderick is haunted by the sound of the iron bells in Griswold's jester costume.

Madeline & Roderick Usher

Madeline and Roderick Usher, the main characters in Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, meet a similar fate towards the end of the play. In a chilling twist, Roderick poisons Madeline and turns her into a mummified figure by replacing her eyes with rare blue Egyptian stones. The climactic scene mirrors the conclusion of Poe's story, as Madeline rises from her deathbed, just like her mother, and collapses onto Roderick as their childhood home crumbles around them. Just before Madeline's attack, Roderick utters the word "Nevermore," reminding her that they can never escape the consequences of their past actions, thus completing the circular narrative of The Fall of the House of Usher.