Carla plays this scene so beautifully. She delivers it in such a way that the audience can tell Verna doesn’t take simply to punish but to also give. And there has to be a small part of Lenore that welcomes it because she was always the best Usher. She always understood the importance of putting other before yourself. She was the best of them and it was tragic she was put in this position. But because what her mother does it’s almost worth it?
God this shattered me the first time watching bc I forgot Lenore is in the bloodline. Her speech, just everything was beautiful. On my second viewing with my dad. Only time I saw him tear up from a movie/tv show. He thought Lenore would be spared & when her token was one of Verna’s feathers , got to him too. I will die on the hill that Verna was not some evil being, demon etc. they don’t show compassion or empathy. Verna gave everyone a choice on obtaining a similar death minus Fredrick. That dickwad. She is Death. Death is neutral, it shouldn’t be feared. Its can beautiful, comforting & kind just as much as it can be cruel, scary & violent. Your life decisions pick what version you’re going to meet.
I just had a thought, Verna can see the different life paths the Ushers could have taken. I think Lenore does not exist in the other paths, so she's the one good Usher that comes about because of Verna's deal and its her deal that has to kill her because she wouldn't do something like the others that winds up killing herself.
I don’t know much about this series but between her name, and the trailers I assume this show is less an adaption of the story and more a hodge podge of various Poe stories
The most delicious death in this series was the oldest son's (Frederick) and the dialogue Verna delivers while he's being cut in half is just so seductively cruel. Carla Gugino ate the role of Verna up and left no crumbs. Cannot celebrate her performance enough (and celebrate this series as a whole).
By far, she is one of my favorite characters in film ever and reminds me of several strong, terrifying and caring women in stories I've read. Carla played this role beautifully.
No point crying over spilt milk chunchunmaru. You cause problem? You fix it yourself. Ok! You’re the assigned partner now. Undo the drug problem. He’s all yours. I am completely useless because I’m a girl right Joshua? Ok. I made sure no girl will ever want to date you. You will be single forever. Reputation completely destroyed. That’s what you want right? You want to have bromance with every guy you see. Talking to girls for you is like talking to trash can. Now you can do it freely
this scene shows that Verna is all about balance. she gave power to those who took the lives of millions as a result, but also sent into motion events that would save the lives of millions more. its brutal balance.
@@Wednesdaywoe1975We never really get a clear answer as to who or what she is. She can either be Karma, Death, or a Demon. I think the writers left this open for speculation.
@@RonieTheddy03 - My belief is that she is Nemesis, the Greek goddess of retribution. She typically has black wings -- like those of a large raven -- and carries a balance scale to weigh out the fate of people who deserve her attention. That last part is significant in that she always gives people a choice: just as Morella and the bar tenders at the rave were warned to leave, I suspect that every person was given a similar warning. Nemesis was not an evil or malevolent deity, but a personification of divine justice who most frequently punished hubris, the occasion of humans thinking themselves gods. That also fits in with the Ushers.
I've been a fan of Carla for decades but she really killed it with this role. The range of emotions and how was so seductively, deliciously evil while also gentle and vulnerable... give this woman all the awards!
and there's still one thing I don't understand because Verna gave the choice that Prospero might still have time to stop it, but she didn't give Leonora that option. And I also don't like the fact that their death depended on their parents' selfish decision, and none of these people asked what to do next during the "execution", and most of them wanted to bribe death, what an idiot you have to be to suggest it.
Their deaths were foregone, the consequences of the deal the twins made with Verna. I think the "might still have time to stop it" was a choice to die peacefully or terribly. Each of the children were given that choice.
yes, you are obviously right that it was all about choosing the suffering associated with death itself. but the idea that you were good will die peacefully and if you are bad you will die in agony, unlike the fact that children suffer because of their parents' decisions. As for the series itself, the music, scenery and Verona's acting are outstanding
Didn’t she made a deal to kill the Ushers when they at age of 50 or 40? Why kill her when she is only a teenager? Still it’s a powerful scene, Verna was the most compassionate killer, seeing her tears in this scene… she knows how the world is corrupted and life isn’t fair, there are so many innocent people didn’t deserve it. Even her deals with the other corrupt rich people. She knew They’ll commit corruption without her intervene.
The deal is that the two Usher siblings, Rodrick and Madeline, will live their entire lives as successes, but when they're finally taken by Verna, all their descendents go with them at roughly the same time - that's why all of Rodrick's kids die prior to this, and why his granddaughter does too even though she was a good person
@@sam7732 if I remember correctly. When Verna offered the deal Rodrick agreed immediately and Madeline was shocked. Then Verna said the kids will live shortly but without the poor struggling. Madeline replied like: I mean…. the kids have a good short life for 40 to 50 years Ahhh I swear to god If I become rich I won’t be like them…. A corrupt rich
Aww you cut off the best part! In the beginning when Verna said it wasn't her job to explain what the words "entire lineage" meant, it was already very clear that she has a distaste about carrying out this particular death. And Carla Gugino did that with just her voice! That's some top tier acting right there!
This part made me love Verna. She killed the others driving them to madness, or facing them with their cruelty, but Lenore had the sweetest death we wish to have : no pain, brief and hopeful for the future.
Actually, she gave alternatives to almost all of them to leave more peacefully, but they all followed their vices. She gave them chances to have closure, to save people or to do good, but they didn't choose that path.
@@NeurodiverChanceExactly. She gave Perospero a chance to stop the orgy; Camille a chance to not go into the chimp lab; Leo a chance to be honest; Tammy a chance to rest.
Once the "deal" is made clear, and it hit me suddenly that "oh shit, Lenore is an Usher", I was wondering how they would handle her moment... and then this scene completely blindsided me with how pure and beautiful her life was and the effect she has on others after her death would be. Gugino is so perfect in this role.
If You think Verna is Evil You missed the entire Point of the Story. Verna is the Consequence of the Deal they made Decades ago. She is literally Powerless unless You give Her the Power over You and Yours. Verna is Accountability.
What was the point of Verna even telling her that story if she was gonna kill her immediately after? Can Lenore’s spirit return to haunt Verna? Verna said she loves her job 🤔 I wonder who her boss is
She told her the story to give the both of them comfort. She has to kill a child, and it's tough on both of them. I don't believe she has a boss; I think she's her own entity with her own power, but her power works on certain rules.
I assume she's Death itself and if that's the case she wouldn't really have one. That compassionate side of her we briefly got to see reminded me of Neil Gaiman's version of Death (which is the best one imo) though she doesn't enjoy her job to the point of sadism like with Verna.
I initially wondered why Lenore, as the youngest Usher, wasn't the first to die, since it seems like Verna is working up from youngest to oldest. But this scene makes clear that she is not happy that Lenore has to die as part of the deal, as she's the one Usher who is a good person and might have made a difference. Which is probably why she dies last before the twins. Verna can't change to deal to spare her, so she instead tries to give Lenore as much time as she still can.
I think because she was an offspring. Verna worked her way through the first level relatives and then Lenore. She also was the most innocent of them all, and as Verna says, she feels no joy in doing what she has to do with her. The others were a game, Lenore is pure collateral.
IMO, on the other hand, Verna wanted to make sure the downfall would benefit the world as a way to heal/undo the 'wound' the Usher family did to the world.
@@zitronentee I disagree, she just pointed out the future, but she had no doing in Morellas survival, it was just coincidence. She only told Lenore so she didn’t die thinking it was all in vein. Verna is a being of unfathomable age and capabilities, but the only thing that’s interesting to her (or it) is giving power to someone and look how they use it. Remember how she offers immunity to Arthur Pym and how surprised, but also full of respect she was by him declining. She only gives choices to certain people, everything else unfolds undisturbed by her/it.
@@xamalion7334 I was thinking Verna as 'luck'/'wish' trader. Zero sum game. Usher's wish required equal payment, in a way or another. Verna fulfills wishes while still in line of how the world works, karma, cause-effect. She saw how destructive his wish was and ensured consequences catching up.
I think the most heartbreaking part is that Lenore understands right away. Before Verna sits on the bed she knows that she's going to die, and she just... listens. Lenore always listened.
@@raraszekI’m sure Verna could have put her under some kind of spell, but I think this is the one time she didn’t need to, or even want to; she’s talking to Lenore with respect and love, and I don’t think she’d cheapen the interaction by hypnotising her. Lenore’s clever, she can read the room, and she intuitively knows what’s about to happen, Verna is just taking time to let her know that it’s okay. Verna only ever gets to take lives, people like Morella and Lenore who save lives on a grand scale must be _miraculous_ to her.
This is the saddest scene of all. It just goes to show Verna isn’t as evil as everyone thinks it’s just the way we perceive death whether she will be bad or good. You might call Verna the Angel of Death.
Verna openly states in Rue Morgue that any of them could have had a peaceful, quiet death if they had simply left well enough alone. Pure Usher stubbornness and shameless self-sabotage (in addition to spite, vindictiveness, jealousy and any number of other traits) were the foundation of the others' more gruesome demises.
This scene broke my heart. But it's important that Lenore knows "she did that", basically admitting that Verna had no influence (voluntarily or otherwise) over the choice Lenore made.
my understanding is that Morella gets the inheritance that would have gone to Frederick as his widow, and also(sadly) Lenore's trust fund share as her only next of kin.
Guessing her signing off on the liquidation of Fortunato is how Morella gets her inheritance which she then uses to help millions of people. Or that's just the money owed to her being a widow of Fred Usher
IMO, Verna is like a genie but works within 'Destiny's order'. Sure, she looks evil and she grant wishes of twisted people, but nothing is free in this world. She makes wishes come true while also make sure the payment (including consequences of the wish) fulfilled, like karmic debt.
Verna is such a fascinating character. She can be cruel and vicious when dispatching justice to those who deserve it, even sadistic, but when she faces kind souls like Lenore she's so warm and comforting. Carla Gugino really nails the unearthly nature of this being well.
@Kable-ph2ll that's right. In the last episode, there's a flashback showing Roderick and Madeline make a deal with Verna to perish with their entire bloodline near the end of Roderick's life in exchange for getting away with their crime and taking over Fortunado
More than just warm and comforting. She gets choked up as she's telling Lenore about all the people her mother saves. There are tears forming in her eyes as she tells her "You did that." Verna: this grim reaper? devil? Spirit of vengeance?this whatever she is is genuinely moved by the knowledge that so much goodness in the world can come from one small act. It truly is an amazing performance.
