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Hey this is totally unrelated but I was wondering if you guys reacted to The Game Awards on one of your plataforms and if you didn't recorded the show what was your opinion on the Awards?, I though the show was quite solid and they were some games that got my attention.
I loved the detail that Madeline wrote “you are so small” on that brick because it shows, even if she looked down on Annabel for being an emotional and caring person, she still got under her skin. This normal, average, real person made “Queen” Madeline feel so small she had to try and transfer that feeling to someone else.
I’m with Steven. Taking a series of poems, weaving them seamlessly into dialogue that doesn’t come across as pretentious, and creating a flawless, 8 episode series is nothing short of genius. For me, Usher edges out Hill House by a photo finish. And Lenore’s death makes me cry every time I watch a reaction. Just all around brilliant storytelling 🖤🖤🖤
There are few people I respect in this series, and Arthur Pyme was one of them. This guy said, "He'd rather die in prison than give someone leverage over me". Lenore is definitely #1, I was so sad when she died. She did absolutely nothing wrong
Madeline is ruthless, but when the deal was made, she had no children and then spent her life trying to find ways to circumvent the deal. Roderick had two children and continued to have more children knowing what was at stake.
Lenore’s death is so heartwrenching. I think most of us didn’t dare to think that the sweetest & best of the Ushers, let alone a child, would be included. Lenore & Verna’s is definitely one of the best scenes. I also absolutely love the scene with Annabelle. I feel the rage when she grinds out “the poverty of you,” and the grief when she says “maybe they died in their childhoods.” Amazing performance by the actress. Such an amazing show overall. All the props to this talented cast & crew.
This show is primarily a scathing denunciation of the Sachler family, who through Purdue Pharmaceutical popularized oxycontin, resulting in the opioid epidemic we see today in North America. The scene of the raining bodies piling beneath the tower always gets me hard, as it's such a keen reflection of the brutal facts of the matter.
And the Sacklers got that "slap on the wrist that comes with a bl**job." I haven't continued to follow it because it's too depressing, but afaik they had to pay a fraction of their profits in fines that came with immunity to further prosecution.
The most tragic thing about Lenore's death is that Roderick not only sold his kids lives away but kept having children, knowing what was going to happen to all of them, but Lenore was the only victim who was concieved by two parents who both did not know about the Usher curse. In a way though, it's oddly comforting to know her parents had her with the intention of her living a full life.
Agreed but had there been no Lenore, INNUMERABLE MILLIONS would've gone without the help they received via the foundation and its recipients. Roderick's antidote.
@@Rash23215 her father was terrible, but it seems like that only shown through during those final two weeks, and the worst they got for Lenore was that brief argument they had at the end. By what we see, she lived a good life. So it’s simultaneously comforting to know that, but also where the tragedy comes from.
@@rexibhazoboa7097 lol....u r a fool if u think he became a horrible person just after finding out that his wife might've potentially cheated on him.....a person who could do what he did to his wife so easily, isn't a good man turned bad.....it means, he has always been horrible .....
🖤 I think it’s interesting as cold as Madeline was as a person she was always less in denial about the night at the bar. Even though it faded like a dream she never had kids and while she strove for immortality she also applied her AI tech prematurely to Lenore instead of herself. Roderick not only condemned his two actual children to an early grave over a cocktail that night he also went on to have FOUR MORE kids doomed to his poisonous money and early death. If ever there were an argument for a vasectomy.
It speaks a lot about Roderick as a father, that the only death he cried over was Lenore. And I think it has a lot to do with how much of Annabelle Lee he saw in her.
He knew his kids would die but was ignorant about his granddaughter and she was the ultimate price that even the innocent ones also can be punished in circumstances like that
@@ACinemafanatic He does care for his kids, terrible as they were (then again the whole blame of their terrible upbringing was him) but Lenore just got to him more because she was like Annabelle Lee, pure and kind, got caught up with his terrible decisions.
@@SteelBallRun1890if he genuinely cared he would’ve never agreed to the deal and just because they lived in lavish doesn’t mean they were happy they were miserable because their father neglected them and they became monsters
@@ACinemafanatic I meant all his kids, the other kids were made long after the deal, and its been shown in sprinkled scenes that the deal they made while serious, was treated as a lark. When Verna's debt started being repaid they didn't even know who it was, when they found out who, they didn't remember her, when they did realize it was her they wondered if it was real. The payment was so far in the future and mysteriously came and went at that one moment in their life that they assumed that deal was just some dream they had. Plus they lived in squalor, everyday, not knowing when it'll get better. As much of a biatch as Madeline was she was right that had Roderick helped Auggie, the company would've scorched them to earth for being whistleblowers alone.
One of the coolest subtleties of this episode is how you can physically see and pinpoint exactly when Rufus is going through each stage of grief after waking up in chains behind the wall.
I gotta say I'm with Nikki: Hill House is still my favorite. Mostly because of the bending of genres was so flawless. But! That doesn't negate FOTHOU and how phenomenal a job Flanagan did with Poe's works.
The HoHH is still my favorite bc I cared for the family so much, I cried several times throughout that series and bc I cared it was scarier. But this series was so tragically beautiful it's a close close 2nd for me ✌🏻🖤
The more I sat with this show, the more I love it. Hill House is still my favorite, but House of Usher quietly snuck up to second place. The way Flanagan was able to not only adapt several of Poe's works, but interweave them into a coherent and entertaining narrative with such a profound message is incredible.
Brilliant use of Poe's greatest short stories & poems. This episode was based on his short story "The Cask of Amontillado" where someone gets bricked up alive in a wall. Other stories he used: "The Black Cat" (cat), "Masque of the Red Death", (acid shower) "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (chimps), "The Tell-tale Heart", (heart device), "Goldbug" (mirrors), and of course "The Pit & The Pendulum". Hamill's character was based upon a Poe character called Arthur Pym who traveled on a ship around the world, saw crazy things like murder & cannibalism. My favorite part was Verna reciting "City by the Sea", a tribute to death itself. Flanagan wrote a love letter to Poe with this series for sure.
This show made me regret choosing the Greek mythology course over the edger Allan poe course in high school lol.....my school gave freshman who had high scores first semester to either stay in the regular English classes or choose a literature intense course and I narrowed it down to E.A.P and Greek mythology and chose Greek mythology cuz I liked Hercules 🤣
Not just "Someone" gets bricked up in a wall in that story, the persons name is "Fortunato" its ironic in both the story and the show that the thing named after fortunes is destined for doom
I loved how gently she placed lenores feather on her gravestone. Shows just how much she cared and was saddened by her death. Especially when you see how she just kinda throws down the drug bag.
I mean this with the best of intentions, but I know how it sounds: I've been HELLA excited to see Nikki cry to this episode 😂 may you punch and grip with the strength of ten Nikkis!
I actually like that you two weren't huge Poe fans. For me, it was fun to watch for all the references and for you two, it was fun to watch you both try to figure out the madness that Poe created in his writings (like why is he talking to the wall) that was weaved into this series. I'm honestly just excited to see Poe's ideas being enjoyed and shuddered over by people unfamiliar with his work, nearly 200 years later.
Verna says her name in the bar at the very beginning, but it doesn’t come up that much otherwise. As for what she is, they give you a subtle hint in the middle. Arthur has a story about the island at the top of the world where beings live “below us” “outside time and space.” And she says she “came topside” and the bar scene is “outside time and space.” That doesn’t nail it down directly as a specific answer, but it’s a fun detail. I love her as the spirit of consequence and choices.
Yeah, people say she's the devil or death, but I think she's just another entity that could be likened to them but not them. Death would be an easy symbol since Poe's works were closely tied to it, but the way Verna functions was not really like that. She makes deals when death doesn't need to, death always comes. And her deals while demonic, she has shown she isn't completely devilish in nature and still saves people, and respects their decisions if they do turn down her choices.
When I wasn't expecting any plot twist anymore, there this show comes, revealing [SPOILER] that Roderick ALWAYS knew he would climb to success over a mountain of death, that he knew that lygadone was extremely addictive and lethal for day one and that he HAD consciously sold his children and gone ahead to have more, so fast that even Madeleine, until that point shown as the coldest, had to pause for a second. He WAS far worse than even I imagined, and I thought he was a monster, already!
Poe is absolutely recognized as the father of American Gothic Horror. From The Addams Family to The Breakfast Club. From Nine Inch Nails to Drab Majesty, Poe started it all! I only hope that shows like this continue to pop up and show respect and reimagine brilliant classic source material. Mike Flagan is due all the accolades he is given.
One of the things I think runs through this whole excellent series is entitlement. Roderick and Madeline feel entitled to running an entire company because they're the children of a secretary who had sex with her boss. CEO's aren't kings, their children aren't automatically entitled to the top job of a company. And that entitlement passes on to his children. They all think their money entitles to them anything and everything they want. They don't just want things, they think they DESERVE them. And it's that entitlement that dooms them all to terrible fates. Only Lenore isn't entitled despite her wealth and privilege and she's the only one to get a gentle, painless death. What a great show.
That's the thing, "Hill House" blew me away throughout! It was and always would be my favorite of Flanagan. But... BUT... I have a a degree in Literature and Poe was the first love when it came to poetry and writings. OMG this show was savored and so delicious. I have to say, when I started to watch it, I had no idea how they would bring this all together, but they did it. Every moment, every word, every prose and poetry...both in speaking word and visuals. I never thought Hill House would go down a tier and be in second place ever! But House of Usher will be number one for me now. PS...the works of Poe leave the very same feeling when you read it, word for word, in the quiet, in a corner, by your lonesome self, with a cup of hot tea and a small plate of shortbread cookies. Poe is genius, and I hope you, Steven and Nikki, and everyone in the comments, have a moment or three, to find the time to delve and lose yourself in such beautiful works of art that were created by Poe.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more with the idea that we should have seen it coming that young Rodrick would flip. When you watch that scene, you're like, oh yes. Of course you're gonna screw Augie. What else would you do? Such a "i could kick myself" moment
“Haunting of Hill House”, Midnight Mass” and “The Fall of House of Usher” are almost interchangeable in ranking for me because they are just that good. I do lean a bit towards “Usher” being my favorite because of recency and the dynamic acting performances. Plus the visual imagery and cinematography were a notch above and I am a visual person 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😎
So I think I figured out the secret plot twist that hannigan likes to put in his shows for this one. So the mother coming back to kill their dad in the first episode, it is ominously exactly like the sisters death. Which says that their dad must have reached his status by making a deal himself that wasn't allowing their mother to die until he did.
I'd love to get a deck of tarot cards based on the fall of the house of usher and other flannagan shows. Just "The Tower" would be so powerful and evocative.
before seeing this series, Midnight Mass was my favorite Flanagan series. after completing The Fall of the House of Usher and watching numerous reaction videos, I can safely say that it's now my number one. this is Flanagan's magnum opus. I am such a huge Poe fan and watching him seamlessly weave the works of Poe throughout this story was a spectacularly breathtaking experience. btw, Rufus being buried behind the wall is a nod to a Poe short story called The Cask of Amontillado, one of my favorite Poe works. once I saw that brick wall in the basement of Fortunato, I knew what was coming and could barely contain my excitement! thanks so much for the reaction, guys! ❤
I thought it was so funny that she mentioned another one of her clients and tells Pym that he could be like him and walk down 5th Avenue, shoot someone and never in trouble for it (trump!) PERFECT!!
My top 3 Flanagan projects, in order: 1- Midnight Mass (I just loved the addiction storyline and the afterlife pontifications) 2- Fall of the House of Usher 3- Haunting of Hill House
Midnight Mass had some tremendously insightful dichotomies. I particularly liked the dichotomy between the Monsignor’s perception of the angel, and reality. Another great one was Reilly’s perception of his death vs. what Erin witnessed. Beautiful storytelling.
I noticed something in episode 5-Verna told Roderick that she wished he jumped so she wouldn’t have to kill Victorine. At the time, it was only Perry, Camille, and Napoleon dead, making Roderick’s suicide the fourth death. But that would leave Tammerlane, Frederick, Lenore, and Madeline alive-another four. Verna said she was a creature of symmetry. Had Roderick kill himself, could he have saved the remaining Ushers?
I doubt it, a deal is a deal, if there were loopholes and she could have saved Lenore she probably would have but the fact she didn't shows it was gonna end no matter what. The only factor that was subject to change was the method of death, like Camille and Frederick could have had simple less painful deaths but Camille didn't listen when she said to leave and Frauderick (lol) decided to abuse his wife.
@@Shyknit Maybe, but then again, the nature of the deal was that Roderick and Madeline can do pretty much whatever they want while Verna makes sure they get away with it. All loopholes were reserved on Roderick and Madeline’s side…until the point of no return. I noticed a habit with Verna-she brings clarity just when it’s too late.. She waits until they’ve made their decision before saying “this was a dumb idea, it could’ve been different.” With Camille, Napoleon, Tammerlane, Madeline, Frederick, all of them…or almost all of them. She never says that to Victorine at her death. Instead, she says it to Roderick. “If you had jumped, I wouldn’t have to do this.” I truly think that was Roderick’s last chance to break the deal and save what’s left of the Ushers. But he chose to live.
@@thephantompenance Or maybe when he jumped he would have taken all the rest with him and they wouldn't have made the decisions that led to such painful deaths
I think if he had tried to end himself in the moment when he was pondering it, when he had realised what might be going on and that he could try saving his remaining kids, maybe then Verna would have accepted that, because that would have been selfless and she seems to like last moment moral choices for her victims. But at the time when he did actually try it, it was basically just Maddy trying to loophole a longer life for herself so then it had a different moral meaning than a selfless jump earlier would have had. Although I don't think it would have let everyone live, but the deaths or some conditions might have changed.
I think it was less Verna talking directly through victorine and more Verna… idk letting Victorine be the voice. Victorine does kill herself in the end and I think when she says „maybe I wouldn’t have to do this“ I think it IS Victorine talking, blaming her father and musing if he could’ve saved them and telling him „ Of course it wouldn’t have changed anything, you‘d never sacrifice yourself for us“. It’s hard to explain but I do think the message itself comes from Verna (cause how else would victorine know) to hold the mirror up to Roderick, but I think it is Victorine actually talking.
It literally wasn’t until I watched your reaction that I realized Madeline killed/died alongside Roderick the same way their Mom did their Dad. Same camera shots of the choking and everything. 🖤
13:09 Roderick: You sure I can't tempt you? Auggie: No. Roderick: Wish I'd said that. I like how there's regret there, he's been trying to get Auggie to drink the wine, while not poisoned, I like to think its because he wanted to feel like he's not weak, the same way he was weak for making that wine deal with Verna. So if Auggie takes the drink, it feels like he's not a weak man, and that any other man, even one as good as Auggie, can be seduced or tempted. Its why he was so happy when Auggie revealed there was no snitch, he was happy to see Auggie play dirty, because he sees this man that is morally good, is not perfect.
The make a reference a couple times to Poe's novel: "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". Roderick talks about the adventure Pym had as a young man, and then Verna talks about the man in the desert, the cannibalism. All from that book. The last lines in the book are of Arthur Pym standing on the deck of the ship as the Northern lights are flashing wildly, and he thinks he see's a woman standing on the ice, but he can't quite make her out. The fact that Mike Flanagan made that woman "Verna" as grade A storytelling.
There’s also a fun “blink and miss” when Lenore and Frederick are assembling the ship in the bottle: Lenore makes it Grampus. It’s an easy fit as a “term of endearment” for her grandpa, but more fittingly, it’s the name of the ship in “The Narrative of [Pym…]”.
I loved this series despite being so "dark". No Happy Hapy Joy Joy ending really but I think the message of this series is about the choices you make. Every person had a chance to make a choice - and that choice will affect your outcome. Pym, Lenore, Juno, August and Frederick's wife, while their choices were very hard, they made the one that was the right thing to do. The easy way is not always the best way. Just love you guys - you're my favorites !!!!!
One thing that sticks with me: Arthur Pym recounts his journey to the Arctic & seeing a supernatural "being" from out of time & space out on the ice. Later Verna confirms it was her, that they saw each other there all those years ago. Can't help but wonder what her true form is, what Arthur saw that frightened him so badly...YIKES
🖤 My top two are Usher and Mass, Hill House close 3rd (possibly because I've seen it so many times?). Bly distant 4th, Club was so forgettable I keep forgetting it exists...
@edisonlima4647 I'm actually not too familiar with his movies. Gerald's Game was on my list forever, but autoplay on RU-vid put a detailed review on while I was busy and couldn't access my phone to turn it off, so I'm waiting for the details to get fuzzy so I can watch it, lol
My favorite is Midnight Mass but I did really enjoy this one. I've watched a lot of people react to this show and you guys seem to be the ones who understood it best. Another excellent reaction. Now, if you guys would please react to Banshee I will love you forever!❤
This is definitely my second fave after Hill House. Also congrats to the two actresses playing younger and present day Madeline (Willa Fitzgerald and Mary McDonnell) for thier nominations for the Critics Choice Awards.
The story of Arthur’s journey reminds me of the first season of The Terror. It was one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever seen. It has a terrific cast, with several GoT alums, and the guy that plays Quinn in Darryl Dixon, who does an amazing job. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. 🖤
The delivery is amazing, the wrong actors and those lines that were scene stealing becomes cheezy. Great show, I cant believe it isnt getting more talk than it is.
Despite being a truly horrible person, Pym kept what little bit of his soul remained at the end when he refused to deal with Verna. Respect. You can't say enough about the writing, the dialogue and the incredible performances from the actors. 🖤🖤🖤 Also, excellent use of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" during the bar scene. 😂 I think for me the Flanaverse goes: Hill House, House Of Usher, Midnight Mass, Bly Manor. I watched some of the Midnight Club but wasn't that into it and quit early on.
I'm with Nikki on this one. The Haunting of Hill House was my first Flanagan show and I think it's still his best yet. What was special about The Fall of the House of Usher (and I side with Steven on this one) is the amazing interplay of action and literature. Flanagan did a superb job of weaving Poe's writing into the story -and the poems' rendition, by both Verna and Roderick, was impeccable.
It was a nice trick Rodrick not really drinking the poisoned drink but making Madeline believe he had been drinking from the same cup for a while and auggie not drinking at all from what Rodrick served him because he didn’t trust him at all, he toasted with him but didn’t drink
I was really hoping that the way they set it up with Morrie and Prospero mentioning the life she had before becoming an Usher, that maybe Lenore wasn't actually Frederick's and so she was only an Usher by name and it would skip her. The tragically ironic thing is that Morrie never cheated on Frederick and Lenore was an Usher by blood, but that's what doomed her to the same fate as the others. The only good thing is that Verna not only gave Lenore the kindest, most peaceful death that she could, but she also gave her the comfort of knowing the incredible amount of good that Morrie would go onto do in Lenore's name. All because Lenore stood up to the family and saved her mother from Frederick.
I don't know if Morrie would have participated in the orgy if they hadn't all gotten melted either. She didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it. If I have one criticism of this show I wish they would have done more to set up Morrie's motivation. She seemed pretty happy and satisfied, making fancy cakes and stuff. And Perry wasn't that attractive, especially not to a woman in her 40s, late 30s. To impressionable teenagers maybe...
And the feather with a rose on her grave she treated it with such care and delicacy because she felt bad for her but she had the most peaceful death out of everyone and they could’ve had a peaceful end had they listened to Verna
The Haunting og Hill House is still my number one but this is a very close second. I really enjoyed this series and it made me jump more than a few times, lol. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
This series had so many Poe layers, and a lot of the dialogue was pulled directly from the poems. Annabelle Lee is my favorite poem of all time ... all of Roderick's poetic comments about her are directly from the poem. They staggered the lines out through the whole series, IMO to keep people who weren't familiar with Poe guessing about what happened with Roderick and Annabelle.
The last scene where Hamill refuses......It's a a beautiful moment, with maybe a touch of redemption. I love her "This has been a pleasure", and she means it.
I think my order is: Midnight Mass, Fall of the House of Usher, Hill House, and I haven't seen Bly Manor yet. Loving your work, and Mike Flanagan's! 🖤❤👻
Hill House and Bly Manor are outstanding, even Midnight Mass, but I think Fall of House of Usher is easily the best Flanagan work (to me). I'm not even a big Edgar Allan Poe fan, but I think the show is the best love letter to his work and weaves that love letter into a great show that stands on its own without knowing the references.
I'd call Verna FATE. An omnipresent being overseeing all, and sometimes, with a select few interesting people offering a deal to change their own fate a specific way. The price is brutal tho depending on your choices afterwards.
Roderick is selfish/messed up for accepting the deal with already 2 kids *and* then having that many kids after, it's not like the kids extended the length of his life and he knew they would die. Dude couldn't even wrap it up. Truly despicable, but also apart from Lenore they turned out horrible so maybe it was a good thing a man like him did take the deal.
When they were talking about it, Verna does entice them with the fact that their kids would live in luxury in the short time they had than they ever would without the deal. But again, the show does make it clear that they didn't take the deal seriously despite it being the most serious thing in their lives. They only started caring about that night the moment they found out Verna was cashing in their life checks. Before that, like Roderick said it just felt like a dream and ushered (heh) it aside until Verna came back. That being said, them selling their lives to begin with was already a no-no.
🖤🖤🖤 My favorite part of this entire series was that, in the end, they COULD have changed the world for the better and Verna wasn't necessarily "evil." Verna's Deal wasn't necessarily dooming their souls...Roderick and Madeline could have used all that power and immunity to REALLY change the world for the better, and any of those children were also free to make their own moral choices the same way Lenore did. She gave these folks an impossible opportunity to make changes in the world, for good or bad, and watched what they did with it.
🖤🖤I think MM and Hill House are tied at number 1 for me and Fall comes at a close second followed by Bly, all such incredible shows though you cannot go wrong with the Flan man 🖤🖤
youtube didn't notify me about the video and i was late for this party :( anyway, i love the part of roderick and madeline's final conversation, i simply think it's impeccable how flanagan manages to work on thousands of current topics in society and not overwhelm us with it. in this dialogue, madeline admits that even though she thought it was all an illusion, she inserted an IUD just to ensure that nothing would go wrong and she would bring suffering to a child, unlike roderick, who sold the souls of two (already born) kids and didn't care about continuing to condemn more children to death, in other words, a big criticism about men not caring about birth control, while women are pressured into it even unconsciously. brilliant!
My theory on Verna is that she's a type of cosmic being, something similar to The Endless from Dc comics. The best explanation I've read from a commenter in another video in the series is that she's one of the beings that dwell somewhere beneath the earth, as in hollow earth, outside of time and space, a place that can only be reached from a mythical island somewhere in the north pole region called Ultima Thule that Poe mentioned on his poem Dreamland. That's why she told Arthur that she came "top side" to the world, and that he saw her "in the ice" in the north and in ep seven Roderick said that Arthur told the kids stories about people living under the earth, wich was probably the writers hint at what she is.
While the notion of Verna being a cosmic being akin to The Endless from DC comics is captivating, the theory seems to rely on somewhat far-fetched connections and speculative interpretations. Linking her to Ultima Thule from Poe's poem "Dreamland" and the hollow earth concept feels like a stretch, as these elements may not necessarily be connected in the show's narrative. Describing her arrival as "top side" and being seen "in the ice" could be more about creating a mysterious atmosphere rather than indicating a direct link to a mythical island. Additionally, assuming that Arthur's stories about people living under the earth are a hint about Verna's nature might be reading too much into a thematic element rather than solid evidence. Without clearer support within the show or confirmation from its creators, the theory remains speculative and might be more a product of imaginative interpretation than a grounded storyline.
I've seen other videos of the ending and the comments usually default to Lenore when talking about it. But man, there are two standout scenes in this final episode I liked, Annabelle Lee's "Poverty of You" speech, she really was a tragic character. And Arthur Pym's Verna scene. While before this episode, Hammill is used fine in the show, I was gonna be disappointed if Flanagan didn't spotlight him for one scene. It's a great scene, its a contrast of Verna's deal with the twins. This man who has a novel past (Arthur Pym is the only complete novel of Poe, and his backstory here is just the novel) and is seen as the show's "dark" character and shadows the family like an evil person, and yet in the end, given the same temptation of glory as the twins, he doesn't submit and goes out on his own terms.
i'm late to the mike flanigan universe and i ended up watching usher first and work my way backwards. right now, i'm watching hill house. halfway into that series right now. even though i haven't finished hill house or started bly manor yet, i think usher is my fav right now. one of the reasons is for carla's performance as the raven. i enjoyed her performance more in usher than what i'm seeing in hill house. even though i haven't read poe's work, i was still able to connect w/it the way they did the usher story. i'll see if my feelings change after i've finished all the series, but usher is at the top right now, at least for me.
Roderick and Madeline sealing Griswold in a wall is exactly what happens in the Poe story "The Cask of Amontillado" where a man seals a friend, Fortunato, in a wall for dishonoring him. So Roderick and Madeline's plan to take over Fortunato company is built on the foundation with a corpse that was never found. Much like the story. If they hadn't made that deal with Verna, they probably would've gotten caught and spent their sad pathetic lives in prison.
There's so much debate about what Verna is, but the people saying she's Death or the Devil or whatever are kinda missing the point. Verna is literally Poe's Raven. In the poem, the nature of the Raven itself is intentionally vague. It might be an otherworldly being, it might just be a regular old bird that's been taught to mimic, it might be a hallucination, it might be something else entirely. But it doesn't matter what the Raven "really is", that's not the point of the poem. The Raven, like Verna, is a symbol [and a token] that represents the inevitability of death, grief, the supernatural, madness, mockery, memory, and futility. No matter what the narrator of the poem says or does, he cannot undo the past, he cannot save Lenore, he cannot overcome his suffering, and he cannot escape the reality that his days too are numbered. The Raven (as Verna says herself) is consequence. The narrator tries to dismiss the Raven, to bargain with it, to command it, to plead with it, but it's pointless because "the Raven" isn't really about a man conversing with a bird/god/demon/whatever. It's about a man being confronted by the consequences of mortality. In true Flanagan style, Verna's character has lots of little tie-ins to other works by Poe (she is implied to be the apparition from the end of Pym's adventures, she is also hinted to be one of the spectres from "Dream-Land", etc), these tie-ins work because these figures are also symbolic of elements encapsulated by the Raven. So Verna isn't "Death" (why would the Grim Reaper be striking up deals over shots?), she isn't a demon (why would a demon feel bad about taking out Lenore, or be angry about what happened to Morrie, or try to give the other Ushers a shot at a painless death?), she isn't the Morrigan (but I see how you got there; there's just nothing in-show to actually back it up), she is the Raven itself - and, come on, it's not like the show is subtle about it. Like, if you really want an in-universe "literal" (that is, non-symbolic) explanation for Verna, she's clearly a god - but in the old sense of the word: An inconceivable and ancient omnipotent force that is neither "good" nor "evil" that exists beyond reality. This ties in again to the poem, as the Raven perches upon a statue of Pallas (the goddess Athena), with Pallas specifically being the god of destruction (and indeed, Mike Flanagan includes this image in this very episode with the Raven atop the statue of Pallas-Athena in Roderick's study) and ravens being messengers of the gods. But Flanagan has intentionally left Verna's true nature ambiguous because the nature of Poe's Raven is meant to be ambiguous. Like, if Verna was revealed to be Death or the Devil or whatever it would completely betray the figure of the Raven, and Mike Flanagan would never do Poe dirty like that. The Raven is by far Poe's most prolific creation, and is arguably the most famous literary figure in modern poetry. Mike Flanagan's not gonna create a whole series paying tribute to the works of Poe just to cheapen his most enduring symbol. So if you really want to work Verna out, just do a quick google of the poem (it's short, I promise) and look her up. (She's the one quothing "nevermore").
🖤 I love “Hill House”. The novelette has been my favourite for decades so it says a lot that Flanagan was able to change so much - while staying true to many more things than you would think - and make it so incredible I don’t even grouse about it, is great. It’s objectively a masterpiece and subjectively is my most beloved / #1 of his Netflix series. (As a Catholic, “Midnight Mass” nips at the heels because I love how Mike worked on both his issues with the religion and also its’ potential and what he does love about that; yes, Bev was the part that doesn’t practice what it preaches or used to support Inquisitions but then you had the priest talking about how it’s the down-trodden or the unwelcome that Jesus loved most and I thought that was a great way to handle presenting sides. The question to Bev of why does she need God to love her more than He does anyone else was an absolute slam dunk.) “Fall”, though, I cheat and also say is #1 because I think from a purely objective film-making view, there is no question that Flanagan nailed every note like Mozart. The cast and crew took everything they had their prior time together - and obviously Flanagan has put together an amazing troupe - and made a nigh-flawless piece of art. It’s definitively the greatest love letter ever to Poe - and I feel like I owe Vincent Price an apology for that but suspect he’d agree - and also a strong, powerful takedown of not just Big Pharma but so many other issues Flanagan wished to address about the current state of affairs. Even if the series isn’t to your tastes, which I would understand, I think even such a person would have to agree that as far as workmanship goes, “Fall” is 100%. Ok, you’ve learned that Mike Flanagan and Co. can do no wrong so do we get to see some delves into his movies? Netflix currently has their head stuck somewhere as they’ve vaulted “Hush” and you can’t get it anywhere but you still have a range from small streaming specials like “Gerald’s Game” to making an actual great movie spun from cornball in “Ouija: Origin of Evil” to big budget release in “Dr. Sleep”. Plenty of familiar faces, including Mike’s most used member of his troupe -yes, even more than his wife :) - in the antagonist of “Oculus”. You know they’ll deliver.
Stunning Finale Reaction! Epic storytelling and the Poe-inspired plot alongside the macabre imagery - scary and beautiful from start to finish.🖤💯 And Lenore Usher's death, she was the victim of Pride; Roderick's Pride actually, always seeing her as the best Usher, even securing herself an altruistic legacy that will outlast her. Even Verna herself was so impressed by her that she met and talked with her personally at her end. Talk about respect. And the 'Nevermore' texting to Roderick was chilling. And the "Cask of Amontillado" scene with Griswold; it takes evil to know evil and the Ushers took care of business. P.S. - Please try to watch and react to "As Above, So Below" when you can. Its a great scary movie and worth watching. Cheers!
Man, Flanagan is a wizard, he is one if my top favorite filmakers, those shows and movies of his are all amazing. But even tho i like Ushers so much that watched it twice i still can't put it above Hillhouse or Midnight Mass
I'll say it again Netflix is sending shots to our society. That's why I LOVE Netflix. From series to documentaries and the movies and shows in between. Their shows and others things make you think about how we should be living. Putting the mirror back in our faces ❤❤❤❤
This show has to be equal to Midnight Mass for me. Absolutely love these shows, but nothing can beat Hill House in my opinion. 1. Hill House 2. Fall of the House of Usher/Midnight Mass 3. Bly Manor By the way, Mike Flanagan is doing a Stephen King adaptation next, and Mark Hamill is coming back for that!
Kind of thought of the Raven as consequence or karma. I will say that midnight club was pretty fun so if you’re looking for something that’s about telling scary stories it’s fun.
Verna and Lenore’s scene made me cry she really was the best out of all the ushers and I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together that she would die since “The Raven “ is one of the most famous poems of Edgar Allan Poe and Lenore is dead in that one but it’s because of Rodricks greed death followed all of the ushers
Now that you finished the show I can point this out without it being a spoiler: My favorite subtle detail in the show is the dying lamp next to Roderick as he speaks to Detective Dupin. Since the first episode, the flame has been flickering like it's about to go out, symbolic of how Roderick's life is close to ending.
Roderick's mental illness is playing a big part during the series and especially the finale episode. Verna helps out as well, placing thoughts, the ringing of the bells in the wall. Annabel Lee's fate wasn't discovered until the finale. He told Auguste that he took the kids away and how she couldn't live with them. Lenore's fate was unfortunate, as even though she was pure of heart, her only crime was just being born. She was part of the bloodline that dies out before Roderick and Madeline die together at the end. Snaps to the entire cast for their incredible performances and Mike Flannagan's excellent script and directorship.
