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In the world of Mike Flanagan's Netflix series, The Fall Of The House of Usher, one thing is abundantly clear: death is an ever-present companion.
Inspired by the gothic tales of Edgar Allan Poe and a short story of the same name, the show weaves a chilling narrative, interweaving the lives of the Usher family with gruesome fatalities, each resonating with eerie significance.
From premature burials to the inexorable march of retribution, the series artfully interweaves its narrative with the macabre tales of the master of gothic fiction. As the Usher family's legacy unravels, each episode named after one of Poe's literary pieces, we witness the intricate web of interwoven fates, echoing the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
In this article, we look at every major death in The Fall Of The House of Usher.
Spoilers ahead.
The Fall Of The House of Usher: All Deaths in Order
Episode 1: Eliza Usher & William Longfellow
The saga commences with the death of Eliza Usher, mother to Roderick and Madeline. Plagued by CADASIL, a cerebral disease, she's unfortunately buried alive by her children.
Her shocking resurrection and vengeance against William Longfellow, the illegitimate father of the twins, provide a chilling prelude to the series. Mirroring Poe's recurrent theme of premature burials, especially in his work, A Midnight Dreary, her horrific fate is a harbinger of the morbid events to come.
Episode 2: Prospero “Perry” Usher
In this gruesome episode, Perry, the youngest Usher, embodies the ill-fated Prospero of Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. A night of decadence turns apocalyptic as acid rain descends upon the revelers, invoking the futility of evading the inevitable hand of death.
Episode 3: Camille L’Espanaye
Camille's tragic quest to unearth the family informant immerses us in the cruel experimentation of her half-sister, Victorine. Verna's ghastly intervention culminates in a chilling death, getting mauled by chimpanzees, reminiscent of Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It accentuates the thin line between civilization and animalistic brutality.
Episode 4: Napoleon “Leo” Usher
Leo's descent into madness mirrors the remorseful protagonist in Poe's The Black Cat. His violent visions and gruesome death echo the tale's torment-ridden narrative. Guilt, substance abuse, and a vengeful feline lead to Leo's tragic end. In trying to chase the cat in a rage, he falls off a ledge and falls to his death.
Episode 5: Victorine LaFourcade & Dr. Alessandra Ruiz
The Fall Of The House of Usher brilliantly interlaces Victorine's cruelty to animals with the murder of her wife, Dr. Alessandra Ruiz. Victorine's descent into paranoia mirrors Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, where guilt manifests in the form of an ever-persistent heartbeat.
Both characters struggle to escape the consequences of their actions. Victorine ends up stabbing herself in a delusional frenzy.
Episode 6: Tamerlane Usher
Tamerlane's ill-fated venture epitomizes Poe's short story, The Gold Bug. Haunted by relentless visions of Verna, her determination to achieve more leads to a tragic conclusion.
This episode captures the weight of unfulfilled ambition and the inescapable nature of destiny. She dies when the mirror above her bed shatters and a piece pierces her neck.
Episode 7: Frederick Usher
Fredrick's torment of his wife and tragic downfall mirrors the relentless suspense of Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. The excruciating tension culminates in his demise, slowly losing pieces of himself to a swinging metal sheet, underlining the consequences of cruelty and the looming specter of retribution.
Episode 8: Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee, Roderick's first wife and true love, succumbs to despair, setting the stage for the eerie echoes of Poe's iconic poem The Raven. Her suicide is a heartbreaking reflection of the consequences of betrayal, lost love, and shattered integrity.
Episode 8: Rufus Griswold
The series revisits the legend of Edgar Allan Poe himself, with Rufus Griswold, a man whose name is synonymous with Poe's biggest rival and critic. Griswold's tragic fate, getting buried alive, mirrors that of Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, embodying themes of revenge and entrapment, leading to his ultimate demise.
Episode 8: Lenore Usher
Lenore, the innocent soul in the Usher family, finds herself at the mercy of her grandfather Roderick's choices. Her peaceful death, orchestrated by Verna, evokes a sense of tragedy and comes at the cost of trying to save her mother from domestic violence.
Episode 8: Madeline Usher & Roderick Usher
As we near the conclusion of The Fall Of The House of Usher, the narrative sees Roderick bury his beloved sister, Madeline, alive, just as they had done to Rufus at the beginning of the series.
Yet, the cycle repeats as Madeline returns, mirroring the twisted family history, ultimately leading to Roderick's death at her hands.
The Fall Of The House of Usher: The Survivors
Amid the darkness, some flicker of hope remains in The Fall Of The House of Usher. Auguste survives, inheriting the riches of a doomed empire while Juno (Ruth Codd) dissolves Fortunato, channeling its remains into the Phoenix Foundation dedicated to rehabilitation and recovery.
The Ushers’ lawyer Arthur Pym (Mark Hamill) is arrested and dies later in prison, having refused Verna’s (Carla Gugino) offer. Morella, now free from her torment, transforms her inherited fortune into a force for good, saving countless lives affected by domestic violence, through the Lenore Foundation.
In the end, the Usher family's journey through the maze of greed, morality, and mortality leaves no one untouched by the chilling hand of destiny. The Fall Of The House of Usher concludes with an unsettling truth—one cannot reap profit at the cost of lives without consequences.
The Fall Of The House of Usher premiered on October 12, 2023, and is now streaming on Netflix.
