A Midnight Dreary – The series opens in at church with what appears to be the funeral of three children. As the preacher (Mark Redfield) delivers his sermon, the footage flashes to Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) in the pews. After several ghastly visions, his attention is drawn to a lone female at the back of the church. When Lenore (Kyliegh Curran) questions him about the distraction all he says is, “She’s here.”

US Assistant District Attorney, Charles Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly) enjoys a glass of scotch while studying an evidence board covered with obituaries, news clippings, and surveillance photos of the Usher Family. His legal aid (Jason Tremblay) soon arrives with the shocking announcement that someone has requested a meeting tonight. The aid claims it’s a weird address but points out the call came directly from the source. Seconds later, Dupin is shown arriving at a desolate home at the end of a cul de sac. Slowly making his way inside Dupin finds Roderick alone and enjoying a 100-old-cognac. Dupin offers his condolences before expressing his hesitancy to speak without Roderick’s attorney, Arthur Pym (Mark Hamill). When Roderick waves his right to an attorney, Dupin settles into a chair across from him. A text from Roderick’s granddaughter Lenore draws his attention but he declines to respond, with the claim that he is anxious to finally make his confession. Dupin pulls out a recorder and makes the meeting official by noting the parties, date, and time. Roderick confirms on record before getting into his story.

As the footage rolls back to 1953, Roderick tells Dupin he won’t be able to understand anything until he understands the life he and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) were born into as well as the woman that shaped them, Eliza (Annabeth Gish). He introduces Eliza as his mother and personal secretary of the CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals, William Longfellow (Robert Longstreet). William is introduced as a harsh man with many appetites and a stern belief in capital punishment. Roderick claims this is why Eliza ordered them to never go near Longfellow, which was the first thing young Madeline (Lulu Wilson/Willa Fitzgerald) wanted to do. Roderick describes one instance when as a young man (Graham Verchere/Zach Gilford) he gets his ankle caught trying to scale the front gate of Longfellow’s home. Eliza intervenes and receives harsh reprimands for doing so until Longfellow’s wife (Sarah-Jane Redmond) arrives and he becomes a different man.

Back at home, Eliza patches Roderick’s ankle while assuring them William is a caring man, he just cares from afar like God. When Roderick complains about his ankle hurting, she tells them that pain and suffering are the kisses of Jesus. Roderick tells Dupin that Jesus would kiss the living fu*k out of his mother in the years that followed.

In 1962 Eliza’s pain has gotten so bad that she’s confined to the upstairs bedroom and communicates with Roderick and Madelina by ringing a bell. She’s also becoming angrier as the pain grows but uses her faith in God as a reason to not take medicine or see a doctor. After one particular painful evening, Madeline and Roderick devise a plan to convince Mr. Longfellow to speak with Eliza about visiting a doctor.

Later when Eliza passes it only takes a quick discussion for Madeline and Roderick to agree that Eliza wouldn’t want to be embalmed. Instead, they use wood from a backyard shed to make a coffin and bury her. The night of the burial a terrible storm wakes Roderick and he discovers the burial plot unearthed. After waking Madeline and rushing outside, they realize the muddy foot and handprints leading back into the home. Back in the house, Eliza surprises Roderick from behind with a crazed look on her face. Although she forces him against the wall by the neck, she randomly walks out the front door and goes down the street to Longfellow’s house. Longfellow just happens to be outside with a flashlight confirming that the rest of the block is without power when Eliza arrives. She chokes him to death and the official story that Longfellow had a heart attack is spun.

Back in the present, Roderick explains to Dupin how they cleaned everything up and he took over the company. Dupin asks why he’s sharing the information. Roderick says he assumes he is supposed to because Eliza is standing behind him. Dupin appears unfazed and accuses Roderick of using high-powered negotiation tactics to sway his way of thinking. Dupin asks again why Roderick is sharing the information. This time Roderick attributes it to his children. He claims that because of the way he was treated by his father, he treated all six of his kids as equals. When Lenore interrupts with another text, Dupin encourages him to respond. This causes Roderick to lash out and remind Dupin that his family didn’t care enough to show up and support him on the biggest case of his life. Dupin claims he didn’t want them there.

The dispute leads the audience back to the beginning of the trial with Dupin delivering his opening statement. Duplin promises his peers that this will be the most meaningful pharmaceutical case to ever go to trial and why the United States government is now pursuing the charges they are. He mentions the mountain of misery that both Roderick and Madeline have left in their wake while building the company. The courtroom erupts and Dupin and Pym end up at Judge John Neal’s (Nicholas Lea) bench when Dupin claims to have an inside witness. Pym attempts to claim that Dupin used underhanded tactics to blindside him with the witness while Dupin claims they fear for their life. He even goes on to suggest that the courtroom might be compromised as they speak. After wrapping up the day, Roderick orders Madeline to gather the entire family, spouses included, for a family dinner.

Frederick Usher (Henry Thomas), Lenore, and Morella Usher (Crystal Balint) debate about the meaning of Roderick’s dinner and how bad it is for the family. Frederick assumes that it is bad and claims if there is an informant it has to be Perry Usher (Sauriyan Sapkota). Morella reminds him that Perry is just a kid. Lenore’s question about the charges being real hangs in the air when the footage flashes over to Tamerlane Usher (Samantha Sloyan) and William “Bill-T Wilson” who are also debating the dinner and the potential informant. The mention of a new stepmother, Juno (Ruth Codd) strikes a chord with Tamerlane but she appears more stressed about how the trial will affect the launch of Goldbug.

Although Victorine LaFourcade (T’Nia Miller) and Dr. Alessandra Ruiz (Paola Nunez) wrap up a successful operation on a monkey, Ruiz voices her concern about getting a peer review. She fears the study will never appear legit because of the experimental Fortunato paralytic Roderick sent over. Victorine jokes that it will be fine as long as they keep it out of the hands of Perry. She then adds that everyone knows Camille L’Espanaye (Kate Siegel) is the informant anyway. Elsewhere, Leo Usher (Rahul Kohli) tells Julius (Daniel Chae Jun) that he can’t attend tonight’s dinner, although Julius is eager to meet the family. Leo assures him there is an entire process for that. Julius further derails his plans when he announces he’s on his way up. Once off the phone, Leo races to hide the unseen adoring female fan (Britney Katelyn Miller) who was performing oral sex on him. He stashes her on the balcony before letting Julius in and quickly directing him to the bedroom. Camille rattles off a whole list of orders while her assistants Toby (Igby Rigney) and Tina (Aya Furukawa) struggle to take notes. She assures them that they aren’t needed at the dinner before reminding them that she needs to be the one to uncover and deliver the informant. She suspects starting with Perry, although she doesn’t deem him clever enough.

Roderick watches over the butler (Gus Tayari) and kitchen staff while Juno paces restlessly out of fear of having the entire family in one place at once. He assures her they will all be on their best behavior out of fear of getting written out of the will. Their discussion is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Doctor Donaldson (Paul Jarrett) who wants to speak with Roderick alone. Roderick informs Juno that Don will be taking over her care when she’s done with Lewis before he meets with the doctor outside. The conversation isn’t revealed, but Roderick appears troubled when the doctor leaves. Perry is the first to arrive and he, Roderick, and Madeline end up in the bar where he pours them a drink and explains his new business venture. Madeline claims he’s wasted an entire year and his first business experience in a nightclub. He assures her that he isn’t just thinking of a typical “Dave and Busters” and there are franchising opportunities throughout the world. Roderick harshly cuts him off in the middle of his pitch to tell him they aren’t going to support the club and sends him off. Once alone, Madeline jokes that the upside of Perry being a bad businessman is that he’s probably not the informant. She asks about his sour mood, but her orders her out and promises to join in a minute. After several seconds at the bar, he experiences a lifelike vision of Verna (Carla Gugino) so real that it startled him to his feet.

With everyone gathered at the table, Madeline and Arthur Pym hand out new non-disclosure agreements. The new agreement not only waives their civil rights, but a violation leads to the forfeiture of inheritance. After several jokes and protests about the agreement, Madeline vows to catch and punish the informant. Roderick interrupts by announcing a $50 million cash reward to whoever can deliver the informant.

Back to the present, Roderick claims this was the night his whole family was together. Dupin accuses Roderick of implying that he is responsible for his kid’s deaths. Roderick assures him that’s not what he’s implying because he is responsible. Recognizing the confusion on Dupin’s face, Roderick explains by saying that New Year’s is his favorite holiday because of the resolutions.

The footage picks up with Roderick and Madeline arriving at a bar on New Year’s Eve 1979. They both appear a little shell-shocked as they silently take their seats near the chatty bartender (Verna). She mentions them looking like they’ve already had a heck of a night before offering to have a whiskey with them. Once alone, Roderick says he can’t believe they just did what they did. She tells him to keep his voice down, play it cool, and try to be seen. When Vern returns, she offers them another whiskey on the house and asks about their resolutions. Roderick says they have the same resolution, to change the world.

The footage abruptly switches back to Dupin and Roderick’s conversation where Dupin claims the night was also the night that everything changed for Fortunato. When Dupin says that people still debate what happened that night, the footage pans back to the bar. Verna tells Roderick and Madeline that their lives are about to change. The footage goes back to the funeral where Roderick spotted the ghastly female at the back of the church. It shows him taking a second look and seeing his children at the back of the church as well. When he walks outside to get into the car, he collapses. When Madeline comes to his aid, he repeats the phrase, “It’s time.”

 

The Fall Of The House Of Usher Review

I like the concept and the way the story is told, although it feels really busy at times, almost as if too much is going on. All the characters made it feel as if the story wasn’t really going anywhere sometimes. The ending was a bit confusing, but I am sure that’s because they didn’t want to give away too much of the story. It’ll be interesting to learn more about Verna and her connection to Roderick and Madeline as well as what happened on that New Year’s Eve. Plus, if Roderick died after the funeral, how is he meeting with Dupin? Was that in the past? Is he a spirit? There is certainly a lot of intrigue and ways for the story to play out. For that, I’d give the episode a 5.5

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