The Fall of the House of Usher, episodes 6 to 8

You can find my thoughts on episodes 1 – 5 here.

Contains small spoilers.

I will say it again, The Fall of the House of Usher is a delicious death sandwich. The way episode six killed off Tamerlane, balancing a feeling of inevitability while still managing to shock, was impressive. Personally, I found Tamerlane the least interesting character, but I was all in for that death scene.

The horrific cruelty Frederick displays as he psychologically and physically tortures his wife was at times overdone but still managed to retain a chilling authenticity. His death echoed that wonderful scene in The Pit and the Pendulum and was the perfect Easter Egg.

The final episode annoyed me tremendously. I’ll accept the label of pedant, but I can’t be the only one to notice that Verna’s prediction of Morella’s future, and how good will come from the fall of the Usher bloodline, is contradicted by the ending when it is Juno who inherits everything and dismantles it. While it is refreshing to have our questions answered at the end of a story, and Flanagan manages to do this, the continuity error should have been caught before filming started grumble, grumble. This isn’t my only complaint about the finale. The acting in the final scenes was Hammer Horror hammy, which didn’t sit at all comfortably within the modern feel of the rest of the episodes.

All in all, I enjoyed the show, and although I preferred some of Flanagan’s other productions, I would recommend curling up in a warm, dark room and watching it this October.

Coming soon…

The Death and Resurrection Show

Psychopaths shall inherit the Earth.

All teenagers may act like monsters, but Star and Satori’s son is an actual demon.

Angry at being abandoned, Edensun hunts down his parents. Will either of them survive the coming confrontation?

Edensun’s power attracts the attention of the gangsters and goddess cult members who pursue him, believing he will unleash Hell on Earth. Can anyone stop him before it is too late?

Book three of the Starblood Trilogy, The Death and Resurrection Show, is an intense occult horror with LGBTQ+ characters.