Netflix, Mike Flanagan back at it again with 'The Fall of the House of Usher'

[Dr. Evil]

Spoiler

I thought Tamerlane's husband just left. He walked out. Not a true Usher, he didn't fall under the curse.

Spoiler

that is what I thought

 

[Sawyer]

Two episodes in and I’m shuddering to imagine how much creepier the Roderick/Juno marriage would’ve been with the much older Frank Langella in the role.

 

[squeekness]

I'm very happy with his replacement.

 

[Link]

Loved episode three, this show is turning out to be one of my favorites from Flanagan. I wish the ending would have shown a bit more though. After episode two, I was prepared for carnage.

 

[Sithborg]

I mean, the finale may not have had the most gruesome death, but it did have the most emotionally devastating one.

 

[Sawyer]

Jesus Christ…

Spoiler

Tammy accidentally taking out Juno with the mic stand.

 

[squeekness]

Jesus Christ…

Spoiler

Tammy accidentally taking out Juno with the mic stand.

I know, right? Yikes!

 

[Dr. Evil]

I mean, the finale may not have had the most gruesome death, but it did have the most emotionally devastating one.

Spoiler

it was because Lenore was a good person, but Verna didn't want the bloodline to continue after her, so Lenore got to die peacefully. It hit that much harder because of what Lenore did, which was a good deed.

 

[Sawyer]

If I didn’t know full well that this show will be snubbed at the Emmys, I’d say Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino would’ve won themselves a few awards with the finale.

 

[Sawyer]

Also really hope Mary McDonnell becomes a recurring part of Flanagan’s group going forward.

 

[squeekness]

Also really hope Mary McDonnell becomes a recurring part of Flanagan’s group going forward.

Me, too! She's been a favorite of mine since Major Crimes.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Wrapped up on this a few nights ago, and absolutely loved it. It was fascinating to see Flanagan slip a gorier, hornier filter over his usual approach to horror. But it was definitely right for this neo-gothic aesthetic. I could talk for ages about all the incredible performances. But right off the bat, Gugino was captivating. Career best work from her. Mark Hamill was brilliant - loved his embracing of the "weird little guy" archetype and hope we get a hundred more off-kilter characters like this out of him. And huge props to Greenwood for what he was able to due given the circumstances. Couldn't picture anyone else as Roderick.

This was a great cap on his tenure on Netflix, and I hope the whole crew follows him to Amazon.

Spoiler

Well, I had sort of locked it a bit too much on her saying "let the next generation pay" in the deal, so I was kind of blind sided when she came to Lenore. And man, it hurt. Gugino was so goddamn good in that scene Make no doubt, I didn't want Lenore to die. But, I think it was needed to add just that extra bit of monstrosity of what Roderick did.

Because that's how he wants to sound. I mean, he saw the part was for a "fixer", so he felt he needed that gravel to the voice. It worked quite well.

Yeah,

Spoiler: Sadness

Lenore's death broke my heart, but I absolutely think it was necessary. Without it, there's not so much tragedy to Rodrick's deal. If the only victims were all terrible people just like him, it wouldn't feel so egregious. But the fact that he doomed the one pure Usher is what completes the tragedy of his greed.

 

[Sawyer]

And huge props to Greenwood for what he was able to due given the circumstances. Couldn't picture anyone else as Roderick.

I had been wondering if there were any vestiges of Langella left in the show, and it seems there was a pretty big one right under my nose…



I hadn’t realized Gilford was cast when Langella was still a part of the production, but looking at them side by side, there really is a much more believable evolution between the two than with Greenwood and Gilford.

Still, Greenwood gave a great enough performance that I can overlook a slight disconnect between old Roderick and young Roderick.

 

[#root]

Finished this last night and loved it. This might be the most addictive of Flanagan’s Netflix series at least for me. Didn’t want to stop until I finished the whole show. The whole cast was terrific as was the writing and the production. Fraudrick’s death was so damn satisfying.

Also, I really thought Bev Keane would forever make Samantha Sloyan unlikeable for me but I actually ended up liking her character . Even felt bad for her at the end.

 

[Albright]

Could someone explain why Roderick did that in the end to Madelin? They could’ve both waited for Verna until she comes and take them both.
The explanation probably is,because Verna told him, that Madeline needs to kill him (which she almost did after Fredericks death bzw.)
But he could refused to do that - why playing by the rules for the first time?

 

[BoredGuy]

Like y'all I loved most of the performances here
The one I thought was a bit off though was Zach Gilford as young Roderick
His performance itself was solid, but his version of Roderick and Bruce Greenwood's seemed so different from one another it felt odd

 

[Sithborg]

Could someone explain why Roderick did that in the end to Madelin? They could’ve both waited for Verna until she comes and take them both.
The explanation probably is,because Verna told him, that Madeline needs to kill him (which she almost did after Fredericks death bzw.)
But he could refused to do that - why playing by the rules for the first time?

Cultural appropriation to satisfy his ego. He viewed him and Madeline as kings and queens like those of ancient Egypt. And he had a fascination that he robbed treasures from that country to satisfy that ego.

And since he is white guy, who only goes by what he has picked up, he botches the mummification process.

I think the finale should have driven home just how much of a selfish ******* Roderick Usher was, during his whole life.

 

[Albright]

erm thanks…I guess

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Could someone explain why Roderick did that in the end to Madelin? They could’ve both waited for Verna until she comes and take them both.
The explanation probably is,because Verna told him, that Madeline needs to kill him (which she almost did after Fredericks death bzw.)
But he could refused to do that - why playing by the rules for the first time?

He was fully crazy at the end and probably thought that, at this point, he has no choice but to do what he did.

 

[elgaz]

Finished this tonight and thought it was just spectacular. So well written and well acted. I only found out about the whole Langella deal after I finished it and was googling things about the show, so even more enthralled by Bruce Greenwood’s performance given how he had to step in. The entire cast are fantastic but there’s no doubt he is the nucleus at the core of the show.

Some are stronger than others, but I still haven’t seen a bad show from Flanagan. Really excited to see what he does with the Dark Tower as it’s long been a personal favourite of mine.

 

[Sawyer]

I don’t feel like digging around for The Haunting’s threads, so I’m just going to drop this one here…



I wonder what the odds are that Flanagan ever finds a way to adapt Hell House, just without the Haunting branding (which Netflix will presumably be hanging on to).

 

[squeekness]

At this point I'd watch anything Flanagan makes.

 

[elgaz]

At this point I'd watch anything Flanagan makes.

Same, he has a very particular style but it works so well. I think he really pushes his cast too, the performances in Usher (and previous works) were outstanding, Greenwood and Gugino in particular.

 

[TheGDBatman]

Same, he has a very particular style but it works so well. I think he really pushes his cast too, the performances in Usher (and previous works) were outstanding, Greenwood and Gugino in particular.

For me it's the way he writes dialogue. Typically I find my attention wanes when shows are chit chatty, but he has such a captivating way of writing. I find I'm usually hanging on each character's words more than I would other shows.

 

[elgaz]

For me it's the way he writes dialogue. Typically I find my attention wanes when shows are chit chatty, but he has such a captivating way of writing. I find I'm usually hanging on each character's words more than I would other shows.

Very much so, the mark of a good writer