Spoilers

I had no intention of finishing this series today. I wanted to spread it out over the next several weeks. However, with the schedule packed with TV shows, movies and comics, and since I was really engaged in it, I just kept watching another episode as I would finish the previous one.

The titles of the series included;

Ep. 3: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”

Ep. 4: “The Black Cat”

Ep. 5: “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Ep. 6: “Goldbug”

Ep. 7: “The Pit and the Pendulum”

Ep. 8: “The Raven”

Because of these titles, I knew which of the Usher kids were doomed that episode. They were all neat adaptations of the short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, into a new story, a new format.

There were plenty of other stories/poem incorporated into the series as we met Annabel Lee, The Cask of Amontillado was highlighted, Rufus Griswold (who wrote Poe’s scandalous obituary), The Belles (poem), among others.

Some of the allusions to Poe’s work was subtle, some was anything but. Several lines of Poe’s poetry is recited in the episodes, especially lines from Annabel Lee.

Each of the Usher kids’ deaths are fun and earned. They all take form similar to Poe’s works. It’s cool knowing some of these reference. For example, as Roderick sat in the basement staring at the brick wall, I wondered whom was bricked up in the wall. Of course that was coming. As a writer, Poe buried people in walls several times in his career.

To be honest, the finale did feel a little preachy at times. Some of the monologues delivered in the episode spoke of a lot of the political controversies of the day and it did feel somewhat out of place. The message was there without needing to bludgeon the audience over the head with it. I did find that to be a bit unnecessary.

Though, I admit that I laughed with the line about Trump when the mysterious Verna said,  “Like I said to one of my clients, when I’m done, you can stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and it won’t cost you a thing.”

The Fall of the House of Usher was great. I love Edgar Allan Poe and this had him all over the place. Greta acting. Cool kills.