DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Fall of the House of Usher Season 1 Episode 7, “The Pit and the Pendulum,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
The penultimate episode brings us “The Pit and the Pendulum,” which doesn’t bear too much of a resemblance to Edgar Allan Poe‘s short story save for the pendulum imagery that appears a few times. We see the end of Frederick, marking the final Usher child death. It’s an outing packed to the brim with more revelations, a delightful scene between Madeline and Verna, delicious dialogue and Freddie being a douchebag. I can’t believe there’s only one episode left of this gorgeously dark series. It’s fulfilling my need for Gothic horror.
Ready to delve into “The Pit and the Pendulum”? Let’s get to it.
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We flashback to 1979, with young Dupin (Malcolm Goodwin) preparing Roderick (Zach Gilford) for the impending deposition at Fortunato. Little Frederick stares at the black cat clock on their wall before making as much noise as possible, causing Roderick to lose focus. He orders Annabel Lee (Katie Parker) to take care of Freddie. When Roderick temporarily leaves the room, Annabel makes Dupin promise that he’ll support them in the aftermath of this deposition. Roderick will be fired, so he’ll need help finding work. Dupin vows to assist them.
When Roddy returns, Dupin reminds him of how good he has it with Annabel Lee. Then, Dupin tells Roddy he has a husband waiting for him at home. Thankfully, Roddy’s not homophobic. They celebrate their supportive spouses. In the present, Dupin (Carl Lumbly) grows weary of Roderick’s (Bruce Greenwood) stories and vague answers. He wants to know what happened to Annabel Lee. However, Roderick changes the subject to his granddaughter, Lenore, who’s so much like Annabel. She’s the best of them.
Then, we see Roderick, Madeline (Mary McDonnell) and Arthur Pym (Mark Hamill) navigating another Usher child’s death. He’s furious that the guard stationed outside Tamerlane’s door had no idea Verna was tormenting her. Pym and Madeline mention that the Fortunato board is convening to vote on the company’s future in light of the legal troubles and these deaths. Frederick is the swing vote, though. Roddy orders Pym to bring Freddie in for a chat.
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Next, Madeline fills Pym in on her plan to depose Roderick and take over as CEO. Her algorithm project is close to completion. Pym seems supportive. They both know Roderick has an incurable, degenerative disease. He’s losing his grip on reality. He’s not fit to continue in this role. Meanwhile, Morella (Crystal Balint) wakes up to hundreds of photos plastered on the wall featuring her and Freddie on their wedding day. What a creepy weirdo, that Freddie. That’s serial killer behavior. Freddie (Henry Thomas) arrives to administer the concoction he made for her in the previous episode, the one that paralyzes her.
Then, after a few more bumps of coke, Freddie gets a call to report to Roderick’s office. He promises to return to Morella later. Freddie’s demeanor instantly changes to that of a little schoolboy in front of his father. Roderick urges him not to respond when the board comes calling. He also gives him a factory-made response for the press. Oh, and Roddy wants Frederick to knock that condemned building down. They can’t have that on their plates, especially following Perry’s death.
Later, Juno (Ruth Codd) chats with her Fortunato-approved doctor about weaning herself off Ligodone. Sure, Fortunato insists it’s not highly addictive, but as an addict in recovery, Juno knows what addiction feels like. The doctor explains she would have to wean herself off it very slowly to prevent side effects.
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Freddie returns home and calls the Jersey Boys, who Roderick utilizes to smash sh*t. He puts on his authority pants and orders them to demolish the building that evening. Then, after giving Morella another dose of that mixture, Freddie uses pliers to “draw” a smile on Morella’s face. Oh, this is vile. He needs jail time forever. Of course, he abuses people who can’t defend themselves. I can’t believe Elliott from E.T. would be capable of such evil.
While leaving the house, Lenore runs the idea by Freddie of taking Morella to a special facility with doctors who can heal her. Freddie brushes her off, claiming they can care for Morella here. In fact, some doctors visit her while Lenore is in school. Then, in a coke-fueled rage, Freddie orders his daughter to shut up before departing. He also ensures that she can’t check up on her mother. That’s not a red flag at all. Sure enough, Lenore notices the door to her mom’s room is locked. She attempts to break in.
In the present, Dupin gets up to leave because he’s tired of Roderick’s nonsense. Suddenly, the pendulum in the grandfather clock starts swinging. Roddy notes that it’s Frederick. He’s making sure that Roderick is telling the truth. All night, he’s been plagued by visions of his kids. They’re ensuring their dad provides an honest account of their deaths. Normal stuff. Roderick insists these hallucinations aren’t the result of CADASIL. Verna haunts him.
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Then, Roderick hallucinates the ghost of Annabel Lee, who brings little Frederick for Roddy to hold. Freddie starts breaking apart at the torso. It’s a bloody affair. This leads to a flashback to the Fortunato deposition. Dupin gives Roderick a pep talk while Madeline (Willa Fitzgerald) and Annabel Lee are there in support.
Things are off to a swell start during the deposition. That is until Roderick looks at his clearly forged signature and claims he wrote it. That’s not what he and Dupin agreed on or found in their research. He lies about everything, even praising Fortunato as a company. Dupin looks shocked. Annabel Lee and Madeline notice Roderick being carted away in handcuffs. He was arrested for perjury. Naturally, Annabel is terrified.
At home, Madeline explains that Roderick’s arrest was all part of the plan. He was supposed to hang Dupin out to dry to get on Rufus Griswold’s good side. They want to rule Fortunato one day. It’s their birthright. Why would they try to bury it? Annabel Lee calls Madeline “small” as the latter departs. Ouch.
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In the present, Madeline meets with Verna (Carla Gugino) in her childhood home. Verna notes how Roderick and Dupin will have their conversation here soon. Madeline wants to renegotiate the terms of their deal. Or perhaps they can strike a new contract altogether. Verna reminds her that that’s not how this works. Meanwhile, Lenore manages to pry the door open to find her mother in a bloody heap. She notices the gash on her face courtesy of Freddie.
Next, Juno visits Roderick in his office. She brings up the idea of weaning off Ligodone again. Roddy shuts it down, claiming it won’t look good if his wife stops taking Ligodone because of its addictive properties. He reveals it would take her three years to wean off it entirely, including the numerous side effects. After insulting her, Juno calls Roderick a monster. She would gladly take the three torturous years to be drug-free than spend eternity with him. Good for you, girl. Get out of that mess.
Meanwhile, Verna and Madeline continue their conversation. She states that, in another life, Roderick would’ve been a poet. Then, Verna recites Poe’s “The City in the Sea” poem. We hear her recitation as Roderick sits in front of that brick wall. Freddie arrives at the condemned building to ensure it gets demolished. Lenore calls the authorities to take care of her mother. After Verna finishes reciting it, she vanishes. Madeline sits alone.
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Later, Freddie orders the demolition crew to wait five minutes while he heads inside the building to look for Morella’s wedding ring. He wants to make sure she wears it forever. But first thing’s first: time to piss on the floor. He tells Perry to “Rest in Piss” while doing so. Suddenly, he collapses. He’s paralyzed on the floor. Verna emerges dressed as a construction worker. As it turns out, Freddie’s use of the pliers got the creative juices flowing for Verna. We see her stand behind him, ordering him to put the same concoction he gave to Morella in his cocaine bag. He snorted it all. That nightshade poison rendered his body immovable.
Next, Verna takes Freddie’s walkie-talkie and orders the crew to use the wrecking ball. She speaks in Freddie’s voice. She lays beside him as the wrecking ball starts destroying the building. Eventually, a long piece of metal starts swinging above Freddie like a, you guessed it, pendulum. The debris swings dangerously closer as the building crumbles around him.
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Inevitably, Verna disappears, but not before revealing she has an appointment with Freddie’s father. Suddenly, the “pendulum” slices through Freddie’s stomach. The edifice collapses on top of him. RIP, Freddie.
Later, Madeline finds Roderick in the basement with the mystery wall. She informs him of Freddie’s death. That means it’s just them now. Madeline persuades Roderick to overdose on Ligodone to save him from death at the hands of Verna. When he falls unconscious, Madeline puts the empty Ligodone bottle in his hand before leaving. But guess what? Verna’s not finished with him yet. She revives him. Damn.
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Will we see a flashback to Verna’s deal in the series finale? What happened to Annabel Lee? How will Roderick and Madeline die? Only time (and one more episode) will tell.
The Fall of the House of Usher is now streaming on Netflix.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
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