Episode 3 of The Fall of the House of Usher takes us right back to the scene of Perry’s death. It’s a gross sight for all, but somehow Arthur Pym, the Ushers’ lawyer and private investigator, you could say, is capable of walking into this room full of burnt bodies and feeling nothing but the need to remove all of the links between the masquerade and the Ushers. Episode 3 is titled “Murder in the Rue Morgue,” the story from which we get Auggie, who happens to be the first-ever detective in literary history. Of course, our Auggie is a mere prosecutor, but what he does entails a lot of detective work. This is the story of an orangutan based in Paris. Flanagan brings the story to life through Camille’s plot.
Spoilers Ahead
Morelle Is Alive
After scanning through the scene, Pym Reaper, as Camille calls him, picks up Perry’s phone to save the day for the Ushers yet again. Pym is stopped in his stride by a corpse grabbing his foot. It’s Morelle, who has somehow managed to survive the massacre, but will she survive Fredrick’s wrath? We’ll soon find out. It’s a shame that Perry had never listened to what the problem with those buildings was, because if he had paid attention, he would’ve known that the tanks were filled with toxins from years of Fortunato’s mistakes. Fortunato was never good for the environment, but they didn’t know what to do with these corrosive substances, so they hid them away. The plan was to get rid of them when the buildings were brought down too. Now, Camille has to deal with the PR mess that this whole situation has created, and she plans on making it so that the whole world grieves with the Ushers instead of blaming them.
Camille’s Research
According to Camille’s assistants, Victorine’s loose ethics in the hospital haven’t gone unnoticed. Her great experiment isn’t working, and the many chimpanzees she’s been testing the device on have died on the table. She pumps them up with adrenaline to make it look like it’s working, until it doesn’t anymore. According to rumors, she’s been replacing the animal herself and carrying out the pieces of the dead monkey in her luxury bag late at night for no one to know. On the other hand, at the hospital, Victorine happens upon a sickly-looking Verna, and she gets a glance at Verna’s reports. Verna would be the perfect candidate for Victorine’s heart mesh, and so she convinces the woman that she should try this new procedure.
Leo And Camille Are Grieving
Camille and Leo seem to have a better bond than the rest of the kids. Apart from Victorine and Camille having an actual animosity towards each other, the others seem decently civil. At least the ones that are left. Camille and Leo actually talk about their sad feelings with each other for a little bit until she leaves because his friends arrive for a little grieving get-together. Camille is impressed with Leo’s boyfriend too and tells him he should bring Julius to the family gatherings.
Roderick’s Connection To Ligodone
Now is when we hear a monologue (the Flanagan way) about lemons and how to market them, as a metaphor for how the Ushers could make anything the most desirable product in the world. Roderick doesn’t take responsibility for any of the problems caused by Ligodone because: 1. He didn’t make it; and 2. People are stupid (although the monologue is a fabulous lesson in marketing). Back in the 1960s, Roderick gets flipped off by Rufus, who basically steals his pitch and buys off the pharmaceutical company that designed Ligodone. He goes on to tell Roderick that an idea is just a brain fart, so he pays him off with $500 and talks about his future plans with his new buddy. Back at home, Madeline is livid with the thought of how insulting this whole situation is. Fortunato is their birthright. Madeline reminds Roderick who they are, and if Roderick plays his cards right, he’ll be able to pry Fortunato back for them from Rufus’ clutches. Annabel overhears this entire conversation and tells Roderick that she doesn’t quite like Madeline. She’s happy that they can finally get the medication they need for their son with the $500 check and keep their family afloat. Money isn’t everything to her, but is it for Roderick?
Leo And The Black Cat
Leo wakes up after a party (his way of grieving, you know) and finds Julius’ cat dead with a knife in her neck right in the hallway. When he first sees the blood, he wonders if he’s killed Julius himself, but he’s relieved when it’s the cat. He quickly cleans it up and makes it look as if nothing’s happened and everything is normal. On the other hand, Camille’s assistants are now in love with each other and can’t keep up the dynamic she asked of them before. She basically fires them for failing to keep up with their side of the contract.
Verna’s Entry Into Tamerlane’s Life
Tamerlane has a woman who usually shows up for her role-play sessions, but she’s late on this day. It turns out she’s been replaced by Verna because she’s under the weather. Verna is quick to get into action, and she needs no help understanding what they’re doing there. Bill, too, seems to be okay with it.
How Does Camille Die?
Angry with her assistants, Camille has to go do the dirty work herself. At least they’ve given her the tips she needs to get Victorine in trouble. Camille goes to the “Rue Morgue,” as they call it, the place where the chimpanzees are kept. Verna is somehow there too; she stops Camille from going in as the security guard in charge. Camille, who is very proud of her status, tells Verna that she has to obey her because if she doesn’t, she’ll lose not just her job but everything that she has. Camille is too proud because of her family name, something that she uses to her benefit. This is her big vice, because it makes her feel like she’s on top of the world. Camille takes a few pictures of the “monkeys,” and Verna shows up inside. She gives her a lecture about the birth of animal testing and what it’s become today.
Verna starts to move like a chimpanzee herself, telling Camille how her job of marketing the Usher family is basically cleaning up dirt after them. Verna wonders why Camille and Victorine hate each other because, deep down, they’re pretty much the same. They could’ve been incredible allies against the rest of the family, the illegitimate daughters of the Ushers, but instead they ended up hating each other. At the end, Verna shows Camille how Victorine cut her up too and pumped her up with adrenaline in order to make it look like the procedure worked. When Camille takes a picture of her, she’s a chimpanzee in the camera, and she attacks Camille. 2 down, 4 to go.
