It’s interesting to read the description of each episode of Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Victorine’s death was especially brutal, with Roderick witnessing the whole thing. Episode 6 is titled Goldbug after Tamerlane’s product, but it is also the title of one of Poe’s short stories. Tamerlane’s story is one of obsession; she’s incapable of thinking about anything outside of her big launch, even if four of her siblings have just died. Let’s see how her obsession becomes her downfall.
Spoilers Ahead
Tamerlane’s Loss Of Time
We know Tamerlane hasn’t been sleeping at all, thanks to her fear that the Goldbug launch might flop. Because of this, she starts to lose time while working on the launch. She doesn’t realize when she’s crossed out the whole speech just to write her own name in capital letters. She’s leaving things in weird places and doesn’t know when she’s had her coffee. Finally, she decides she really needs to take a nap, so she takes some pills to help her even after having no sleep for many days.
In the present day, Auggie has a tough time understanding how Roderick knows about all of the kids’ deaths in detail when he didn’t witness them. Roderick tells Auggie that his kids told him what happened, making Auggie more confused.
Roderick’s Next Moves
After Victorine’s death, Roderick returns to his office because it’s a PR mess if anyone figures out he was right in front of Victorine when she pushed a knife into her own chest. Madeline is still stuck on the “woman” (Verna) and thinks she got to Victorine even with the bodyguard in place. Roderick reminds her that he actually witnessed her death. Madeline reminds Roderick that Victorine had a seat at the table, that is, as a shareholder. This gives Roderick something else to focus on again—sublimation, remember?
Juno’s Conversation With Tamerlane
Juno is all alone in the gigantic house and feels lonely. She tries to call her husband, but he doesn’t respond. On TV, she sees the news of Victorine and Al’s deaths, making her more worried. She’s also taking a high dose of Ligodone, which she wants to stop doing because she feels fine now. Juno met Roderick as a patient who needed saving. She was in so much pain from an accident that only Ligodone could’ve saved her. At this time, everyone seems to be out of control. Frederick promises Lenore that specialists are on their way to help her mother, but somehow, they don’t show up. Roderick sees all his dead kids more often than not, and Tamerlane has an imaginary conversation with Bill (who would return after they’re insulted so terribly by their spouse, though?).
At home, Juno gets a visit from Tamerlane, who has always hated her. After all, she’s a stepmother who is much younger than Tamerlane herself. Juno tells Tamerlane that she married Roderick because she wanted to be a part of something big; she wanted to feel like she belonged. On the outside, the whole family looks like an unbreakable wall, but she’s at her loneliest because no one even visits her in the large, empty house with too many rooms and no people.
Arthur Pym And His Journey
In the old house, during his confession, Roderick tells Auggie that there is almost nothing Pym can’t do. He’s capable of doing anything for the Ushers because, when he was in his 20s, he went on an expedition across the world. Amongst telling Roderick’s kids interesting stories such as The Earth is Hollow, Pym told them that when he got to the north pole, he found a place he called “Ultham Thule.” This is where the beings that are not in our time and space exist. A different dimension, if you will, but on his journey, Pym saw the worst things he could: people eating each other and worse.
Roderick’s Work For Auggie
Auggie needs some papers copied for the trial and asks Roderick to bring as many as he can for him. Annabel thinks it’s a dangerous task, and she’s starting to have second thoughts about Roderick’s work with Auggie. After Victorine’s death, Pym is tasked by Madeline with tracking down Verna. He finds strange images of her with the most influential families dating back to 1901. It’s impossible because she hasn’t aged a day in the pictures. There’s a conversation Madeline remembers, but Roderick refuses to acknowledge it. He, too, remembers Verna clearly, but he’s unwilling to admit that she has anything to do with the deaths of his children, even if the evidence proves otherwise.
Frederick’s Poker Face
Lenore is thrilled to notice that her mother is getting better and is even able to talk to her. She tells her father immediately but wonders where the doctors he promised are. Whenever she’s at home, nobody is around to help her mother. Frederick tells Lenore not to worry because he’ll take care of it all. On the other hand, he’s been giving Morelle a paralytic, keeping her unconscious for hours because she lied to him, and he also thinks she was having an affair with Perry (oh no).
Tamerlane’s Press Conference
It’s time for the launch of Tamerlane’s project, and she’s more nervous than ever. Her father, on the other hand, is stuck in the basement talking to a brick wall, hearing the sound of bells on the other side. Madeline reminds him that two of his children are still alive and very much need him. He’s supposed to show his support for his daughter. The important thing is Fortunato and whatever is left of the family. Madeline gives Tamerlane a pep talk, too, before leaving her alone with her thoughts. As soon as she has to go on stage, Tamerlane sees Verna in her place. She somehow manages to save face by directing her not-so-professional words to the audience as a joke in her speech. Soon, she sees Verna in the audience, too; she gets more frustrated by the minute, making her fumble her speech and also distracted from Goldbug. This is the thing she’s lost so much sleep on. She’s been working hard for months for this launch, and now she’s goofing it up because of this one woman. An imposter!
Tamerlane sees Verna in the images that are supposed to be of her and Bill. Pictures of Tamerlane in Forbes magazine now have Verna’s face plastered on them. Ultimately, a video of Bill and Verna in the bedroom listening to Tamerlane’s instructions comes on the screen. She screams for it to be turned off and furiously picks up the mic stand when the video doesn’t stop. She breaks all the screens on the stage, and then, when she can’t bear the sight of Verna in the audience, she lashes out by throwing the mic stand at her, which hits Juno right in the head. At the same time, Madeline sees Verna too and tries to walk towards her, grabbing at her, but she disappears into thin air.
What Is Tamerlane’s Big Fear?
Just like her sisters, Tamerlane is also afraid of being replaced. Tamerlane’s strange desire turned into her biggest fear. The big speech she gave her husband about being an asset has clearly scarred her. Tamerlane rushes home and sees Verna there as herself. Verna picks up the phone, telling Bill that she doesn’t know why the launch was such a mess. Tamerlane picks up the fireplace poker and swings it at Verna, who disappears. Every time she sees a mirror, Tamerlane takes a swing because she sees Verna on the other side. It seems Tamerlane was a twin, but she absorbed her twin in the womb. Verna pretends to be that twin who has come back to get her with her tendrils. Tamerlane has broken through all the pressure of the Usher name. That’s why she’s always seen her siblings as competition.
At the end of episode 6 of The Fall of the House of Usher, Tamerlane gives in and admits she’s messed up everything. She finally gives up, ready to be taken by Verna. Verna offers Tamerlane some sleep, and as she looks up at the mirror on top of the bed, she sees Verna again. Tamerlane jumps up, smashing the giant mirror and falling on a shard. Finally, a huge piece lodges itself in her neck. How did the bodyguard not hear the noise from all the mirrors smashing? It’s weird, but this means only Fredrick remains.
