Summary
“The Pit and the Pendulum” provides more details of the mysterious Verna character, whilst escalating the drama. There are more haunting sequences and another twisted death to witness in this exciting penultimate episode.
We’ve seen the first five horrifying deaths in the Usher family and in the penultimate installment of Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher Season 1, viewers are treated to the sixth, the twisted death of the villainous Frederick Usher, the eldest son. Episode 7, titled “The Pit and the Pendulum” focuses on Freddie’s storyline, whilst exploring more of the 70s timeline and revealing more of Verna’s secrets too.
The following recap contains major plot spoilers, so make sure to check out the episode first if you’re concerned about such things.
The Fall of the House of Usher Season 1 Episode 7 Recap
The episode begins in 1979. Auggie and Roderick prepare for the Fortunato trial. Auggie thinks Roderick is performing a heroic act, but he confirms with Annabel that the husband will lose his job because of it. Auggie discusses Annabel in the present day, stating that she was the only good Usher. Roderick thinks Lenore is the other.
Two weeks earlier, Arthur, Madeline, and Roderick were left reeling after another sibling’s death. Roderick is angry that Tammy was allowed to go home alone after her public breakdown. They now fear that the board could be swayed. Freddie is the swing vote among the remaining board members.
Freddie isn’t feeling too peachy though and is in no fit state to make such life-changing decisions. He’s covered all the walls of Morella’s room with photographs from his wedding. Morella begs him to stop, but he continues to drug her repeatedly.
What does Freddie do to Morella?
Roderick meets with Freddie, ordering him to speed up the demolition of the condemned site. He also mentions the swing vote. They need Freddie more than ever. This gives Freddie a confidence boost. He organizes the demolition for that night and snorts more cocaine. To punish Morella further, he extracts all of her teeth.
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Lenore is concerned about her father’s deterioration. She asks to see the specialists and suggests a new facility for her mother. This rattles Freddie, who lashes out at his daughter. After he’s gone, Lenore tries her mom’s room, which has been locked. Later she breaks in and calls the police.
Back in the present, Auggie is disturbed by noises coming from the cellar. He finally cracks, having had enough of Roderick’s mind games, and announces that he’s leaving. Roderick tries to keep him there, promising to confess to murder. The clock then chimes out of nowhere, unnerving Auggie.
Roderick promises that he is sane, but admits to seeing and talking with the dead. He informs Auggie that his dead children have been haunting him all night, making sure he retells their story correctly. Roderick then has a vision of Annabel with a young Freddie. Roderick picks up his son, who rips apart in his arms.
What does Roderick say during the trial?
This morphs into a flashback. It’s December 20th, 1979, the day of the trial. Roderick is questioned as a key witness, relaying the statement he prepared with Auggie. But he changes his tune and lies instead, stating that the signatures were his own. Auggie is shocked by this betrayal. Roderick then accuses Auggie of harassing him.
Roderick is arrested for perjury. Madeline forces Annabel to stay silent. Back at home, Madeline explains their plan. They were always going to side with Fortunato, to save Roderick’s career. Annabel is hurt by the betrayal though. Madeline thought that Annabel was just putting on an act, but the housewife genuinely thought they were all doing the right thing.
READ: The Fall of the House of Usher Season 1 Episode 6 Recap
After this flashback, we catch up with a much older Madeline in 2023. She meets with Verna at her childhood home. Madeline is shocked that Verna is the same person from all those years ago, she hasn’t aged a day. She asks to renegotiate the terms of their deal. Did Madeline and Roderick make a deal with the devil?
Why does Juno plan to leave Roderick?
Juno tells Roderick that she wants to get clean. Roderick turns nasty, stating that it will take three agonizing years to get off Ligodone. They argue and Juno calls Roderick a monster. Roderick says that Juno was his experiment, his life’s work. She decides to still get clean anyway, implying that she will leave Roderick after the 3 years are over. Juno’s had enough of Roderick’s manipulative ways.
As the episode nears its conclusion, Freddie attends the demolition. He insists on entering the building first to look for his wife’s wedding ring. Once inside, Freddie snorts more drugs, but then he collapses.
Verna arrives, informing him that he has accidentally snorted the nightshade paralytic that he has been giving Morella. He is now paralyzed. Verna reveals that she forced him into the situation, spurred on by the way that he treated his wife. She wanted revenge.
The Fall of the House of Usher Episode 7 Ending Explained
How does Freddie die?
Verna then impersonates Freddie’s voice, ordering the demolition to begin. They both watch from the inside as the building is destroyed. An iron girder falls from above, swinging like a pendulum over Freddie’s body. The girder slowly edges closer until it slices at his stomach. Then the building collapses in on itself, killing Freddie in the process.
In the final scene, Madeline updates Roderick on Freddie’s death. She reminds him of the terms of their deal with Verna, indicating that the only way to stop all of this nonsense is for Roderick to kill himself. He downs the Ligodone pills and passes out. Madeline then leaves him to die. Verna appears, bringing Roderick back to life. He still has much suffering to endure.
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