S01.E02: The Masque of the Red Death

[Guest]

Quote

Motivated by money and revenge, Perry hosts an exclusive masque-rave that takes a twisted turn. A young Roderick pitches a revolutionary new opioid.

Dropping October 12, 2023

[Anela]

I liked the first episode, but I’m not really into this so far. 
that last bit did put me off wanting to make some food. 🥴

Edited October 13, 2023 by Anela

[Guest]

The actors playing the children are no where near as compelling as the older actors so this one was less enjoyable for me. They are awful in a way that isn’t particularly interesting. Leo is the only one that holds my attention at all. It helps that it feels deliberate but most of the episode felt like buildup and exposition. 

It improved substantially once Verna became a bigger factor. 

That ending was gruesome. I am really glad I was watching on my phone. I don’t think I could handle seeing it more clearly. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

First jump scare - Perry’s charred ghost! 🫣😫

A young Junior Fraud Investigator in 1979:

Quote

“The people in charge of making us healthy make us sick. We cheat the dying. We fleece the poor. Promote the racist. Let the demons run amok. This world needs changing.”

A young mailroom employee in 1979:

Quote

“In this little pill is a world without pain. We get this to market and we usher in a new world because this world…needs changing.”

They once had the same dream.

So, Roderick (kinda) admits to Auguste Dupin that he has CADASIL - a rare vascular disease that can cause dementia. Having (horrifying) hallucinations is one of its symptoms.

For how long Victorine can hide the results of her animal trial from Roderick while Camille is sniffing around?

There are some weird dynamics in the Usher family. Tammy hires an escort for her husband, and she watches them interact. Camille is having sexual relationship with both of her assistants.

Verna has warned Perry that there are always consequences, before she tells the staff to lock all the exit doors.

Being showered with acid that burns off your skin and clothes is an excruciating way to die. Perry has melted on the dance floor. RIP “extra bastard” Perry.

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[krankydoodle]

Bruce Greenwood is so good in this it's hard to believe he was a last-minute replacement.

So Frederick's wife was the only 'innocent' among the partygoers? Maybe Verna just took pity on her after seeing her awkwardly dancing by herself.

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by krankydoodle

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, krankydoodle said:

 

So Frederick's wife was the only 'innocent' among the partygoers? Maybe Verna just took pity on her after seeing her awkwardly dancing by herself.

 

That's his sister Madeline.  Roderick wife is not at the bar.  Roderick's wife is at home taking care of Henry Thomas's character, Frederick.  He is way too old to be playing anyone born after December 31, 1979.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

Bruce Greenwood is so good in this it's hard to believe he was a last-minute replacement.

It is. 

 

3 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

So Frederick's wife was the only 'innocent' among the partygoers? Maybe Verna just took pity on her after seeing her awkwardly dancing by herself.

I thought that was interesting. Maybe it’s because Perry was planning on using her. So she was another victim of the Ushers. It’s a pretty harsh judgement of all the other partygoers. 

[Meredith Quill]

8 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

That's his sister Madeline.  Roderick wife is not at the bar.  Roderick's wife is at home taking care of Henry Thomas's character, Frederick.

They're referring to Frederick's wife, who was at Prospero's orgy/rave. That scene brought a whole new meaning to the phrase 'drop some acid', oof.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, SilverStormm said:

They're referring to Frederick's wife, who was at Prospero's orgy/rave. That scene brought a whole new meaning to the phrase 'drop some acid', oof.

Thanks, I read that one wrong last night after a few beers.  In my defense,  having characters with similar names and multiple timelines with parties does add to the confusion.  

[Bastet]

Once Perry said they'd tap into the water tanks for the sprinklers, I was expecting an ending something like this, but it was still fantastically gruesome to be correct.  (I didn't know exactly what was up there, of course, but I figured the company was hiding some sort of toxic waste in them.)

Quote

The actors playing the children are no where near as compelling as the older actors so this one was less enjoyable for me. They are awful in a way that isn’t particularly interesting. Leo is the only one that holds my attention at all.

Same here.

Edited October 14, 2023 by Bastet

[shrewd.buddha]

The story so far:
I am enjoying all the Poe references and name dropping: Annabelle, Elenore, etc.

I am not so much enjoying the backwards storytelling style - it seems to rob the show of a sense of anticipation with the deaths being a foregone conclusion.  Maybe it's just me..

The choice of actor for Prospero seemed quite outside-the-box: I approve.  

The production quality appears to be top-notch - that's always a nice surprise when it comes to Netflix shows.

[Brn2bwild]

Did Frederick's wife make it out?

What did Prospero intend to do with the fire sprinklers anyhow, just give people a little wake-me-up?  Why would he think that it was a good idea even if it was just water?  The electrical equipment was shooting sparks.

[sugarbaker design]

On 10/13/2023 at 8:06 PM, krankydoodle said:

Bruce Greenwood is so good in this it's hard to believe he was a last-minute replacement.

 

Who did BG replace?

Edited October 16, 2023 by sugarbaker design

[TeslaNewton]

15 hours ago, shrewd.buddha said:

I am not so much enjoying the backwards storytelling style - it seems to rob the show of a sense of anticipation with the deaths being a foregone conclusion.  Maybe it's just me..

 

I like it because I like being spoiled. I get anxious if I don’t know what’s going to happen. 
 

Bruce Greenwood is so good in this. I love him. @sugarbaker design He replaced Frank Langella.

[Paloma]

2 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Did Frederick's wife make it out?

What did Prospero intend to do with the fire sprinklers anyhow, just give people a little wake-me-up?  Why would he think that it was a good idea even if it was just water?  The electrical equipment was shooting sparks.

I can't remember if this was shown in this episode so I will use a spoiler tag:

Spoiler

She did not make it out, although she survived (barely)--her face and body were badly burned/melted.

Prospero intended the sprinklers to start the orgy--he seemed to think that the water would make everything sexier. 

[iMonrey]

I'm finding this show unbearably talky. Tons and tons of pretentious, exposition laden dialogue. The non-linear storytelling also feels clunky and isn't helping move the story forward.

Yeah, the acid rain at the end was effectively horrifying but I about fell asleep waiting to get there. I almost didn't finish the episode I was so bored.

What is up with Henry Thomas's eyes? Do they really look like that or is he wearing black contact lenses?

[shrewd.buddha]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Yeah, the acid rain at the end was effectively horrifying but I about fell asleep waiting to get there. I almost didn't finish the episode I was so bored.

Agreed.  I think there is supposed to be some sense of dread that is building and building .. except that it is not, really.  Somehow, maybe because of the pacing, the creepiness factor isn't kicking in.  Things just feel slow and slightly pretentious. 

[bosawks]

15 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Did Frederick's wife make it out?

What did Prospero intend to do with the fire sprinklers anyhow, just give people a little wake-me-up?  Why would he think that it was a good idea even if it was just water?  The electrical equipment was shooting sparks.

I took it as just one more of Perry's stupid ideas.

Death by his own stupidity as it were.

[DearEvette]

Bruce Greenwood is really fantastic in this.  But he looks kinda like Sam Neill is the scenes with Carl Lumbly that it takes me a minute to remember it is him.  Also because he is so good, it is hard to root against him.  So I like him and the grand daughter only.  The kids, maybe except Leo?  I hate them all.  And am watching to see how they die. 

Mary McDonnell is also quite good.  Her line delivery gives me chills.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Mary McDonnell is also quite good.  Her line delivery gives me chills.

I'm so used to loving the women she plays, it's tripping me out (in a great way) to be scared of her.

[janie jones]

3 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Bruce Greenwood is really fantastic in this.  But he looks kinda like Sam Neill is the scenes with Carl Lumbly that it takes me a minute to remember it is him. 

That's so funny because in the first courtroom scene in the first episode, I thought Mark Hamill was Sam Neill.

[HelloooKitty]

So who do we think the informant is? The granddaughter maybe?

[shrewd.buddha]

5 hours ago, HelloooKitty said:

So who do we think the informant is? The granddaughter maybe?

Our household has decided that there is no mole informant -- the prosecutor guy pretended to slip up and let his cat out of the bag prematurely. 
The idea of an informant causes the Ushers to turn on one another: a house divided against itself cannot stand. That's biblical stuff right there. 

[Bruinsfan]

I'm not sure if I like the series or not so far—the overly talky framing scenes of Roderick monologing are trying my patience despite liking Bruce Greenwood and loving Carl Lumbly. But it is interesting seeing just how messed up all the kids are in their own ways, and Carla Gugino is absolutely electric in this role.

[tennisgurl]

I am enjoying this a lot so far, that ending was gruesome. Thank god I had already finished my dinner by the time I watched or else or would probably have been put off food for the next few hours. Food and showers, yuck. Verna might not have even really needed to kill Perry, between the reckless drug use and the cost cutting of dangerous equipment, he probably would have gotten himself killed in a few years anyway. 

Enjoying the Poe references with the names and plot points, The Masque of the Red Death has always been a favorite of mine. 

The Usher's really are such a mess, they're all pretty awful but in a compelling fucked up kind of way. It seems like most of them have massive control issues mixed with unchecked privilege, which is just a recipe for disaster. 

Madeline might scare me even more that Verna, supernatural powers or not. She has this creepy coldness to her where I can absolutely buy her doing anything to succeed with no regrets.

[Lady Calypso]

So, I finally have found some time to watch this; I love Mike Flanagan's take on horror tv series. We don't have enough of them out there, and he always finds a way to make them unique and interesting, even when based on other works. And so far, this one is no different.

I REALLY enjoy the fact that the entire family is fucked up and has a lot of issues that make them unlikeable, which makes it easier to accept their impending deaths. I like that we know that each Usher member will die and the mystery is more on the how and what's going on. I even like the inclusion of the hallucinatory ghosts and the turn on them being not so hidden; you're SUPPOSED to notice them, because they're essentially telling you when they're showing up.

Madeline is such an interesting character, filled with a lot of mystery and coldness. I'm intrigued to see where her story goes.

Bruce Greenwood is just fantastic in his role of Roderick. I'm glad he's finally getting his chance to shine in these roles. 

I'm glad Perry died first because, as much as his backstory was semi-interesting, I think he's a character who would get more irritating the longer he was around. Plus, get rid of the scapegoat for the family first, and it opens up a whole new story.

There's going to be a lot of references and subtlety to this show, I can tell. The interesting part is going to come with tying the Usher family death methods to their actual characters. In this case, Perry was warned of his own sin, and he chose to continue with the plan. 

Verna's an interesting character of death, that's for sure. Carla Gugino does impeccable work as well in the role. Her scene with Perry before the acid rain was chilling. And her warning the staff, and Frederick's wife, was interesting. It seems like she didn't want to punish the innocent, though since Frederick's wife, was she innocent? She didn't heed her warning (I believe she moved further into the crowd) so I guess that was her consequence.

This is probably one of the few series I will absolutely need to rewatch JUST to catch all the little details that are going to be tied together, that's for sure. 

Overall, wasn't the greatest episode, but with the things they've been setting up, I do think other episodes will be better. They have a really good set-up going, overall. 

[Chaos Theory]

Not trying to shame the Ushers but they are all a bunch of kinky sex freaks.  

I guess alot of it comes from unchecked privilege but also no real connection to anything.  I mean none of them even like each other much less view each other as family.  

I know this show is overly talky but alot of shows are.  I kinda hate that we are in an age where half the tv shows and movies are non stop action and suspense so a show where there is actual dialog is considered boring.  

And yeah Perry's death was graphic but that last frame with all the dead bodies was weird kind of artistic.  

And Verna seems to be consequence and choice.  She gave Perry the option to stop what was happening  and Frederick's wife the option to leave.  Neither took it.  She isn't being cruel for cruels sake.  She is giving people one last chance to change their fate.

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Chaos Theory

[Cheezwiz]

On 10/22/2023 at 6:41 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I guess alot of it comes from unchecked privilege but also no real connection to anything.  I mean none of them even like each other much less view each other as family.  

 

This show is doing a good job of showing how extreme wealth can really mess people up and cause their emotions to be deadened and disconnected from everything. 

Really enjoying Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, and Mary McDonnell so far. Less so the actors portraying the children in the family. I'm still having trouble keeping the various offspring and their spouses straight. So is Gugino one of Roderick's many wives? I'm trying to figure out how she went from being a bartender to connected to this family. I'm mainly watching to see what awful thing the brother and sister were involved in on New Year's 1979.

Perry's demise was pretty satisfying (if gruesome), as he was an annoying little punk (kudos to the actor portraying him).

I see from looking at the episode titles that Flanagan is going to weave in various Poe stories to each episode., which if pulled off, is kind of clever. For those that are complaining about talkiness, brace yourselves, 'cause Flanagan loves himself some lengthy monologues!

[Bruinsfan]

On 10/22/2023 at 8:41 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I guess alot of it comes from unchecked privilege but also no real connection to anything.  I mean none of them even like each other much less view each other as family.

I got the sense that Camille and Leo liked each other well enough, and Leo seemed somewhat supportive of Prospero as well.

[Milburn Stone]

On 10/15/2023 at 5:10 AM, shrewd.buddha said:

I am not so much enjoying the backwards storytelling style - it seems to rob the show of a sense of anticipation with the deaths being a foregone conclusion.  Maybe it's just me..

It's not just you-ish. I am enjoying the show quite a lot. But I have to admit it reduces the stakes for me when I realize that whichever character I get interested in is going to be dead tomorrow.

[Mattipoo]

I really disliked Prospero this episode so was glad he died at the end by acid rain. None of the kids have any redeeming qualities, so far, so I am going to enjoy watching each of them suffer a terrible death every episode. Yay!