Episode 7:
The Pit and the Pendulum
Jesus, this is Jumping Off the Slippery Slope and Sanity Slippage rolled into one.
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Written by: Mike Flanagan
TBA
- TBA
A furious Frederick sets out to handle unfinished business. Madeline receives an ominous message at an old haunt. Dupin grows wary of Roderick's motives.
This episode incorporates elements from The Pit and the Pendulum and Berenice.
The page is currently under construction.
Tropes that are present in this episode:
- Ambiguous Situation: Roderick asserts that he's really seeing ghosts and that CADASIL is not responsible. Is he right and Doing in the Scientist, or just in denial?
- Back from the Dead: Verna resurrects Roderick after he forces himself to overdose.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Madeleine hopes to supplant Roderick as CEO, let him take the fall for everything bad that's happened with Fortunato, and rebrand it as a tech company to carry out her immortality project.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Dupin's reaction to Roderick turning on him at the testimonial. The two had signs of forming a friendship until this moment, but this moment cements them as arch-enemies.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Verna flat-out tells Frederick that, despite his horrible upbringing and loveless relationship with his father, what he did to his wife is unforgivable.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Frederick is slowly bisected by a piece of swinging debris that hangs lower and lower until the whole building caves in and puts him out of his misery.
- Horrifying the Horror: Even by the low standards of the Ushers, Fred's actions are so appalling to Verna that she moves to ensure the most gruesome death possible for the poor bastard.
- That Was Objectionable: At the testimonial, Fortunato's lawyer keeps interrupting with baseless objections, not even citing explanations or justifications for them.
- Last Disrespects: Frederick "honors" his late brother Prospero by literally pissing on the spot where he died. Rather karmically, this backfires on him.
- This Is the Part Where...: Roderick has gotten quite used to how the hauntings work by now. He points out at length to Dupin at the beginning of the episode to that this is the part where he will start talk about the death of one of his children, which will cause said child's mutilated ghost to appear and stare accusingly at him and scare him a bit, but since only he can see the ghost, he will just end up making himself look crazy in front of Dupin.
- The Tooth Hurts: Among the stunts Frederick pulls to - from his perspective, anyway - try and put Morella in her place is pulling out her teeth with pliers.
- Undignified Death: Freddie dies in a puddle of his own piss, dick still out, paralyzed by the cocaine he snorted, while Verna mocks him for deserving every second of it.
- Voice Changeling: Verna demonstrates this power, speaking in Frederick's voice over the radio to trigger the demolition while the real Frederick is trapped inside.
- "He did you wrong, Freddie. You only ever wanted to be loved by him. You only ever wanted his approval...and it's still no fucking excuse."
