‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’ viewers notice subtle dig at Donald Trump
The Fall Of The House Of Usher makes a subtle reference to Donald Trump in its final episode.
Loosely based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe, the Netflix series follows the rise of corrupt pharmaceutical company CEO Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), as he recounts the events leading to the deaths of all six of his children.
A mysterious character named Verna (Carla Gugino) is a recurring presence throughout the series, who preys on the family.
In the show’s sixth episode, Goldbug, the Usher family lawyer Arthur Pym (Mark Hamill) discovers Verna has been photographed with numerous wealthy businessmen over the past century, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump prior to him becoming president. The insinuation is that she’s made seedy deals with powerful people throughout history.
Trump is later referenced in the final episode, The Raven, where Pym confronts Verna at the old Usher house. In this exchange, where Verna reveals her true demonic self, she proposes a deal to Pym.
In the show (as noted by Insider), Verna remarks to Pym: “What happens to you when the Ushers are gone? Which is imminent, by the way. You’ve enjoyed a sense of immunity throughout your life, but it isn’t yours. It’s theirs. Just reflected.”
After Pym assumes Verna can “do something about that”, she replies: “I can. Like I said to one of my clients, when I’m done, you can stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and it won’t cost you a thing.”
Verna’s last line is a reference to a joke Trump made during a rally in Iowa during his first presidential campaign, implying that she fed Trump the line during a deal with him.
“They say I have the most loyal people,” Trump said to supporters in 2016. “Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody. And I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? It’s like incredible.”
A number of viewers have picked up on the reference, with one X user writing: “Bruh. The hit they threw at Trump in The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Chef’s kiss.”
You can check out more reactions below.
Bruh.
The hit they threw at trump in The Fall Of The House Of Usher.
Chef’s kiss.
— Ash (@WildIsTheAsh) October 16, 2023
If you watch the Fall of the House of Usher, listen for the Trump reference! Well played! And @MarkHamill frkn killed his part!
— Sherrie Adams (@Sherrie36226046) October 17, 2023
Did everyone else catch that reference to Trump in the last episode of The Fall of the House of Usher? Teehee.
— Caitlin Moore (@caitlindmoore) October 17, 2023
Show creator Mike Flanagan recently confirmed The Fall Of The House Of Usher would be his last show for Netflix, after signing a deal with Amazon Prime Video.
The director has worked with the streaming platform for the past six years, creating shows like The Haunting Of Hill House, The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club.
Flanagan has also directed various horror films, including 2017’s Gerald’s Game, Hush, Before I Wake and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep.
The post ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’ viewers notice subtle dig at Donald Trump appeared first on NME.
Adam Starkey
NME