Verna Recites "The City in the Sea" | The Fall of the House of Usher | Netflix

[@Snomo]

The amount of money I'd pay just to have Carla Gugino recite all of Poe's poems with this amount of sincerity and passion-

[@MelonHei]

fr tho her voice is so 🥹

[@morrislary4576]

Her, Carl Lumbly and Bruce Greenwood. They should just put out a set of recordings of nothing but them reading the poems.

[@EggsZacLee]

The way she gradually transitioned from a normal tone to a whisper on that "the hours are breathing faint and low" bit...the emphasis she put on breathing. Absolutely brilliant.

[@Snomo]

@@EggsZacLee And my favourite part, at 1:07 with "resignedly beneath the sky, the melancholy waters lie... but lo-", the change in her facial expression and hushed voice is INCREDIBLE. She makes the poem so intense and heartfelt. So so good. 💙

[@moonstruck336]

standing at your side reciting it almost next to your ear, you feel her close, you hear her almost whispering the lines and as your emotion overtakes you and you turn to see - you realize suddenly with a slight scare, standing in the room there's no one there

[@mst3KGf]

"Came to me when you adorable little things started building cities." Love that line because it underlines just how old and powerful Verna is. This is not something the Ushers can "fix" like they always have. This is an ancient, otherworldly entity that has determined they will all die and there is no stopping her. (It's frankly amusing how earlier in this scene and then in the next episode, she lets both Madeline and Pym "kill" her and then pops back up laughing and commending them on their job. It's all fun and games to her.)

[@luiousy7329]

She is a demonlord lol

[@luxitos2867]

Very Lovecraft. Nyarlathotep.

[@quannguyenle9775]

@@luiousy7329 more like an old gods, surely predate chritian

[@MrNuclearturtle]

The idea that Arthur Pym is the only who probably has more of an inkkling of where she comes from is a testement to that fact. Roderick mentioned on Pyms exbidition, he encountered a hollow hole far up north, inside an ancient city, more than likely where verna comes from or is the very least a manifestation of what a human could comprehend it looking like, since Lovecraftian stories make it a point that a primitive human mind can only visually construct what is in front of them, is only what their minds can make sense of

[@the_grand_inquisitor2511]

@@quannguyenle9775lol they were reciting lyrics from the doja cat song paint the town red😂 when she says “I’m a demon lord”😂

[@philscoastallifePCL]

she was amazing in this. The scene with her and Lenore is touching yet heartbreaking at the same time

[@kyleoliver637]

That scene really was impactful. The only good Usher alive, and she had to succumb to that agreement inadvertently too.

[@VioletDisregard23]

That scene made cry.

[@gingerayyle]

Carla Gugino's delivery is impossibly beautiful-her eyes gaze with a mournful sadness in awe of what she's witnessed in her ancient years, each word, a heavy hammer to nails on a cosmic coffin

[@WoodsyLadyM]

Love this. Carla Gugino does a lovely job of reciting Poe. Please post her reciting "The Spirits of the Dead," the poem in the last scene of the series. Thanks.

[@dannydark1452]

She deserves an award

[@WoodsyLadyM]

​​@@dannydark1452At the least, Carla needs to get an Emmy nomination for this role. She was fantastic.

[@dannydark1452]

@@WoodsyLadyM Emmy, Saag, people's choice, poissbly golden globes. I didn't cry when my little brother died in June but this scene made me cry. I'm fairly 99% certain she will get an award

[@dannydark1452]

@@WoodsyLadyM right though she was captivating

[@WoodsyLadyM]

@@dannydark1452 So sorry for your loss. Poetry can be cathartic.

[@dannydark1452]

Ive already binged watched this show 2 times in a row in 4 days... Its BEAUTIFUL POETRY LITERALLY! Absolutely loved it.

[@kelseymartin12]

omg same

[@jimnoelzarate5765]

I love how the show makes EAP's poem more mournful and haunting.

[@ksay6950]

This is probably my favorite scene - Verna's and Madeline's conversation. Loved the dialogue and the acting.

[@soleilfray6397]

Mesmerizing. I kept rewinding because I loved the sound of her voice reading it.

[@francescafrancesca3554]

IKR!!??

[@toukomiraart815]

Petition to get Carla Gugino audiobook of Poe’s complete works! 😭

[@Mightyblackcats]

its criminal that Carla didnt get an awards for this performance

[@nataliasofia6724]

Carla Gugino just makes me cry. What a stunning stunning artist.

[@luxitos2867]

This feels very Lovecraftian. Both the poem and Verna. "She" is an unknownable eldritch being. Almost like Nyarlathotep with the way he uses so many different forms and likes to play with humanity. (Also, all the Egyptian iconography and references underscores this)

[@bradmarshall892]

H.P. Lovecraft is basically Edgar Allen Poe's brother from another mother. Today, we would label him a superfan. Lovecraft consumed himself in Poe's literary cannon and added his own esotericly entertaining twist to gothic lore.

[@NgocTran-nf5hr]

“Poem is a safe place for the truth”👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️

[@dreamkeeper6464]

Her voice ❤ and in Bly Manor as she narrated was magnificent.

[@99bottlesofwine]

I'd love to commend Mike Flanagan for knowing where and how to cut the poem though!!! It still sounds so complete and haunting.

[@LovelyFairaf]

I must say… all scenes in Hill House, Bly Manor and now this, I never skipped Carla Gugino speeches. I could enjoy hearing her talk for hours

[@rthamant]

Notice how Mads leans back when Verna makes the line "Came to me when you adorable little things started building cities." That level of detail in acting is amazing. It's the exact response of someone going, "Oh ****, you're -really- not human." if that someone was psychopathic.

[@eliza1498]

i feel like, even when they first made the deal with her in 1980, madeline and roderick never truly grasped or appreciated verna's existence as an immortal who has witnessed, and likely even enabled, the rise and fall of entire civilizations. madeline doubly so is guilty of this, shown when she tries to condescend and bully verna into new terms like she's just another board member. that little moment of fear from her as she realized exactly who she was sitting across from was so satisfying.

[@dan_38]

​@@eliza1498 they were just getting over the high of burying a man alive and trying to pay off as innocent. They weren't thinking clearly enough to notice the subtle things, like Verna's comments or the actions going on around them.

[@HollowedMiku]

I’ve never been a big poetry fan but I’ve always loved Poe & this was the first poem that fascinated me. It’s always stayed with me. Thought it was because I read it when I was going through the typical angsty teen stage period. 20 years later hearing Carla recite it the first time. I wasn’t aware I had tears running down my face. Until my SiL asked me if I was okay. Her voice was so hauntingly beautiful. It was when I first read it but hearing it. Just made it 100x more impactful. Same with Bruce Greenwood reciting Annabelle Lee.

[@ecogoths6668]

the cops arriving as verna says “a stir is in the air” makes it seem like she could feel what kind of chain lenore has just started, as she told her in the end, she changed the world the minute she broke through that door and saved her mother. that the world would heal after the ushers faded away

[@queenofsiam1183]

I've watched FothoU and Hill House 10 times and I'll see them 10 times more because somehow Mike and his crew move me in ways almost nothing else can. Such talent to behold.

[@YourRandomGuy]

The way she says it makes it sound better. 🤌

[@kyleoliver637]

Her voice is just so alluring her character is both flirty and full of mysticism and also a good amount of bad bitch all in one.

[@myklorenzo87]

I actually return to this scene several times so it's good to see someone finally uploaded it

[@patsyplasticanapollyanna6142]

So beautiful it gives me Chills!

[@deborahkbowen]

You speak these powerful words with such beauty that they make my soul soar 🖤

[@Grayfox541]

I swear this woman has a gift. Her interpretation whenever she's narrating something is perfect. The pacing in her speech is perfect.

[@bashagreis5018]

Carla is just great. I liked the series but Carla, her interpretation of the Raven (and her voice) made it magnificent.

[@Lost_in_the_Gray]

I've re-watched this one scene a dozen times just to hear this poem. I get chills every time!

[@troygardner6559]

It’s haunting!! It reflects the current situation in the world 🌍!!

[@IceFlowersTrappedInTime]

Oh, how I love Verna! She's perfect. This scene makes my heart melt. ❤

[@ignaciolambert1826]

I just love how she says "hell rising from a thousand thrones shall do it reverence." It makes it sound so Lovecraftian

[@moonstruck336]

chills ! just perfect ! I love Carla !

[@LokeshThakur]

Verna's character bears a resemblance to Tyche, the Greek goddess of fate, who was believed to wield the power to shape the destiny of individuals and even entire cities. This parallels Edgar Allan Poe's "City in the Sea," where Death reigns over a city, a poem Verna recites to Madeline, hinting at her perceived authority over the fate of cities. The raven perched atop the statue's head, adorned with a masquerade mask in the final episode, serves as a modern interpretation of Tyche's statue head with blindfolds, symbolizing the arbitrariness of fate based on individuals' actions. For instance, when Verna confronts Frederick Usher, she implies that his fate was influenced by his own choices, opting for a creative and painful demise via demolition, instead of a sudden heart attack. Another interesting point to note was the raven, who was probably not Verna at all. According to Euripides, a well known Greek playwright, Tyche's decisions were influenced by Apollo, the Greek God of Prophecy, who happens to have a raven for a messenger. While there are notable differences between Verna's character and the mythology of Tyche, it's intriguing to draw connections and speculate on their significance.

[@ElizabethMcCormick-s2n]

I love EAP, anyway, but Carla recites this poem so well!

[@janasoskova007]

Why can't I give more likes here??? Perfection! She recites so so so well

[@arontamas5639]

The way she delivers her lines should be taught in Acting schools!

[@lottiilotta2971]

This reaches my heart so deeply and get me goose flesh every single time😢

[@joshdegroot3910]

I was on holiday in Spain and got COVID, so I spent it watching House of Usher. BEST HOLIDAY EVER!!!!!!!!

[@JohnCallahan360]

Without question Bruce Greenwoods AWARD winning performance of his entire career! And all the metaphors OMG, genius writing and performances all around.

[@gdm415]

Wow!! Very chilling. Great reading

[@penguinproductions8829]

Verna is without a doubt the best portrayal of death/karma in film/tv, she’s so perfect and goes straight from a terrifying, Eldritch being taking the form of a human to a kind, loveable character

[@totallynameless8861]

I wonder what she means by this in this context. That even Hell respects death, and that therefore the deal between them could not, would not, be altered?

[@bradmarshall892]

One way to look at it is to think of the town as The House of Usher. The injection of this poem in the narrative is textbook foreshadowing. The city in the sea sinks to the bottom of the lurid ocean in the poem. Roderick Usher's house sinks into the ground.

[@totallynameless8861]

@@bradmarshall892 I got that part, but why is she quoting it in response to Madeline's request for renegotiation?

[@bradmarshall892]

@@totallynameless8861 It could be that Death is reasserting that the deal cannot be unbound or changed. The town in the poem suffers similar innevitability. I think she is basically saying that it's out of her hands to acquiese Madeline.

[@totallynameless8861]

@@bradmarshall892 I agree.

[@Leo_07_07]

It's just a series. Live in reality

[@chemtrayliaindafukkinskya]

What a time to be alive... masterpieces combined

[@lilachodan4941]

1:42 this face! 😯😳

[@dylanbuchman8128]

This show was amazing

[@frauleinloonylove7273]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, but Verna needs her own spinoff series.

[@theblaseblonde5799]

This is magical

[@trishaleighartinsoul]

Absolutely brilliant and beautiful.

[@Cleric0Youth]

Her delivery is the best delivery I’ve found but I dislike that she doesn’t do the entire poem

[@nonsense7129]

She gives me major Gaunter O’ Dimm vibes

[@damianstarks3338]

This city in the sea poem sounds beautiful coming from Verna’s lips.

[@rossjones1530]

Carla Gugino could read the phone book and it would still be poetry.

[@brendanbotha4618]

Stunning

[@chiefchale7710]

this scene was very DARK, i have watched it like 100+ times, her expression is haunting

[@Gabey28]

I don't know.. but it just came to me.. if there ever is another rather live adaptation of Lilith? I want Carla Gugino to portray her -- I know she would eat that role up, and leave no crumbs. She is such a Goddess.

[@lilachodan4941]

Love this

[@CreativeUsernameEh]

Listening to this outside, a few feet from a very unafraid Raven

[@IceFlowersTrappedInTime]

I love like she takes away the child's life. It's part of the deal, but she does it in a lovely way.

[@paulgrove1407]

If Carla Gugino does not receive an Emmy for this role...

[@sinduraman5136]

She recites poetry like Dame Judy Dench recites Shakespeare 😮

[@jarebear95]

Let it steep awhile

[@sabrinafojo2490]

I saw this scene and was happy. I recited it with her... People do not understand Lady Raven Corvid Crow

[@Lost_in_the_Gray]

I just realized that if you pay close attention, there’s no humanity in her eyes as she recites the poem. I think this is because she’s never been human, and she is incredibly ancient.

[@iDeist]

But lo, a stir is in the air! 🎃

[@iDeist]

a wave... there is a movement there.

[@iDeist]

The waves have now a redder glow.

[@iDeist]

The hours are breathing faint and low

[@iDeist]

And when, amid no earthly moans

[@iDeist]

Down, down that town shall settle hence

[@Aggient]

This poem reminds me of Rapture from BioShock.

[@coolbluesman]

I thought this was gonna turn into a Thriller video. May I echo Laura Roslin: Where's the clarity, man?!?! hah?

[@shakeyfly]

When do we hear the name Verna. I watched the series but at no time did I know her name was Verna?!?

[@eliza1498]

(spoilers) she introduces herself as verna when she first meets madeline and roderick usher on new years eve, i think.

[@angelagomes4077]

I feel like Vincent Price would be terrified

[@samael9445]

Bone chilling ☠️

[@WTFENIGMA]

What did the poem mean

[@dylanthompson8511]

That even hell gives death its reverence.

[@phatman9762]

This woman was in a movie with Pauly Shore....

[@greatidea682]

My English is quite advanced...but for the life of me I can not understand this poem. Someone help?!

[@peadar-o]

A more poetic version of ‘Ready or Not’

[@sugabud]

Can someone explain the meaning to me? I wanted the clarity to kick in for me but I don’t have any brain cells :(

[@רוןגורליק-ה5ע]

It’s a poem about a city drowning in the sea

[@sugabud]

@@רוןגורליק-ה5ע thank you…I meant the deeper meaning, the relevance to the storyline, why it was for Madeline etc

[@DXPhyll]

​@sugabud it's about the city that they built, so proud they were and the marvels of it...the arrogance of building it where it ultimately was going to fall and disappear only to be forgotten

[@dashx1103]

It is a poem about Aquaman.

[@wormer104]

The Ushers are the Death in the poem with Verna being the hell doing them reverence.

[@ManyvanhKeovongsa]

Vera and Madeline the Sequel

[@VerneUpton-u8n]

Doyle Valleys

[@villanellest]

I respect the dubbing artists, but I would never watch this structure, which is integrated with Carla Gugino's voice, dubbed.

[@marinzivkovic4662]

I wonder why she didn’t made Morella go outside the same way she did with waiters

[@katherineheasley6196]

She gave her the choice. The waiters had no attachment to the party other than being employed for it, so when she whispered to them, they left immediately. Verna gave Morella the same whisper, but Morella chose to stay because she'd wanted to come to the party. For all we know, Verna whispered to everyone except Prospero, but only the waitstaff and security employees left.

[@marinzivkovic4662]

@@katherineheasley6196 yeah but I’m wondering why only them left. Would you go out if some random woman at the party whispered to you “get out”

[@katherineheasley6196]

@@marinzivkovic4662 she's an eldritch being from before humans even existed. I'm assuming she's got some kind of power of persuasion. Choice seems very important to her, so perhaps what she did was to give everyone the choice to stay or leave, and only the ones with no attachment to the party other than money took the opportunity.

[@eliza1498]

​@@marinzivkovic4662they mention in one of the scenes following the party that the survivors don't recall exactly what was said or who said it, only that she said something that compelled them to walk away. i can only imagine it felt, to them, like some sort of baser instinct calling for them to leave. after that, whether they obeyed it or not was up to them.

[@DarkAllianc3]

Morelle chose to go against the warning signs. I think most people would have left if they saw staff members exiting and a woman telling them to go. At that moment, instinct should have kicked in, signaling that something was about to happen. You can see Morelle struggle against that instinct.

[@NeilsonBuntowa]

she just might be a Djinn

[@DeliaBartlett-o3h]

Wintheiser Creek

[@brunosalezze]

Clarity

[@Joseph-nx5gv]

The prettiest people do the ugliest things, on the road to riches and diamond rings.

[@jeroendesterke9739]

That is less than half of the original poem.

[@AidaWagner-r4i]

Bernhard Parkways

[@obscura4470]

Anna Varney was found d3ad

[@hiannn5591]

cú

[@richwhitelivesmatterforsureduh]

Please post the cut scene of jer reciting "ma p00sy iz on faiyah". Its so good (!)