References in Fall of the House of Usher (You Might Have Missed)

The meaning behind every name in the hit Netflix series (based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe)

Fans of horror miniseries and literature were provided a large treat via Mike Flanagan last year. Netflix’s Fall of The House of Usher is one of the biggest hits the streaming giant has ever produced. Not just because of the amazing detail, acting, and storyline but also because of the insane amount of easter eggs riddled throughout the show.

Typically, Mike Flanagan’s projects are loosely tied to a piece of fiction, and we are provided with a fresh take on an already established idea. But in this series, the writers simply crammed every imaginable Edger Allen Poe reference that they could think of into the script. And it worked out wonderfully.

Now, we know that not everyone has the time to read every piece of fiction written by Poe. So, we have taken on the task of listing all of the character references for you here. That way you can spend your time in a more effective manner, like binge watching The Fall of The House of Usher for a third time.

Things like this, all things, in fact, have consequences - Verna

Character Names

• Verna: Verna is an anagram for raven. This is fitting as the characters are haunted by a raven throughout the show.
• Frederick Usher: Frederick is a character from Metzengerstein. This story involves a young baron who inherits their family fortune at 18, just as in The Fall of The House of Usher.
• Tamerlane Usher: Tamerlane is a poem Poe created about a person who chooses power over love.
• Victorine LaFourcade: This is a reference to the short story The Premature Burial.
• Annabel Lee: This one is made clear to the audience as the poem Annabel Lee.
• Napoleon Usher: In the short story The Spectacles, Napoleon is a man obsessed with vanity who cannot see what is happening around him.
• William Wilson: This name refers to a Poe character who meets their own double and is also obsessed with reaching new levels of debauchery.
• Morella Usher: The short story Morella shows us a woman with an identity crisis who eventually dies during childbirth.
• Lenore Usher: Lenore is the lost love in the poem The Raven.
• Arthur Prym: This is a character in the only full length novel written by Poe. This book is titled The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.
• Camille L’Espanaye: Taken from The Murders of The Rue Morgue, which is a story centered around prostitutes and ape blood.
• Prospero Usher: This name is taken from The Masque of The Red Death, a story in which the wealthy try to use their prosperity to hide from death.
• Dr. Alessandre Ruiz: This name is taken from Politian, A Tragedy. This story focuses on whether death is really the end of all things.
• Judge John Neal: This name is taken from another writer who is said to be on equal footing with Edgar Allen Poe.
• Mr. Longfellow: This name is based on an event in which Edgar Allen Poe accused writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of plagiarism. It was never proven if Mr. Longfellow did indeed plagiarize Poe or not.
• Rufus Griswold: This name is taken from Poe’s largest real life rival.
• Toby: This reference is taken from the short story Never Bet The Devil Your Head: A Moral Tale.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of every hidden Poe reference in Fall of The House of Usher. Even the color schemes of the show are references themselves. But hopefully, this will give you more insight into this amazing show.

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