One mysterious character in Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher is Carla Gugino’s Verna. Verna appears in many forms throughout the series. She’s also the one responsible for the deaths of Roderick’s children. But who is Verna exactly, and why is she killing the Usher children?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher. Read at your own risk!
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Who Is Verna in The Fall of the House of Usher?
Verna is a shape-shifter. Her abilities allow her to take many forms and identities – from a security guard to a potential medical patient, and sex worker.
She can also transform into a raven. And in case you haven’t figured it out, “Verna” is an anagram of “raven”.
It was not stated in the show who or what exactly she is (whether she’s a demon or an angel of death), but she is definitely a supernatural being that may have ties to the Devil himself. It was, after all, mentioned in the series that ravens are the minions of Satan.
Additionally, Carla Gugino described her character as “the executor of fate or the executor of karma.” She also said:
“Unfortunately, most people are made of who they are from the start, and so they rarely change their minds. But I think that the cool thing about Verna is that she always has some kind of –– if not faith, fascination –– in human beings. She is always waiting for the occasional one that will actually make a different decision.”
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Why Is Verna Killing the Usher Children?
It turns out, Roderick and Madeline made a deal with Verna on New Year’s Eve of 1979. To create an alibi after killing Rufus Griswold, the twins head over to a bar.
There, they meet Verna and eventually make a deal with her. Verna says that they would become the king and queen of Fortunata and will not face any legal consequences for any of their wrongdoings. They can do whatever they want with the company.
Roderick asks what it would cost, and Verna responds that it won’t go on their tab, as the next generation will foot the bill. Verna then says that they would get the whole world, but just before Roderick dies, his bloodline will die with him.
Verna assures them that every Usher that exists today, and every Usher yet to be born, will live a blessed, privileged life, and depart the stage together.
Roderick and Madeline think it’s a good deal and agree to her terms. To them, the kids would have quite the life, and they would prefer to have them live for decades with every luxury and opportunity, rather than live a little longer, but with struggle.
And so, Verna kills the Usher children to uphold her end of the bargain. And the ones responsible for the children’s deaths, really, are Roderick and Madeline.
Because of their greed, they made a deal with a supernatural being, which led to the deaths of the Usher children.
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