TV Show review
Review basis: 1 season · through October 12, 2023
October 12, 2023 · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Fall of the House of Usher is an eight-episode Netflix miniseries created by Mike Flanagan. It blends multiple Edgar Allan Poe stories into one modern narrative about ruthless siblings who build a corrupt pharmaceutical empire and watch their heirs die one by one from mysterious causes tied to past sins. The series shows visible queer characters among the family and delivers a clear critique of Big Pharma greed and elite privilege through its plot and dialogue, though these sit alongside standard horror elements of guilt, revenge, and family decay.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Fall of the House of Usher.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse modern cast includes multiple prominent queer characters; public commentary noted the extensive LGBTQ+ presence as noticeable though secondary to the story.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional lines critique corporate greed and pharmaceutical practices, delivered through character talk rather than direct political speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
Queer elements appear among several characters but remain incidental; the core narrative centers on family legacy, greed, and Poe-style revenge without identity politics as a focus.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Strong portrayal of a pharmaceutical empire built on exploitation and moral decay, echoing real-world corporate scandals; this economic critique stands out clearly but stays within classical anti-corporate territory rather than identity-based framing.
Woke character or canon changes
Loose modern reimagining of public-domain Poe stories with a contemporary pharma family; no identity-driven swaps of specific historical or iconic figures.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Limited online complaints, mainly on Reddit, about heavy queerness and perceived woke elements; no major mainstream coverage or organized pushback.
Creator track record context
Main creator Mike Flanagan maintains a low activist profile; some contributing writers bring identity-focused past work while most others show little to no public political engagement.
Production
