Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong
Episode: The Family Behind a Legendary Gothic Tragedy
Release Date: January 26, 2026
Podcast by: Crime House

Episode Overview

In this chilling installment of Twisted Tales, Heidi Wong plunges into the true, macabre history that inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic classic, The Fall of the House of Usher, and its harrowing 2023 Netflix adaptation. Wong exposes the real-life Usher family of colonial Boston—wealthy merchants whose fortunes were built on human suffering, secret trafficking, and whispers of witchcraft. Through vivid storytelling, she unpacks how cycles of greed, addiction, and generational corruption have echoed from Poe’s time to our own, drawing unsettling parallels between the legendary Ushers and modern-day pharmaceutical dynasties.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Usher Legend

• Poe’s Story and Flanagan’s Adaptation

  • The Fall of the House of Usher is revisited in both Poe’s 1839 short story and Mike Flanagan’s 2023 Netflix series, which reframes the dark tale as a critique of the opioid crisis.
  • Key motifs: a decaying mansion, a family plagued by madness and secrets, a sister buried alive, and the collapse of a cursed house.
  • Both versions revolve around a family consumed by its corruption, haunted metaphysically and literally by the sins of its past.

    “It’s gothic horror at its finest. Atmospheric, psychological and deeply, deeply unsettling.” —Heidi Wong (03:10)

• The Real Usher Family

  • Poe did not invent the name. The Ushers existed: prosperous colonial merchants whose Boston mansion was infamous for its aura of decay and scandal.
  • The fall of the Usher house, both literal and figurative, is traced back through generations of greed and criminality.

2. The Human Trafficking Empire

• John Usher’s Descent into Crime

  • Facing ruin after a failed trading voyage in 1679, John Usher turned to illegal human trafficking.

  • Circumvented the British Crown’s monopoly on the Atlantic slave trade by running covert smuggling operations—laying the "foundation of the House of Usher... literally built on stolen lives."

    “They found a way to circumvent the Royal African Company’s monopoly... enormous profits from human suffering.” —Heidi Wong (13:09)

  • The profits transformed the Usher fortune and social standing, with a mansion on Tremont Street built on blood money.

• Macabre Discovery & Urban Legend

  • When the Usher mansion was demolished in 1830, workers allegedly found two skeletons intertwined in its basement, cementing its notorious reputation (unverified but potent folklore).

3. Whispers of Witchcraft: The Salem Witch Trials Connection

• Hezekiah Usher, Jr. Accused

  • Unlike early witch trials targeting outcasts, the 1692 hysteria eventually engulfed elites—including Hezekiah Jr., who faced arrest following bold accusations from Susanna Sheldon.

  • Exploiting their wealth and influence, the Ushers managed to escape the harsh fates of less privileged accused, highlighting blatant inequalities in early American justice.

    “They could afford justice in a way that Sarah Good and Tituba and other victims never could.” —Heidi Wong (22:27)

  • The family’s reputation, however, was forever tainted by these scandals.

4. Poe’s Personal Connection and Social Critique

• Life Among, Yet Apart from, Wealth

  • Poe experienced the trappings of wealth without ever feeling truly accepted, fueling his insight into the rot beneath the respectable facades.
  • As a child, Poe grew up near the Usher mansion, familiar with the family’s dark legends.

• Opium’s Role: From Gothic Metaphor to Modern Crisis

  • Poe’s tale is deeply seeded with opium imagery, both as gothic atmosphere and social commentary.

  • Opium, widely marketed and misunderstood in Poe’s era, echoes today’s opioid crisis:

    “It gives you a warm floating sensation... but when it wears off, the crash is brutal—depression, anxiety, physical pain that feels worse than before.” —Heidi Wong (26:40)

  • Both the Usher and the Sackler families become avatars for cycles of profit built on addiction and misery.

5. From Poe to the Sacklers: The Indictment Endures

• Flanagan’s Modern Update & Parallels

  • Flanagan’s series transforms the Ushers into pharmaceutical tycoons, directly citing the Sacklers’ role in the opioid epidemic.

  • Each show episode nods to another Poe work, blending tales of gothic horror with searing social critique.

  • Despite the supernatural justice depicted onscreen, real-life figures like the Sacklers remain wealthy and largely unpunished:

    "In real life, the Sacklers are still rich. Extremely rich... and most of them will never see the inside of a courtroom." —Heidi Wong (27:55)

6. Poe’s Legacy and Final Words

• Cycles of Wealth and Misery

  • Justice in these stories is tantalizing but scarce in reality. Poe’s warning persists:

    “Because we need to believe that justice is possible. We need to believe that some houses are so corrupt by evil that they have to fall. But the real horror is this. The House of Usher keeps getting rebuilt...” —Heidi Wong (29:52)

• Poe’s Mysterious Demise

  • Poe’s own tragic end—fraught with suspicion and unanswered questions—mirrors the haunting uncertainty and injustice that animate his works.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the real-life Usher horror:

  “Buckle up, because the true story behind the House of Usher involves human trafficking, witch trials, bodies discovered in basements, and a generational curse built on the suffering of thousands.” —Heidi Wong (04:08)

• Reflections on wealth and reputation:

  “The Allans gave him a comfortable life, but it was complicated... there was always that sense of being an outsider, looking in on wealth and respectability.” —Heidi Wong (06:09)

• Exposing the roots of the opioid crisis:

  “They marketed [opium] as miracle cures... convinced an entire society that opium was safe, beneficial, and even necessary for good health. Sound familiar?” —Heidi Wong (26:55)

• On eternal cycles of corruption:

  “Some patterns never change, that the same cycles of greed and suffering repeat themselves generation after generation, just wearing different masks.” —Heidi Wong (28:21)

• On the enduring legacy of injustice:

  “The real horror is this. The House of Usher keeps getting rebuilt. It falls, yes, but there’s always another wealthy family ready to lay a new foundation on someone else’s suffering.” —Heidi Wong (29:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:10 — Introduction: Poe, Flanagan, and the Usher Legend
• 09:20 — The Real Usher Family: Rise and Infamy
• 13:50 — Human Trafficking and the Making of a Fortune
• 19:38 — Witch Trials: The Family’s Next Scandal
• 23:09 — How Wealth Protects the Guilty
• 25:18 — Poe’s Use of Opium Motifs and Societal Parallels
• 27:12 — Linking the Usher Curse to the Modern Opioid Crisis
• 29:52 — Final Reflections: Why the “House of Usher” Keeps Falling and Rising

Conclusion

Heidi Wong’s episode masterfully interweaves gothic lore, true crime, and trenchant social commentary, arguing that horror’s most chilling tales are rooted in the real world’s cycles of power, exploitation, and impunity. Both the fall and rebirth of the House of Usher serve as a dark mirror, warning listeners that unchecked greed and generational rot are not just the stuff of old legends—they are a persistent reality, retold with every new outrage.

If you have your own strange tale or insight, Heidi encourages you to join the community, share your story, and stay tuned for next week’s episode of Twisted Tales.

“There’s no reason to fear the dark, unless you try to hide from it.” –Heidi Wong (30:50)