Winter of the House of Usher is the 12th episode of Beyond Belief that is part of Christmas on Mars (episode 52nd episode of the Thrilling Adventure Hour).
Audio[]
"Winter of the House of Usher" on Nerdist
Characters[]
WorkJuice Players[]
- Frank Doyle - Paul F. Tompkins
- Sadie Doyle - Paget Brewster
- Cindy Louise - Autumn Reeser
- Introduction - Marc Evan Jackson & Mark Gagliardi as Sparks Nevada and Croach the Tracker
Guest Stars[]
Plot[]
Sebastian Ernst, alone in his library, talks to himself about the mysterious happenings around his Greenpoint manor. There is a ringing at the door, and Frank and Sadie Doyle enter, wassailing and out of booze. Sebastian says it's not safe to be in this town on Christmas Eve and begs them to go. A ghost appears out of the portrait above the fireplace, and then switches all the doors and windows around preventing Frank and Sadie from leaving. The ghost, Cindy Louise, died two Christmas Eves ago. She is the woman in the portrait, and was Sebastian's wife.
Frank and Sadie ask if Sebastian killed Cindy Louise, and he said he did not. However, he did have another man, Byron Crumpet, killed. Cindy and Byron were in love, but Cindy had already married Sebastian. Sebastian's father enters, angry that there are wassailers in his house on the "Dread Holiday" and they now know about Byron's murder. Mr. Ernst says Cindy Louise was in love with Byron, so she had to die. And now, he plans on killing Frank and Sadie for knowing, as well.
Cindy Louise's ghost arrives, along with a green, clawed, furry toad-like ghost who Frank and Sadie explain is Byron in a form that is a metaphor for how he lived, like a Grinch. He had a heart that was too small and envy because the woman he loved the most, Cindy Louise, was married to Sebastian. Mr. Ernst attempts to sic the grinch on Frank and Sadie, but it doesn't work.
Frank and Sadie asked ask how Cindy Louise died, and Sebastian responds it was suicide. Then, he loved her so much, he forbade her from leaving her, thus making her in to a ghost. Sebastian needs to let her go in order to stop being haunted. Sebastian relents and releases Cindy Lou, who goes to the Grinch, and is promptly eaten. As the house was Cindy Louise's, and she is gone, the house turns on its occupants and so does the grinch. Frank and Sadie make their escape as the house crumbles down.
Quotable Lines[]
Sebastian: Shut up wind! Stop running! I'm trying to read!
--
Frank: We've run out of songs about Christmas as we do not know any.
Continuity[]
This episode is part of the 52nd episode of the Thrilling Adventure. The prior episode is A Mind is a Terrible Thing... In Space! and the next is War of the World. The previous episode in Beyond Belief canon is #48 Vampire Weekend, and the next is #54 A Dave at the Races.
Production[]
This episode was recorded at Largo on December 4, 2010 and released on December 19, 2011.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley and the Andy Paley Orchestra