The Fall of the House of Usher: How does Madeline plan to rise to the top?

In the second episode of The Fall of the House of Usher entitled "The Masque of the Red Death," viewers are introduced to Madeline Usher's plan to rise to the top. Madeline, along with her husband Roderick, has become a powerful force in the pharmaceutical world. The episode traces their journey to success, as well as their personal motivations.Madeline and Roderick's rise to the top begins in the 1970s, where a young Roderick is trying to sell his new drug, Ligodone, to Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. Ligodone is presented as a non-addictive opioid that can provide relief to those in chronic pain. Despite Roderick's impassioned speech, the company executive, Griswold, is not impressed. Undeterred, Madeline assures Roderick that they will make Ligodone a success, even if it means destroying people like Griswold along the way.Fast forward to the present day, and Madeline is still focused on reaching new heights. She enlists the help of her grandniece, Lenore, to create an artificial intelligence that can mimic human consciousness, offering the promise of eternal life. Madeline sees this technology as a way to solidify their power and control.Meanwhile, Madeline and Roderick's daughter, Victorine, is working on a project to slow down her father's vascular dementia. She believes her heart mesh research could provide real-time diagnosis and potentially halt the progression of the disease. Unfortunately, her research is not going well, and her last test subject has died. Adding to her troubles, she suspects her sister, Camille, of being a potential informant for the authorities. Camille, who handles Fortunato's public relations, decides to investigate Victorine's trials to confirm her suspicions.As Madeline and Victorine navigate their respective paths to success, their nephew, Prospero, takes matters into his own hands. Fed up with being the family punching bag, Prospero decides to throw an extravagant party in an abandoned Fortunato lab. The party, fueled by drugs and debauchery, is the setting for Prospero's true business plan. He plans to secretly film the city's most influential figures engaging in scandalous activities and later use the footage to blackmail them. Moreover, Prospero sets out to bring down his brother Frederick by targeting his wife, Morelle.However, Prospero's party takes a disastrous turn when the sprinklers are activated, but instead of water, acid rain falls on the guests, killing them all. Verna, the enigmatic woman who warned Prospero about the consequences of his actions, kisses him before disappearing, leaving him to face the consequences of his own misdeeds.In conclusion, Madeline's plan to rise to the top involves leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence, and maintaining control over the pharmaceutical industry. Her relentless pursuit of power puts her at odds with those around her and sets the stage for further consequences and revelations in the intertwined worlds of power, family, and ambition.