The Fall of the House of Usher: What crimes did Roderick commit with Fortunato Pharmaceuticals?

In the episode "The Pit and the Pendulum" of The Fall of the House of Usher, it is revealed that Roderick Usher, the oldest of Usher's children, has committed crimes with Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. In the past, Roderick's rise through the ranks of the company was fueled by his betrayal of Auguste Dupin, leading to the downfall of Dupin's career. Roderick's crimes involve forging signatures on papers for clinical trials, falsely guaranteeing that patients were well-informed about their participation. This act of forgery is a serious offense.Initially, Roderick had planned to expose Fortunato Pharmaceuticals' malfeasance and testify in court that his signature had been repeatedly forged. He had collaborated with Dupin to gather confidential documents as evidence. However, when Roderick takes the stand, he unexpectedly abandons his cooperation with Dupin and confesses to signing the papers himself. He claims that he had been coerced into lying about his signatures, leading to his arrest for perjury.Roderick's actions deeply affect his wife, Annabel, who had hoped he would do the right thing. She realizes that her sister-in-law, Madeline, had been part of the plan, and although Madeline tries to comfort her by saying that Roderick's betrayal will bring him promotions, Annabel is devastated. Meanwhile, in the present day, Madeline seeks control of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. She meets with Arthur Pym to convince him to support her and plans to pivot the company towards artificial intelligence. However, Madeline is tormented by the deaths of Usher family members and her encounter with Verna, a woman involved in a mysterious agreement with the Ushers.While the exact nature of the agreement between Madeline, Roderick, and Verna is unclear, it is revealed that it can only be fulfilled through death. Madeline tries to alter the terms of the agreement and even attempts to kill Verna. However, Verna cannot be easily killed, if at all. The episode suggests that the Ushers must die as part of the agreement. Roderick eventually succumbs to an overdose but is awakened by Verna, indicating that he cannot escape his fate so easily.Another Usher sibling, Frederick, also plays a role in the family's crimes. Determined to become CEO and taking advantage of Roderick's decline into dementia, Frederick plans to demolish Prospero's lab. Before the demolition, he continues to torture his wife, Morelle, using a paralyzing drug and disfiguring her mouth. This cruelty becomes too much even for Verna, who influences Frederick to add the drug to his cocaine stash. At the demolition site, Frederick falls victim to the paralyzer, and a swinging beam eventually splits his body in half.With Frederick's death, it appears that the Usher family's legacy is coming to an end. However, it is hinted that Lenore, a surviving Usher, may be involved in Madeline's experiments with AI and immortality. It is suggested that Lenore may no longer be fully human or even alive.Overall, Roderick's crimes with Fortunato Pharmaceuticals involve forging signatures on clinical trial papers, leading to his rise and the downfall of Dupin. However, the episode encompasses a broader narrative of the Usher family's dark secrets, pacts, and the consequences they face.