a series of unfoutnate events

As with the book series, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the misadventures of the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, following the deaths of their parents in the destruction of their home. While the children are shuffled between various foster homes, they are pursued by Count Olaf who desires to gain control of the vast Baudelaire inheritance before the children come of age. Along the way, the Baudelaires discover their parents’ connections to an elusive secret society.

The first season, which premiered on January 13, 2017, consists of eight episodes and adapts the first four books of the series. The second season was ordered in March 2017 and released on March 30, 2018, consisting of ten episodes and adapting books five through nine. The third and final season, which was announced in April 2017 and released on January 1, 2019, consists of seven episodes and adapts the remaining four books.

All three seasons have received critical acclaim, with critics commending its production design, writing, faithfulness to the books and the performances of its cast, particularly Harris as Count Olaf.

Premise

When a mysterious fire destroys their home and kills their parents, the Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, are placed in the care of their abusive distant relative Count Olaf, an actor who is determined to claim the family fortune for himself. Following Olaf’s failed attempt and his plot being exposed, the Baudelaires are placed in the custody of a series of inept or unsympathetic guardians, as they try to elude Olaf and his followers and uncover the mystery behind a secret society from their parents’ past. A mysterious narrator, the melancholic Lemony Snicket, explicates the Baudelaires’ adventures for the audience.

Cast and characters

Main

• Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf,^[4] an actor and member of V.F.D.’s fire-starting side who is determined to claim the Baudelaire fortune for himself. He has an unibrow and a tattoo resembling an eye on his left ankle, which is frequently used to identify him when he is disguised.
• Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket,^[5] the narrator and member of V.F.D. who is tasked with explaining the events during the lives of the Baudelaires.
• Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire,^[6] the eldest Baudelaire sibling and an inventor talented in mechanics.
• Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire,^[6] the middle Baudelaire child, interested in literature and books.
• K. Todd Freeman as Arthur Poe,^[7] the family banker at Mulctuary Money Management and executor of the Baudelaire parents’ estate, who is in charge of placing the Baudelaires in the care of a suitable guardian.
• Presley Smith as Sunny Baudelaire,^[8] the infant child of the Baudelaires with unnaturally strong teeth. Tara Strong provides Sunny’s babbling sound effects, the meaning of which is often translated in subtitles.^[9] Smith’s own voice was also used within the third season.^[10]
• Lucy Punch as Esmé Squalor, a wealthy financial advisor, who becomes an ally and love interest for Count Olaf.^[11] (Season 2–3)
• Avi Lake as Isadora Quagmire,^[12] Duncan and Quigley’s sister who loves writing poetry. (Season 2–3)
• Dylan Kingwell as Duncan and Quigley Quagmire, Isadora’s brothers. Duncan is a keen journalist,^[12] while Quigley is Isadora and Duncan’s long lost sibling who was thought dead in the fire at the Quagmire home.^[13] (Season 2–3)

Recurring

• Will Arnett as Father,^[14][15] a man associated with V.F.D. who is trying to return home to his children.
• Cobie Smulders as Mother,^[15] a woman associated with V.F.D. who is trying to return home to her children.
• Usman Ally as Fernald / the Hook-Handed Man,^[16] a member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe with hooks instead of hands.
• Matty Cardarople as the Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender,^[16] a member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe who doesn’t have a specific gender.
• Cleo King as Eleanora Poe, Arthur Poe’s wife and the editor-in-chief of The Daily Punctilio who loves pursuing sensationalist headlines.
• John DeSantis as the Bald Man,^[17] a tall bald-headed man who is another member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe.
• Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins as the White-Faced Women,^[16] two elderly twins who are members of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe.
• Sara Canning as Jacquelyn Scieszka, Mr. Poe’s standoffish secretary and a member of V.F.D. She possesses a spyglass.
• Patrick Breen as Larry Your-Waiter, a member of V.F.D. who is seen working as a waiter at various establishments the Baudelaires visit including the Anxious Clown, Prufrock Preparatory’s cafeteria, Café Salmonella, and the Hotel Denouement’s Indian restaurant.
• Sara Rue as Olivia Caliban, a librarian at Prufrock Preparatory School who later enlists as a member of V.F.D. when she becomes invested in the Baudelaires’ plight and even becomes the latest Madame Lulu.^[11][18][19]
• Nathan Fillion as Jacques Snicket, the dashing adventurer brother of Lemony Snicket and member of V.F.D. who enlists Olivia Caliban to help the Baudelaires.^[11]
• Kitana Turnbull as Carmelita Spats, an obnoxious, tutu-wearing student at Prufrock Preparatory School. She later becomes Olaf and Esmé’s adoptive daughter.^[20]
• Allison Williams as Kit Snicket, the sister of Lemony and Jacques Snicket, member of V.F.D., and Count Olaf’s former love interest.

Recurring

• Will Arnett as Father,^[14][15] a man associated with V.F.D. who is trying to return home to his children.
• Cobie Smulders as Mother,^[15] a woman associated with V.F.D. who is trying to return home to her children.
• Usman Ally as Fernald / the Hook-Handed Man,^[16] a member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe with hooks instead of hands.
• Matty Cardarople as the Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender,^[16] a member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe who doesn’t have a specific gender.
• Cleo King as Eleanora Poe, Arthur Poe’s wife and the editor-in-chief of The Daily Punctilio who loves pursuing sensationalist headlines.
• John DeSantis as the Bald Man,^[17] a tall bald-headed man who is another member of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe.
• Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins as the White-Faced Women,^[16] two elderly twins who are members of Count Olaf’s theatre troupe.
• Sara Canning as Jacquelyn Scieszka, Mr. Poe’s standoffish secretary and a member of V.F.D. She possesses a spyglass.
• Patrick Breen as Larry Your-Waiter, a member of V.F.D. who is seen working as a waiter at various establishments the Baudelaires visit including the Anxious Clown, Prufrock Preparatory’s cafeteria, Café Salmonella, and the Hotel Denouement’s Indian restaurant.
• Sara Rue as Olivia Caliban, a librarian at Prufrock Preparatory School who later enlists as a member of V.F.D. when she becomes invested in the Baudelaires’ plight and even becomes the latest Madame Lulu.^[11][18][19]
• Nathan Fillion as Jacques Snicket, the dashing adventurer brother of Lemony Snicket and member of V.F.D. who enlists Olivia Caliban to help the Baudelaires.^[11]
• Kitana Turnbull as Carmelita Spats, an obnoxious, tutu-wearing student at Prufrock Preparatory School. She later becomes Olaf and Esmé’s adoptive daughter.^[20]
• Allison Williams as Kit Snicket, the sister of Lemony and Jacques Snicket, member of V.F.D., and Count Olaf’s former love interest.

Introduced in season 2

• Roger Bart as Nero Feint, the violin-playing vice-principal of Prufrock Preparatory School and struggling musician with an egotistic personality, a talent for mimicking what someone says in a high voice, and a love for excessive punishments.^[11]
• Bronwen Smith as Miss Tench, Prufrock Preparatory School’s gym teacher who is replaced in the post by a disguised Count Olaf while on her way back to Prufrock Preparatory School with the pep squad and the sports team.^[19]
• Malcolm Stewart as Mr. Remora, a teacher at Prufrock Preparatory School who specializes in teaching his personal anecdotes and is always seen eating a banana.^[19]
• BJ Harrison as Mrs. Bass, a teacher at Prufrock Preparatory School who specializes in measuring objects. She later becomes a bank robber.^[19]
• Tony Hale as Jerome Squalor, the timid husband of Esmé Squalor.^[11]
• Sage Brocklebank as Doorman, an unnamed doorman who works at 667 Dark Avenue.
• Ithamar Enriquez as Hector, a skittish handyman and citizen of the Village of Fowl Devotees who befriends the Baudelaires.^[18]
• Mindy Sterling as Elder Anabelle, a member of the Village of Fowl Devotees’ Council of Elders who often quotes “silence” when a non-police officer and/or a non-banker consultant attempts to violate the “No one may talk while on the platform” rule.^[19]
• Carol Mansell as Elder Jemma, a soft-spoken member of the Village of Fowl Devotees’ Council of Elders.^[19]
• Ken Jenkins as Elder Sam, a gruff-speaking member of the Village of Fowl Devotees’ Council of Elders.^[19]
• Lossen Chambers as Mrs. Morrow, an inhabitant of the Village of Fowl Devotees that wears a pink robe.
• Kevin Chamberlin as Mr. Lesko, an inhabitant of the Village of Fowl Devotees that wears plaid pants.
• Serge Houde as Milt, the shopkeeper of the Last Chance General Store in the Hinterlands.
• Gabe Khouth as Lou, the newspaper delivery boy who brings the Daily Punctilio’s newspapers to the Last Chance General Store.
• John Bobek as the bearded leader of the Volunteers Fighting Disease.^[19]
• Lauren McGibbon as the perky member of the Volunteers Fighting Disease.
• Kerri Kenney-Silver as Babs, the Head of Human Resources and Hospital Administration at Heimlich Hospital.^[19]
• David Alan Grier as Hal, a visually-disabled file clerk who is employed in the Library of Records at Heimlich Hospital.^[28]
• Robbie Amell as Kevin, an ambidextrous “freak” who works at Caligari Carnival.^[29]
• Kevin Cahoon as Hugo, a hunchbacked “freak” who works at Caligari Carnival.^[19]
• Bonnie Morgan as Colette, a contortionist “freak” who works at Caligari Carnival.^[19]
• David Burtka as Mr. Willums, a heckler with a pimpled chin who attends Caligari Carnival. He is based on The Man With Pimples On His Chin from “The Carnivorous Carnival” book.^[30]
• Jill Morrison as Mrs. Willums, the wife of Mr. Willums.
• Harper and Gideon Burtka-Harris as Trixie and Skip Willums, the children of Mr. Willums.

Introduced in season 3

Season 1

The first season adapts the first four books of the novel series: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window and The Miserable Mill.

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are told by well-meaning

but inept banker Arthur Poe that their parents have perished in a house fire. While exploring the ruins, Klaus finds a broken spyglass with an insignia of an eye embedded on the front. Shortly afterwards, they are sent to live with their distant relative Count Olaf, a cruel and vain amateur actor, who forces them into servitude. They also befriend Justice Strauss, Olaf’s neighbor, who sees great potential in the children. One night, the siblings prepare puttanesca for Olaf’s theatre troupe only for him to demand roast beef upon arriving home. The children state that they were never asked to prepare roast beef, angering Olaf and prompting him to slap Klaus across the face when he protests about the sleeping arrangements. Meanwhile, a mother and father are held against their will by a mysterious captor.

The Baudelaires attempt to convince Mr. Poe of Olaf’s actions, only to be sent away when Poe dismisses their claims. When Olaf gives Violet the starring role in his latest theatrical production, which ends with the two main characters being married before Justice Strauss, the siblings realize that Olaf intends to acquire their fortune by marrying Violet for real. Klaus confronts Olaf, who threatens to kill Sunny if Violet doesn’t follow through with his plans. At the very last minute, however, Violet signs the marriage certificate with her left hand, invalidating the proceedings due to the fact that she is right-handed. Mr. Poe’s mysterious secretary Jacquelyn reveals they were intended to be put in the care of their distant relative Montgomery Montgomery. Meanwhile, Jacquelyn’s ally Gustav is mysteriously drowned, after being hit by a poisoned dart.

The Baudelaires are sent to live with their herpetologist uncle Montgomery Montgomery, who has recently come across a reptile he calls the Incredibly Deadly Viper. While attempting to learn more about Montgomery, Klaus discovers that the hedge maze in Montgomery’s garden is exactly the same shape as the tattoo on Olaf’s ankle. Olaf poses as Montgomery’s new assistant Stephano and attempts to kidnap the Baudelaires, but Monty assures the Baudelaires that he recognizes Stephano as a threat. The four arrive at a movie theatre, where Monty deciphers a code sent for him through the subtitles of the film, using a spyglass identical to Klaus’. The message instructs him to bring the children to Peru. He fires Stephano shortly afterwards, believing him to be a spy sent to steal his research. Immediately after dismissing “Stephano,” Montgomery notices that the door to his Reptile Room is ajar and investigates, only to be attacked by an unseen figure.

The next day, the Baudelaires discover Olaf standing next to Montgomery’s corpse. Olaf threatens to kill Sunny unless the siblings accompany him to Peru, but is prevented from carrying out his plan when Mr. Poe accidentally crashes into their car when they are trying to leave. Olaf’s theatre troupe then arrives disguised as police and nurses, and claim Monty was killed by the Incredibly Deadly Viper, despite Monty’s claim of it being completely harmless. While searching for proof of the snake’s innocence, Klaus discovers a statue in Monty’s hedge maze, and a photograph of Monty, both of them carrying spyglasses identical to Klaus’. Violet proves Olaf to be the murderer; however, he escapes via the hedge maze with Klaus’ spyglass. While pursuing him, the Baudelaires meet Jacquelyn, who is posing as a statue. She tells them to seek answers on the spyglasses from their Aunt Josephine while she hunts down Olaf via underground passageways.

Mr. Poe takes the Baudelaires to live with their Aunt Josephine, an irrationally frightened woman who lives in a dilapidated house overlooking Lake Lachrymose. She refuses to answer questions about their parents, so the siblings pursue answers themselves around her house, and discover their parents were members of a secret organization, with spyglasses being used as useful devices. They are also shocked to find out that Josephine was once fierce and formidable, and developed her phobias after the death of her husband. Olaf, who has followed the Baudelaires, disguises himself as a sailor named Captain Sham before pretending to fall in love with Josephine. Josephine visits a marketplace, including fish heads and fruit. Despite the siblings’ warnings, Josephine accepts his invitation to take her out for a fried egg sandwich. Later that night, the siblings discover that Josephine has jumped out the library’s bay window and left a note informing them that “Captain Sham” is their new guardian.

As Mr. Poe prepares to hand the Baudelaires over to “Captain Sham,” the siblings discover the note has several grammatical errors, something Josephine would never do since she was obsessed with proper grammar. Mr. Poe takes the children to a restaurant and prepares to complete the transfer, but allows the siblings to leave after Larry, a waiter secretly a member of their parents’ organization, triggers their allergy to peppermint. After returning to the house, the siblings decipher Josephine’s suicide note and discover she is still alive moments before a hurricane sends the house teetering over the cliff. Escaping with a photograph of their parents standing in front of a lumber mill, the siblings find Josephine at a nearby cave, only to be confronted by Olaf, who abandons Josephine to be eaten alive by the leeches that inhabit Lake Lachrymose. Upon returning to shore, Olaf escapes after being unmasked in front of Mr. Poe while the Baudelaires sneak away and set out to find the lumber mill in the photograph.

Upon arriving at the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill, the Baudelaires are forced to work by the owner Sir, who blames their parents for starting a fire that destroyed the entire town. While investigating the workers’ unnaturally happy behavior, Klaus’ glasses are broken by the Hook-Handed Man posing as Foreman Flacutono, and he visits local optometrist Georgina Orwell, who puts him into a hypnotic trance. Later that day, the siblings learn that two visitors are waiting to see them. Believing that their parents are still alive, the three are shocked to instead find Orwell and her receptionist “Shirley St. Ives,” who is a poorly-disguised Olaf. Meanwhile, the mother and father who were previously held captive are revealed to be the parents of the Quagmire triplets, with whom they are reunited.

Upon arriving at the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill, the Baudelaires are forced to work by the owner Sir, who blames their parents for starting a fire that destroyed the entire town. While investigating the workers’ unnaturally happy behavior, Klaus’ glasses are broken by the Hook-Handed Man posing as Foreman Flacutono, and he visits local optometrist Georgina Orwell, who puts him into a hypnotic trance. Later that day, the siblings learn that two visitors are waiting to see them. Believing that their parents are still alive, the three are shocked to instead find Orwell and her receptionist “Shirley St. Ives,” who is a poorly-disguised Olaf. Meanwhile, the mother and father who were previously held captive are revealed to be the parents of the Quagmire triplets, with whom they are reunited.

Season 2

The second season adapts books five through nine of the novel series: The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital, and The Carnivorous Carnival.

The Baudelaires are introduced to life at Prufrock Preparatory School, an unpleasant institution run by an unpleasant vice-principal named Nero and terrorized by an equally unpleasant student named Carmelita Spats. The school’s only redeeming qualities are its friendly librarian Olivia Caliban and the surviving Quagmire triplets Duncan and Isadora. During a lunch break, Klaus and Isadora discover that they are holding two halves of the same spyglass. The newfound friends quickly realize that they must track down a book on secret organizations to find the answers they seek—a book Jacquelyn sent Larry to give them, but which he carelessly misplaced. Meanwhile, Count Olaf and his troupe lurk around the grounds of the school, unable to enter the front doors due to an advanced computer system programmed by Nero to detect Olaf’s presence. However, with Carmelita’s help, Olaf finally gains entry and locks Larry in the cafeteria’s walk-in refrigerator. He then dons his latest disguise: the school’s new turban-wearing gym teacher named Coach Genghis.

The Baudelaires are introduced to life at Prufrock Preparatory School, an unpleasant institution run by an unpleasant vice-principal named Nero and terrorized by an equally unpleasant student named Carmelita Spats. The school’s only redeeming qualities are its friendly librarian Olivia Caliban and the surviving Quagmire triplets Duncan and Isadora. During a lunch break, Klaus and Isadora discover that they are holding two halves of the same spyglass. The newfound friends quickly realize that they must track down a book on secret organizations to find the answers they seek—a book Jacquelyn sent Larry to give them, but which he carelessly misplaced. Meanwhile, Count Olaf and his troupe lurk around the grounds of the school, unable to enter the front doors due to an advanced computer system programmed by Nero to detect Olaf’s presence. However, with Carmelita’s help, Olaf finally gains entry and locks Larry in the cafeteria’s walk-in refrigerator. He then dons his latest disguise: the school’s new turban-wearing gym teacher named Coach Genghis.

While a citywide manhunt for Count Olaf is underway, Mr. Poe takes the Baudelaires to the penthouse of Jerome Squalor and his trendy financial advisor wife Esmé. While being introduced to the Squalors, they find Olaf has already arrived, posing as a foreign auctioneer named Gunther. The Baudelaires theorize that Olaf is trying to kill Jerome so that he can marry Esmé and become their legal guardian again. They search the penthouse for the Quagmires to no avail, but Klaus becomes suspicious of an extra elevator that only seems to serve the penthouse. Meanwhile, Olivia tries to convince Mr. Poe about Olaf’s scheme, which leads Jacquelyn to contact Jacques, who enlists her into their society. Esmé suggests they go out for lunch at a fashionable salmon-themed restaurant Cafe Salmonella, where Larry works to prolong their visit, giving Jacques and Olivia time to search the Squalor’s building for the Quagmires. When the Baudelaires manage to sneak away and examine the second elevator, they learn that it is merely an empty shaft. With a makeshift parachute, they descend it to find the Quagmires locked in a cage at its bottom.

While a citywide manhunt for Count Olaf is underway, Mr. Poe takes the Baudelaires to the penthouse of Jerome Squalor and his trendy financial advisor wife Esmé. While being introduced to the Squalors, they find Olaf has already arrived, posing as a foreign auctioneer named Gunther. The Baudelaires theorize that Olaf is trying to kill Jerome so that he can marry Esmé and become their legal guardian again. They search the penthouse for the Quagmires to no avail, but Klaus becomes suspicious of an extra elevator that only seems to serve the penthouse. Meanwhile, Olivia tries to convince Mr. Poe about Olaf’s scheme, which leads Jacquelyn to contact Jacques, who enlists her into their society. Esmé suggests they go out for lunch at a fashionable salmon-themed restaurant Cafe Salmonella, where Larry works to prolong their visit, giving Jacques and Olivia time to search the Squalor’s building for the Quagmires. When the Baudelaires manage to sneak away and examine the second elevator, they learn that it is merely an empty shaft. With a makeshift parachute, they descend it to find the Quagmires locked in a cage at its bottom.

Mr. Poe drops the Baudelaires off at the Village of Fowl Devotees, where the whole community will care for them collectively. The Baudelaires take up residence with Hector, a kindly handyman prone to fainting spells who is secretly building a self-sustaining hot-air mobile home. The Baudelaires soon begin finding clues written by the Quagmires themselves. Olaf, Esmé, and the troupe also arrive at the village, with Esmé disguising herself as the town’s new chief of police. Jacques and Olivia also arrive and detain Olaf at the local jailhouse; the next day, the villagers learn of Olaf’s capture and hold a town hall meeting, where Olaf appears in the disguise of Detective Dupin, tricking everyone into believing Jacques is Olaf. Jacques is sentenced to death, but Olivia convinces Esmé to free her and Jacques in exchange for the location of the Sugar Bowl, an object with ties to Esmé’s past. Jacques stays behind to confront Olaf; however, the villain is unfazed by Jacques’ offer of a truce, and he and Esmé incapacitate and kill him. The next morning, as the Baudelaires try to break into the jail to rescue Jacques, they are informed that “Olaf” has been murdered.

The disguised Olaf and Esmé quickly convince Mr. Poe and the town that the Baudelaires murdered Jacques/”Olaf,” and they are promptly condemned to be burned at the stake. While in jail, the children instruct Hector to prepare his hot-air mobile home to help them escape. While Violet creates a battering ram to weaken the jail wall, Klaus deduces from their clues that the Quagmires are hidden inside a crow fountain in the village square. Larry and Jacquelyn arrive on the scene to distract the villagers long enough for the children to escape via a fire truck and follow Hector. The Baudelaires cover for the Quagmires as they use the truck’s ladder to climb aboard the mobile home. As they do so, Olaf, Esmé, and the villagers arrive, and Esmé begins damaging Hector’s home with a harpoon gun. Realizing their danger, the Baudelaires tell Hector to escape with the Quagmires. In thanks, the Quagmires try to throw their friends their notes about the secrets of V.F.D., but Esmé shoots them with a harpoon, scattering the pages and harming a crow. While the villagers accost the disguised villains over the injured bird, the Baudelaires collect as many of the ruined pages as they can and make their escape.

The Baudelaires hitch a ride with volunteer singing candy stripers heading to Heimlich Hospital. They learn that there is a Library of Records that collects and stores esoterica. After sneaking past the hospital’s administrator Babs, they meet Hal, the man who runs the library. He welcomes their help, but forbids them to read material in storage. While Hal shows them the ropes, a film reel labeled “Snicket” arrives and catches the children’s attention. Meanwhile, believing the Sugar Bowl to be in the hospital, Olaf and his troupe infiltrate the building. Desperate for answers, the children are forced to steal Hal’s keys to access the library, where they find the film. It contains a debriefing of Jacques by a V.F.D. volunteer, with Jacques informing the interviewer that someone has survived a fire, which may or may not be the one that killed the Baudelaire’s parents. However, before they can watch any further, they are interrupted by Esmé; as they try to escape, the library is ruined. Violet is captured by Olaf while Klaus and Sunny hide in a chute, in possession of the film.

Olaf and Esmé hide Violet under a false name; to find her, Klaus disguises himself as “Dr. Faustus,” with Sunny hidden in a sling underneath his coat. They eventually deduce which room Violet is in, but this is a trap laid by Olaf, who forces Klaus to operate on Violet inside an operating theater. Esmé promises to call off the scheme if Klaus can give her what he stole from the Library of Records, and he does so—only, it’s not the Sugar Bowl that she has been searching for. Olaf, however, is interested in the Snicket film, and dashes off to watch it to learn its secret. Furious at its revelations, he burns the film, which also starts a fire in the hospital. The Baudelaires successfully evacuate the hospital and realize that their only chance to escape safely is in the trunk of Olaf’s car. Hal is left depressed over the loss of the Library of Records. Elsewhere, an unknown person recovers the Sugar Bowl from the burning hospital.

A flashback to a masked ball at the V.F.D. headquarters shows Lemony trying to warn Beatrice about Olaf. In the present, Olaf and his troupe arrive at the Caligari Carnival to speak with its fortune-teller, Madame Lulu, about the fire’s survivor. Lulu, who is really Olivia in disguise, tells them to wait for the answer in the morning. The Baudelaires overhear this, and hoping to speak to Lulu as well, assume the identities of circus freaks, with Violet and Klaus as a two-headed person and Sunny as a wolf child. After calling V.F.D., Olivia is able to tell Olaf the next day that one of the Baudelaire parents did indeed survive the fire. Olaf then presents a freak show that proves disastrous, so he sets off to find a pack of roaming lions to help attract a larger crowd. This gives an opportunity for the children to sneak into Lulu’s tent, where they discover films, books, and disguises belonging to the Volunteer Fire Department—the secret organization their parents and guardians belonged to. Olivia then appears and reveals her true identity to them.

Olivia explains to the Baudelaires that “Madame Lulu” is an alias used by V.F.D. agents to gather information. While Olivia admits she had to lie to Olaf about one of the children’s parents surviving the fire, Jacques had asserted that there was a survivor, and they should head to the V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains to find them. Meanwhile, Olaf plans to throw one of the freaks into a pit filled with the hungry lions he has corralled, while Esmé connives to have Lulu killed. The next day, Olaf selects Violet and Klaus for the pit. When Olivia is told to push the children to the lions, she instead pushes them to safety, and is sent tumbling into the pit by Olaf for her troubles. As the children try to collect the V.F.D. materials from Lulu’s tent, Olaf arrives and forces them to burn the tent down. Then, after placing Violet and Klaus in a towed caravan and taking Sunny in his car, Olaf has the other freaks cut the towing rope on a steep mountain path. At the same time, the previous operative to pose as Madame Lulu arrives at the burning carnival as Lemony Snicket claims that she is someone he knows.

Season 3

The third season adapts the final four books of the novel series in seven episodes: The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril, and The End, with the final book being adapted as a single episode.

Violet and Klaus escape from the out-of-control caravan using an improvised drag chute. Escaping snow gnats, they seek shelter in a cave with the Snow Scouts including a hostile Carmelita Spats. With the help of a Scout who is revealed to be Quigley Quagmire in disguise, the Baudelaires discover the Vertical Flame Diversion which leads to the mountainside V.F.D headquarters, but it is already burned. Meanwhile, Count Olaf’s troupe and a captive Sunny make camp at the peak of Mount Fraught. Sunny wins the sympathy of several of Olaf’s troupe, particularly Fernald, who has become disillusioned with Olaf and his own life decisions and has developed a close bond with the orphan. Elsewhere in the mountains, a pregnant Kit Snicket (in possession of the sugar bowl) is pursued by the Man With A Beard But No Hair and the Woman With Hair But No Beard, who are revealed to be Count Olaf’s mentors. Kit escapes, but loses the sugar bowl in the Stricken Stream and runs into a lost Mr. Poe. After killing the carnival freaks, the Man and Woman meet Olaf and berate him for his obsession with the Baudelaires, saying he needs to see the bigger picture.

Violet and Quigley prepare to rescue Sunny while Klaus searches V.F.D headquarters for information. He deciphers a message: A person called J.S. is gathering all surviving V.F.D. members at the Last Safe Place on Thursday. Sunny uses a Verdant Flammable Device to signal her siblings. Violet and Quigley climb Mount Fraught and reach Sunny but she convinces them to let her stay as a spy. Violet, Klaus and Quigley trap Esmé to trade her for Sunny. Pressured by the Man and the Woman, Count Olaf orders his troupe to throw Sunny’s cage down the mountain, but all but Fernald refuse and desert him. Fernald pretends to kill Sunny, who has already escaped using Violet’s lockpick. Olaf’s mentors kidnap the Snow Scouts with eagles, intending to kill their parents, indoctrinate the Scouts, and gain their fortunes. Carmelita joins Olaf and Esmé while the Baudelaires and Quigley escape down the slope via sled. Quigley is caught by a branch as the Baudelaires sweep out to the ocean and end up on top of the submarine Queequeg. Meanwhile, Kit and Mr. Poe return to the city to discover several fires burning as a result of the Man and Woman’s plans.

Fiona Widdershins welcomes the Baudelaires aboard the Queequeg where they reunite with Phil, the sub’s cook. Fiona is searching for her stepfather, Captain Widdershins, and the sugar bowl. In pursuit, Olaf, Esmé, Carmelita, and Fernald pose as a family to rent an octopus-shaped submarine paid for by the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard. Klaus uses ocean currents to track the sugar bowl to the Gorgonian Grotto, located near Anwhistle Aquatics. Fiona sets course there, warning them about the Medusoid Mycelium, a highly poisonous mushroom. After an encounter with an unseen giant sea monster called the Great Unknown, they are caught by Olaf’s sub. Fiona hides after relaying an S.O.S. to V.F.D.; Kit receives the message and sends Quigley to meet them. Olaf forces the Baudelaires to dive into the Grotto and recover the sugar bowl. There, the children enter the abandoned laboratories of Anwhistle Aquatics, and see Quigley waiting for them at the surface, having already recovered the sugar bowl. The Medusoid Mycelium begin to rapidly wax, forcing the children back to the Queequeg, where they discover that Sunny’s diving suit has been contaminated, poisoning her.

Despite Sunny’s poisoning, Olaf places the Baudelaires in his brig. Fernald helps them escape. Returning to the Queequeg, Violet, Klaus and Fiona determine that the antidote for the Medusoid Mycelium is horseradish, but there is none aboard; Sunny suggests a substitute, wasabi, which cures her. Violet presents Sunny’s sealed contaminated helmet to Fiona for future study, and Fiona obtains a coded message revealing the Last Safe Place for V.F.D.: the Hotel Denouement. Fernald reveals that he is Fiona’s brother, responsible for burning down Anwhistle Aquatics for fear that V.F.D. might use the Medusoid Mycelium as a weapon. They are cornered by Olaf, but Fiona allows the Baudelaires to escape in the Queequeg by offering Olaf the helmet. After an encounter with the Great Unknown, the Baudelaires return to Briny Beach, where Mr. Poe offers to help clear their names. However, the children refuse his assistance as Kit Snicket arrives by taxi, promising them answers; they speed off to the Hotel Denouement. Quigley gives the sugar bowl to a flock of crows. Fernald is forced to reveal the Last Safe Place to Olaf and he and Fiona are imprisoned, but begin their escape.

At the Hotel Denouement, Kit warns the Baudelaires of villains infiltrating V.F.D. and asks them to signal her if the hotel is not safe for the Thursday meeting. Inside, the children meet Frank and Ernest Denouement, twin brothers who co-manage the hotel, and spot Olaf, Esmé, and Carmelita posing as a family. They sneak off by themselves, each seeming to help Frank or Ernest prepare to recover the sugar bowl being flown in by crow. The mysterious J.S. who reunited V.F.D is revealed to be Justice Strauss, who has been gathering information to incriminate Olaf. When the Baudelaires compare their stories, they determine there must be a third Denouement brother, and discover Dewey Denouement, who manages the sub-sub-library of V.F.D. information under the hotel. The children are confronted by Olaf with a harpoon gun, but protect Dewey and trick Olaf into breaking up with Esme. A defeated Olaf surrenders the gun to the Baudelaires, but they inadvertently drop it when Mr. Poe appears and it fires, impaling Dewey. Lemony Snicket, prompted by his sister Kit, arrives at the hotel to help the Baudelaires.

Lemony Snicket offers to help the children escape, but they decide to stay and put Olaf behind bars when Justice Strauss comes into view. The Schism’s origin is shown in flashbacks: During the original theft of Esme’s sugar bowl, Beatrice accidentally killed Olaf’s father, while Lemony, in love with Beatrice, took the blame for both crimes and fled. In the present, Justice Strauss oversees a blindfolded trial to prove the Baudelaires innocent of killing Dewey, and find Olaf guilty of his crimes, but Olaf turns the trial around and the High Judges, revealed to be the Man with a Beard but No Hair and the Woman with Hair but No Beard, declare the children guilty. In the confusion, Olaf kidnaps Strauss and, unable to find the sugar bowl, sets fire to the hotel. Fleeing to the roof, Olaf recovers the sample of Medusoid Mycelium and forces the children to help him escape. The Baudelaires warn the patrons of the growing fire; Strauss pleads with them to join her to safety, but they sadly refuse. Olaf and the children parachute a sailboat into the nearby sea. As guests flee the burning hotel, a panicked Lemony arrives. Strauss explains what happened and gives him a photo of the Baudelaires, with which he begins his investigation of their fate.

Caught in a storm, Olaf and the Baudelaires wash up on a remote island. Olaf is imprisoned by the islanders’ leader Ishmael, while the Baudelaires discover their parents had once lived on the island, returning to the mainland before Violet’s birth. Ishmael reveals he founded V.F.D. but grew tired of the endless battle. Kit arrives on a raft of books, caught by the storm while trying to help the Quagmires. Olaf breaks free and disguises himself unsuccessfully as Kit, but Ishmael impales him with a harpoon gun, shattering the helmet and infecting everyone with the Medusoid Mycelium. The islanders depart in an outrigger in search of a horseradish factory, while the Baudelaires discover that their parents modified the island’s apples to provide immunity from the fungus. Olaf unexpectedly rescues Kit, kissing her and reciting poetry before dying of his wound. Kit refuses the apple antidote to protect her unborn child, and dies after giving birth to Beatrice. After a year on the island, the Baudelaires decide to return to the mainland. Some years later, young Beatrice meets with her uncle Lemony, who had traced the Baudelaires’ fate up to the hotel fire, and shares some of their adventures with him.

Season 1

The first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the season an approval rating of 94% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 8.06/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Enjoyably dark, A Series of Unfortunate Events matches the source material’s narrative as well as its tone, leaving viewers with a wonderfully weird, dry, gothic comedy.”^[75] On Metacritic the season has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.^[76]

Erik Adams of The A.V. Club awarded the season a B and praised it for treating “mature themes like grief, loss, and disappointment with sardonic honesty.” Adams compared the program positively to the Adam West Batman series, calling it “kids stuff with adult sophistication, driven by two-part stories, outrageous visuals, and the scenery-chewing of big-name guest stars”.^[77] Ben Travers of Indiewire gave the series an A-, saying that it “proves as inspirational and endearing as it claims to be forlorn and heartbreaking”. Brian Lowry of CNN praised the showrunners for “infusing the show with a lemony-fresh feel, conjuring a series similar to the fantastical tone of Pushing Daisies“. Lowry wrote that “the show proves a good deal of fun” and that “Harris dives into his over-the-top character with considerable gusto.” He also argued that the series improved upon the 2004 film.

Several critics praised the television series as a better adaptation of the books than the 2004 feature film, which starred Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. Kelly Lawler of USA Today felt the television format gave the stories more room to develop, the addition of Warburton as the fourth wall-breaking Snicket helped to convey some of the wordplay humor used in the books, and Harris’s portrayal of Olaf was “much more dynamic, and creepier” than Carrey’s version.^[79] The Verge‘s Chaim Gartenburg said that the show follows the books much more faithfully than the film, and “nails down the tone that made the stories so special”.^[80] Los Angeles Times writer Robert Lloyd felt that the backgrounds of Sonnenfeld and Welch made them “the right people for this job, set in a milieu that is hard to fix in time, except to say it is not now”, in capturing the tones of the book compared to the feature film.^[81]

Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com, on the other hand, gave the series a negative review, calling it “an unfunny parody of sadness” that is “never as clever as it wants to be” and would only appeal to fans of the books.^[82] Caroline Framke of Vox Media praised the series for its unique and weird visuals, but found the show’s tone, pacing and performances to be haphazard and considered the show to be “literally, a series of unfortunate events”.^[83]

Season 2

As with the first season, the second season received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the second season an approval rating of 94% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 7.81/10. The site’s critical consensus reads: “Season two of A Series of Unfortunate Events is as gothic, twisted and absurd as the first, to the delight of moody tweens of all ages.”^[84] Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent praised the show as one that “essentially deals with thoughtful, intelligent young people battling to speak up against an illogical world.” While observing that the “show may revel in the miserable”, she opined “that the purpose of its own morbidity is to offer the assurance that hope lives in even the darkest of places.” Loughrey also credited the show’s expanded storyline for the Baudelaires’ adult allies for “plumping up” the episodes’ narrative arcs and deepening the show’s emotional impact.^[85]

Tristram Fane Saunders of The Telegraph awarded the second season four out of five stars. He described the show as a “gothic treat [that] also offers a wicked line in absurdist humour, and the most gorgeously toybox-like set designs you’ll find anywhere outside a Wes Anderson film.”^[86] Radio Times reviewer Huw Fullerton praised the series for its faithfulness to the original novels. While praising the improved CGI used to make Presley Smith’s character Sunny Baudelaire react better to situations, he criticized the addition of supporting “good” characters such as Nathan Fillion‘s Jacques Snicket and Sara Canning‘s Jacquelyn for “undercutting the bleakness and loneliness that characterized the novels.”^[87]

Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times described A Series of Unfortunate Events as “one of the most lavish originals in Netflix’s bottomless catalogue, created by fans, for fans.” He also praised Neil Patrick Harris’ performance as Count Olaf.^[88] The Den of Geek reviewer Michael Ahr praised tortoise-shell ‘amphibiophones’ and stone marimbas score for giving the television series its primal sound.^[89] IGN reviewer Jonathon Dornbush criticized the second season’s formulaic plot structure and lack of the insightful observations compared to the first season. He also praised several of the second season’s episodes particularly “The Ersatz Elevator”, “The Hostile Hospital”, and “The Carnivorous Carnival” for smartly twisting the story formula and deepening the novel series’ mythology. Dornbush also praised the performance of Lucy Punch and Patrick Warburton and awarded the second season 7.2 stars.

Season 2

As with the first season, the second season received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the second season an approval rating of 94% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 7.81/10. The site’s critical consensus reads: “Season two of A Series of Unfortunate Events is as gothic, twisted and absurd as the first, to the delight of moody tweens of all ages.”^[84] Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent praised the show as one that “essentially deals with thoughtful, intelligent young people battling to speak up against an illogical world.” While observing that the “show may revel in the miserable”, she opined “that the purpose of its own morbidity is to offer the assurance that hope lives in even the darkest of places.” Loughrey also credited the show’s expanded storyline for the Baudelaires’ adult allies for “plumping up” the episodes’ narrative arcs and deepening the show’s emotional impact.^[85]

Tristram Fane Saunders of The Telegraph awarded the second season four out of five stars. He described the show as a “gothic treat [that] also offers a wicked line in absurdist humour, and the most gorgeously toybox-like set designs you’ll find anywhere outside a Wes Anderson film.”^[86] Radio Times reviewer Huw Fullerton praised the series for its faithfulness to the original novels. While praising the improved CGI used to make Presley Smith’s character Sunny Baudelaire react better to situations, he criticized the addition of supporting “good” characters such as Nathan Fillion‘s Jacques Snicket and Sara Canning‘s Jacquelyn for “undercutting the bleakness and loneliness that characterized the novels.”^[87]

Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times described A Series of Unfortunate Events as “one of the most lavish originals in Netflix’s bottomless catalogue, created by fans, for fans.” He also praised Neil Patrick Harris’ performance as Count Olaf.^[88] The Den of Geek reviewer Michael Ahr praised tortoise-shell ‘amphibiophones’ and stone marimbas score for giving the television series its primal sound.^[89] IGN reviewer Jonathon Dornbush criticized the second season’s formulaic plot structure and lack of the insightful observations compared to the first season. He also praised several of the second season’s episodes particularly “The Ersatz Elevator”, “The Hostile Hospital”, and “The Carnivorous Carnival” for smartly twisting the story formula and deepening the novel series’ mythology. Dornbush also praised the performance of Lucy Punch and Patrick Warburton and awarded the second season 7.2 stars.