TV Favorites: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season One)

On January 13th, a televised adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events was released through Netflix. It was highly anticipated, a word which here means "fans of the beloved book series by Lemony Snicket have been waiting for a long time to see all 13 books brought to life onscreen."  Now I actually really liked the movie. I can forgive major differences because the filmmakers weren't trying to make a franchise; they just wanted to adapt the first three books. The music and the casting were great and the look of the film was nice as well. But I am also a fan of the books. I read them all growing up, except for the last two. (Don't judge me. It took me four years to read Deathly Hallows. I have a hard time saying goodbye.) I think everyone who loved the books were very much excited at the prospect of a television show of A Series of Unfortunate Events, a format that could go more thoroughly into the stories and include more details. This series, already a favorite of both critics and audiences, is doing just that.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a book series written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name for author and musician Daniel Handler. The story focuses on the Baudelaire children - Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny - who become orphans after their parents die in a mysterious fire that also destroyed their home. In the first book, they go to live with Count Olaf, a nefarious man who is destined to steal their fortune. Each book focuses on a new guardian that cares for the Baudelaires, a new scheme hatched by Olaf to steal the fortune, and new clues as to who really started that fire.

Season One of A Series of Unfortunate Events adapts the first four books in the series. There are eight episodes, giving each book two episodes each. According to Wikipedia, Season Two will include books five through nine and the third and final season will cover books ten through thirteen. The first two episodes on The Bad Beginning introduce the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf as the children go to live with their new odious guardian after their parents die. The next two episodes cover The Reptile Room. After the Baudelaires escape the clutches of Count Olaf, they go to live with Dr. Montgomery, a herpetologist. The Wide Window is the next book explored in episodes five and six. The Baudelaires must live with their Aunt Josephine at Lake Lachrymose. The last two episodes are based on the fourth book in the series, and one that we have yet to see on screen, The Miserable Mill. The guardians of the children now are owners of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill and they force the children to work there.

Like the film, the television series has an incredible cast. I love Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in the movie so I was skeptical at first about Neil Patrick Harris taking over the role for the series. But he was excellent. He was just the right amount of slimy, hilarious, and overdramatic. I also like that the children cast as the Baudelaires are much closer to the correct ages than the teens cast for the film. I am looking forward to see how they grow throughout the series. K. Todd Freeman made a hilarious Mr. Poe and all of the side characters and guardians that we love (or hate) throughout the books are cast wonderfully as well. The biggest surprise was Patrick Warburton being cast as Lemony Snicket. I thought it would be difficult to look past Puddy or Kronk, but he kills it. It's great to have a lot of narration throughout the series because the writing style is what we love from the books. We get that with Lemony Snicket actually being in the show to tell the story.

That's another thing that A Series of Unfortunate Events has done really well. It uses a lot of the same dialogue from the book. I'm reading the books right now so the lines from them were really fresh in my mind while I watched the series. It was fun being able to recognize certain lines from the books. The hilarious writing style and absurd humor is what made the books stand out and become so popular. The television show captured that style really well through the writing. 

Now, I actually prefer the score from the film to the show, but holy wow, the songs in the series were amazing! The theme song "Look Away" is very clever and captures the spirit of the show perfectly. The last song in the series, "That's Not the How the Story Goes" was so wonderful and hilarious. I can't wait for more songs from the next seasons.

A Series of Unfortunate Events had a beautiful visual style. I love the books for their ambiguous time and setting. Are they in America or Europe? Is it Victorian times or the turn-of-the-century or present day? The costumes and set designs represented the tone of the books well. It was dark and gothic or pastel and bright at all the right moments. It was a mix of old-fashioned and totally modern. Everything was set and filmed so beautifully. It's just really nice to look at. 

Overall, A Series of Unfortunate Events achieved its goal, in my opinion. In many ways, it was so clearly made for fans of the books. It includes secrets and hidden messages that loyal readers will recognize. There's also lots of foreshadowing, moments where those who read the books can yell, "Hey, I see what you did there!" But it's also a great series for people who haven't read the books. It was already an interesting story and the television series brought it to life in a beautiful and fun way. And there are plenty of differences from the books, but it doesn't worry me too much because I know Daniel Handler was more involved in the series than the film. (He even composed the music for the theme song). Whether you've read the books or not, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a clever and gorgeous black comedy. If Beatrice were alive today, even she would appreciate it.