Author’s Note/ Apology
I know I said I would do this review last week, but time got away from me, and I realised I was better off taking a different approach to pacing these reviews. So from now on, I’m going to be alternating between a book review and an adaptation review, until we finish The End at least.
Introduction
In 2017, the streaming service Netflix released the first season of its adaptation of A Series Of Unfortunate Events. Covering the first four books, there were eight episodes, two for each book. It proved a far more successful adaptation in comparison with the 2003 movie, managing to cover all thirteen books and drawing in a whole new generation of fans, and providing old fans with a wealth of content to discuss and debate. The show had a surreal, almost campy style, and stands out among other versions for a variety of reasons, perhaps most notably the decision to have Lemony as a visible on-screen presence, played by Patrick Warburton and clearly intended to be reminiscent of Rod Serling in the Twilight Zone.
Summary
Part One
The first episode begins in much the same way as the book does, with a narration monologue from Lemony. He informs us that the show we’re watching is miserable and dark, and we’d really be better off watching something else if we know what’s good for us. He even pauses a moment in the middle of this monologue, presumably to give us a chance to click out of the episode and put something else on.
After this, we’re introduced to our three protagonists- Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. Just like in the book, they are going to spend the day on Briny Beach. Lemony explains their talents, with brief flashback scenes to illustrate them further. The children have gathered to test Violet’s latest invention, a device for retrieving rocks after they’ve been thrown, and through use of their respective talents, they are able to make the device work. Lemony offers the viewer another chance to leave and “imagine that the rest of the story was just as successful and happy.”
Then Mr. Poe shows up, delivering the same bad news as in the book, informing the children that their home has been destroyed, and their parents killed. He takes them back to stay the night with his unpleasant family, where neither his ruthless, journalist wife, nor his children, seem to have any concept of tact when discussing their situation. The next day, he takes them to stay with Count Olaf. Before they meet him, however, they meet his neighbor, Justice Strauss, who seems to be the perfect guardian… which is basically precisely how you know they’re not actually going to live with her.
After this, we are introduced to Count Olaf, here played by Neil Patrick Harris. This version of the character is a perpetual performer, who revels in the chaos and damage he causes with a distinctly sadistic glee. Olaf wastes no time in making his intentions clear, bringing up the Baudelaire fortune twice within the first five minutes of meeting the Baudelaires, and almost immediately setting them to work on a long list of chores. Then, just as in the book, he tasks the three of them with cooking dinner for him and his theatre troupe.
The children go to Strauss for help, and prepare a meal of pasta puttanesca. Violet even repairs a broken pasta machine in order to serve homemade noodles. We’re then introduced to the five members of Olaf’s theatre troupe- the hook-handed man, the white-faced women, the bald man and the henchperson of indeterminate gender. Things descend into a horrifying mess once Olaf realises the kids have made pasta instead of roast beef, and he ends up striking Klaus across the face.
The episode ends with all three children in bed, reeling from the night’s events, and a voiceover monologue from Lemony. In the final shots, we’re also introduced to a mysterious, dark-haired couple, who mention being worried about their children. The viewer is left to wonder, therefore, did the Baudelaire parents survive after all? Or is this a red herring?
Part Two
Part two kicks off with a short flashback, in which we see Olaf going to speak to Mr. Poe in disguise, in order to convince him that he ought to be given custody of the Baudelaires. Lemony explains that he’s showing everyone this in order to placate the concerned citizens and authorities who might want to know how Olaf came to be the Baudelaires’ guardian. It’s here that we’re also introduced to Jacquelyn Scieszcka, a mysterious figure who is entirely an addition to the show. Unfortunately, she is promptly kidnapped by Olaf’s troupe, though this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of her.
Back in the present moment, we find the Baudelaires chopping wood in Olaf’s back garden. They decide to slip away at the first opportunity, though, so they can report their abusive guardian to Mr. Poe, in the hopes that he can at the very least relocate them to a better home. This proves to be a failure, though, both because Mr. Poe refuses to believe them, and because the hook-handed man shows up to take them back to the house.
This is where the Marvelous Marriage scheme is first introduced, and the rest of the episode is mostly spent in uncovering and solving it. In the end, the scheme is foiled, though in a slightly different way, which I’ll get into later, and the children are shipped off to their next guardian, Dr. Montgomery, who we’re told is the person the Baudelaire parents actually intended to be the children’s guardian.
Before the episode ends, though, we get another short scene with the mysterious couple. The woman is seen with a grappling hook and a Molotov cocktail, both things Violet either actually made or considered making in the episode- perhaps indicating there’s a connection there.
Let’s Talk Adaptation
What Was The Same
The plot of both episodes is, generally, the same as the book. The Baudelaires go to Briny Beach, they are informed about the death of their parents, they go from staying with the Poe family to living with Olaf, who treats them abominably, he makes them cook dinner and is violent when they don’t get it right, they try to go to Mr. Poe for help, and are roped into starring in The Marvelous Marriage. Using their wits, however, they are able to foil Olaf’s scheme and get away unscathed. All these events are present in both the book and the show.
The characters are also, for the most part, the same as their book counterparts. There are exceptions, of course, which we’ll get to in a second, but for the most part, the general gist of each character is carried across to the screen.
What Changed
One noteworthy change the show makes is the compression of the timeline. In the book, the Baudelaires spend a few days- possibly a full week, it’s not clear- with the Poes before moving on to Olaf’s house. The dreadful dinner party happens a few days after this. In the show, however, they only spend one night with the Poes, and are taken to Olaf’s house the following day. This same day is when the dinner party happens.
The show also makes a couple of changes to the troupe, most notably to the henchperson of indeterminate gender. In the books, this character never speaks, has zero personality and is essentially a gigantic, mute beast, which is not the most sensitive approach for portraying either a gender non-conforming character or a fat character, never mind one who is both. In the show, however, this character does speak- they speak quite a lot, actually. They also have a distinct personality, and they are rather opinionated, expressing views that almost seem out of line with Olaf’s, such as speculating that money is a corrupting influence, or that reading is fundamental. Many things about their behavior could also imply that they’re autistic, as well as non-binary- such as their monotonous voice or tendency to ramble about topics they have a lot of interest in, even when nobody is listening.
What Did They Add Or Remove?
Perhaps the most obvious addition to the show at this stage is Jacquelyn, Mr. Poe’s mysterious secretary. Throughout the second episode, there are several hints that she’s doing a lot more than just answering the phone, and is a potential ally in the Baudelaires’ struggle against Olaf. Personally, I love her character, I think she’s great, and I will absolutely be talking more about her later.
Another addition (though this could also be seen as a change) is a scene in which Sunny appears to find an unlikely ally- the hook-handed man. One thing I haven’t really touched on is the fact that in both the book and the show, Sunny is taken prisoner and placed in a birdcage, in order to blackmail Violet into participating in The Marvelous Marriage. In the book, she’s just brought down from this cage after the play, but in the show, she actually wins her freedom through a game of poker with Olaf’s henchman, who appears to have something of a very small soft spot for her. The reasons for this become more apparent in the third season, but suffice it to say, this is honestly one of my favourite additions the show makes.
In terms of things that got removed, nothing really comes to mind. Instead, the show adds a bit more content, such as the scenes with Jacquelyn and the mysterious couple. This makes sense considering that The Bad Beginning is only 162 pages long, and in order to get two episodes out of that, it makes a lot more sense to add stuff than to cut it.
Final Thoughts
This is a pretty strong start for this adaptation. It’s faithful to the book, while also being enjoyable on its own. It isn’t the best of the two-parters, in my opinion, but it gets the job done, and it’s a pretty solid adaptation all things considered.
That’s all on The Bad Beginning! Join me next week, as we dive into The Reptile Room!
Alice Reads Stuff 