A Series of Unfortunate Events

I never felt like the 2004 film adaptation of ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ truly captured the world that Lemony Snicket brought to life in his thirteen books about the Baudelaires. In terms of casting, the choice to have Jim Carrey as Count Olaf was a stroke of genius and his performance ensured the film wasn’t a total failure. Still, it’s decision to try to cram the first three books into one film was a bad call in my opinion. Whilst it is true that the first handful of books are fairly short, there was still a lot of material missed out in the film. All that was remedied last year when ‘Netflix’ swooped in to the rescue, delivering not another film but a series instead. This was a good call, as it allowed them to spend adequate time on each book without fear of cutting out chunks of the story. The first season focused on the first four books, splitting each one into two episodes. This decision to spread one book over two episodes pays well, as it is just enough running time to cover pretty much everything but not feeling too stretched out like the fiasco which was ‘The Hobbit Trilogy.’ The second season kicks off at book five, where we see the Baudelaires attending their first day at Prufrock Preparatory school.

The creators behind this show seem to have struck the right tone with the series. Each book presented in a two part episodes feels simultaneously part of the same universe as the others but also stands on its own two legs, as uniquely different. It is a tall task, introducing a new environment with fresh characters every few episodes but they have managed to pull it off. There are a number of different reasons for this. The casting in particular stands out as one of the best aspects of the programme. Having re read the books rather recently, the choice of actors and actresses for the various parts are top notch. Characters such as Carmelita Spats from ‘The Austere Academy’ episodes and Esme Squalor from ‘The Ersatz Elevator’ are so well cast, matching the mental images I’ve had for years about how these characters would act and look if lifted from the pages. Even secondary characters such as Jerome Squalor and Vice Principal Nero are very strong in terms of the casting decisions. This season around you have the introduction of Jacques Snicket, played by none other then one of my all time favourites Nathan Fillion. Although he is a very recognisable and frequently used actor, I still think the decision to cast him as Jacques was ingenious. He has that suave, debonair style to his acting but his decision to play it tongue in cheek, only serves to reinforces the validity of the character.

The cast is not only well selected but extremely diverse. There is no indication in the books of what ethnic origin certain characters such as Mr. Poe and Aunt Josephine are and even if there was it doesn’t matter. The inclusion of many black and Asian and Hispanic actors and actresses, as well as a significant amount of female presence is crucially important in our modern day society. Also, it is nice to see that although the cast is multicultural and diverse, the programme doesn’t feel the need to make a big deal out of it. There are some subtle references woven into the storylines of certain episodes but it isn’t an obvious statement. This allows the series to be culturally relevant and aware, whilst not detracting from the main focus on the story.

One of the aspects of the show, which in a way is both a positive and a negative is Neil Patrick Harris’ performance. The man is like a chameleon, jumping from one episode to the next, delivering yet another hilarious and brilliantly executed disguise. I never really appreciated his skills at impressions until this performance. The reason why I see it as a negative in some respects, is that I actually think he is too convincing. Carrey’s performance worked almost better in a way because he was clearly recognizable even in disguise. The point of the books is that Olaf is awful at pretending to be other people. But I feel Harris is too good in the alias he poses as. Fortunately, his performances in each two part episode are so amusing, that I quickly overlooked it.

The 2004 film adaption did do one thing right with it’s attempt. The visual style and tone was spot on with the books. It had that slightly late forties, early fifties feel to it with the odd style cars, buildings and costumes. Underlying that was a dark, almost Gothic style. These two visual choices captured for me the tone and feel of the books. The Netflix version still has that to a certain extent but it doesn’t feel quite as dark. The filters and lighting seem a bit more glossy and brighter. In terms of the classic, 1940s style it works better in some respects but it does result in it losing some of it’s dark, Victorian inspired style. I have to admit though, the second season feels like it is gradually getting darker both in terms of story and the visual style.

What Netflix does do well though is the experimentation of different styles. For example ‘The Austere Academy’ episodes have a Matilda inspired style to them through both the decor and characters. The school is presented as more of a prison then a place of learning. ‘The Ersatz Elevator’ has a sixties style approach with the set design of the apartment and the costumes, in particular the pinstripe suits. ‘The Vile Village’ is done like a spaghetti western with characters such as Jacques Snicket and Hugo adorned in cowboy garb. ‘The Horrible Hospital’ is like a creepy horror with various nods to classics such as ‘The Shining.’ Finally ‘The Carnivorous Carnival’ has all the trademarks of a classic performing circus with it’s house of freaks and fortune teller. These individual styles and approaches make each two part episode stand on their own two feet, in terms of originality, whilst still being part of something bigger and all encompassing.

The Netflix version has one thing that the film didn’t even come close to achieving and that is the interweaving of the secret organisation that the Baudelaires’ parents belonged to. Being a television series, that is planning to span all thirteen books and continue for a third season, it allows the creators to sprinkle small bits of narrative pertaining to this mystery throughout the season. In the first season, we learn a little of the organisation and in the second even more of it comes to light. It stays more faithful to the original text source, while working for television, as that sort of style of multi layered narrative unfolds more naturally when spread over a number of seasons. On the topic of faithful, this show is extremely close to the original series of books. The inclusion of Lemony Snicket both physically on screen and narrating the events, adds that extra bit of attention to detail. For someone who loves the way the books are written, I was hugely pleased that a lot of it is taken directly from the page. Certain things such as casting choices and the inclusion of musical numbers technically differ from the books but the core themes, style, language and story have been faithfully adhered to.

If I had to pick one thing that irked me a little it would probably be the handful of occasions where some slightly dubious CGI is used. I understand that they probably don’t have a big enough budget but some of the sequences look a little out of place when the special effects are so blatant. Ultimately though this is a small drawback to an incredibly well put together season. The set and costume designs are wonderful, in particular the way the Squalors’ penthouse is done. It is the attention to detail with the world crafting that stands out. Locations such as Cafe Salmonella and the Prufrock Shack, which only play host to the characters on a handful of occasions are lovingly created, showing how much time and focus the team have put into recreating the fictional settings from the books.

‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ Season 2 is an impressive follow up to a strong first season. Personally, I think it is actually better then it’s predecessor for a number of reasons. Firstly the books adapted have never been presented on screen before, bringing a fresh and new experience. Secondly, the underlying narrative of the V.F.D is more present in this season, adding an extra layer of depth to the episodes. Also, I found this season very amusing. The first season was also funny but I think there is a larger input of humour injected in this season. This is partly due to the excellent casting of Esme Squalor, who serves as a perfect counterbalance to Count Olaf. Also, the child stars seem to come into their own this time round. Klaus is hilarious as a pretend doctor in ‘The Horrible Hospital’ and Violet is on point as Beverly in ‘The Carnivorous Carnival.’ With presumably a bigger budget too, each pair of episodes seems to be more expansive and detailed both in terms of story and world design. What really stands out in this season is the closeness of accuracy to the books. The script doesn’t skimp on the original material and for fans of the original books, this is a very sensible decision. The little additions thrown in the script, whether they be slightly politically relevant or just a nerdy reference to another piece of pop culture, only serve to embellish an already stellar script. Daniel Handler, the original author was involved in the writing  and executive producing of the series and it benefits greatly from this. A handful of not so great uses of CGI are the only aspects that stop the season from being flawless. But considering the writing, acting, casting and set design are so well produced it can be easily overlooked, so as to sit back and revel at the mastery of the minds behind the season. It also benefits as being a programme on Netflix, which the whole family can enjoy, thanks to the more subtle jokes and references appeasing the adults, whilst still being kid friendly for the most part.

© [Daniel Ashby] and [Ashby Reel], [2018]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Daniel Ashby] and [Ashby Reel] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.