7 Best Moments From Netflix’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Like the show says, you really won’t want to watch it. Go watch something more pleasant, which doesn’t involve a terrible fire and very frightening danger.

Based on the book series by Lemony Snicket (which is technically a pseudonym for Daniel Handler), the new Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events retells the horrible misfortunes that befell the Baudelaire orphans. Although it’s filled with both great moments taken from the books, and new ones written for the show, here are the top 7 moments in no particular order.

If you don’t want spoilers, then look away!

1. The opening song

Although it’s not really a single moment, seeing as it’s in every episode, but the opening is great. “Look away! Look away!”, fitting with Lemony Snicket’s narration and the whole theme of the show, the opening song warns of the dangers to come. It’s sung by Neil Patrick Harris and changes depending on the arc or, rather, book. “This show will wreck your evening, your whole life and your day. Every single episode is nothing but dismay.” It’s perfectly in sync with the self-awareness of the whole story. Every two-episode arc has a different opening sequence that tells a little bit about the story to come, with Neil Patrick Harris singing in his Olaf voice in the first episode and in the voice of his disguised person in the second one.

 

2. Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket

Again, this isn’t a single moment either, but Patrick Warburton’s performance as Lemony Snicket is great. His ridiculously dry delivery of every line, no matter how sad, how funny, really hammers in his point: He does not want you to watch this show. He’s usually standing either in the scene, unnoticed by everyone else, or somewhere very close by. He tells the horrible, miserable, dreadful tale of the Baudelaire orphans, and traces all of their problems back to one sole figure: Count Olaf, all while reminiscing about his lost love, Beatrice, to whom all of the books are devoted.

 

3. Olaf’s 4th-wall break in Episode 3

In the first part of The Reptile Room, Monty wants to take the Baudelaire orphans to the movies. Olaf (disguised as Stephano) wants to stay back and study “poisonous venoms”, but Monty insists that he comes, too. Then, Olaf (or rather Stephano) states his opinion on movies. “In all honesty, I prefer long-form television to the movies. It’s so much more convenient to consume entertainment from the comfort of your own home.” He stares at the camera for three seconds, smiling wickedly, and then Monty keeps the conversation going. Despite the show barely even having a 4th wall thanks to Lemony Snicket, Olaf manages to break it and deliver a hilarious moment.

 

4. The parents

Every now and then, the show cuts away to Cobie Smulders and Will Arnett trying to find their way back to their three children. This chase takes them from Peru to Lake Lachrymose, all the way home. Wait? Didn’t their home burn down? That’s where the big twist comes in. Fans of the books will recognize the kids as the Quagmires at the end of episode 8, whose parents also died in a fire, along with their third sibling.

 

5. Olaf as Shirley

In episodes 7 and 8 (The Miserable Mill), Olaf’s disguise is Shirley, the optometrist’s new assistant. This is the one disguise that is probably the most convincing. Obviously, it’s still not very convincing for anyone except… Well, actually, only the Baudelaire orphans can see through it. Anyway, it’s so detailed that he even has lipstick on his teeth, which he claims is part of the character, but before he does, it’s so annoying to just see it every time he speaks.

 

6. Screw it, Olaf in general

Neil Patrick Harris’s performance as Count Olaf in the trailers looked unimpressive at first. In fact, the way he delivered his lines was unconvincing, too. Then in the show, it fit perfectly. Olaf is one of the highlights of the show, with his quirky evil antics and villainously foolish disasters of plans that always leave you asking “How the hell can Poe not see through this?”

 

7. Hook-handed man wearing fake hands

Words can’t describe what it looks like when an actor has to wear fake hooks for a role, and then wears fake hands on top of the fake hooks. Oh, wait. They just did. It’s hard to not laugh when the hook-handed man walks into Monty’s home in episode 4 wearing rubber hands, pointing towards people dramatically and telling them what to do.

 

Dishonourable mention: CGI Sunny

Although it fits with the whole tone of the show, the youngest Baudelaire orphan, Sunny, is animated at times. It usually feels quite fake, almost going into uncanny valley territory. It’s the one thing that really sticks out as not being on par with the rest of the show in terms of quality.

What were your favourite parts of the show? What do you think of the show in general?