A series of unfortunate events season 3 – a review

Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire have gone on their own trying to discover answers to the many (many) questions their parents’ death left them with. Chased by the relentless and ever so vile Count Olaf and his hench-people the three children find themselves closer and closer to the truth as they near the end of the sordid tale.

The last time we saw Violet and Klaus Baudelaire they’ve were at the unfortunate disposition of having the wagon they were occupying at the time hurling down a cliff without any means of control.
Luckily, for the average viewer, by now it should be clear that something as ordinary as a pitfall of certain death is no match for clever Violet and bookwise Klaus. That’s both the biggest critique and compliment to give the show this season: it’s more of the same but, at the same time, it is ending; so it’s okay.

A series of unfortunate events season 3 wears its: The End with pride. It has delivered three delicious seasons of coherent (even if it doesn’t appear to be this show is far more coherent than others) storytelling that can only lead up to one conclusion: the undisputed defeat of the wicket, evil, vile count Olaf...but -remember- this isn’t a happy story so a lot of people go before him.

The love-plots are bit all over the place this season, weren’t Violet and Klaus doggy-ears in love

with the Quackmire triplets two and three? But I’ll leave that up to the shippers to figure out.

More of the same: Terrible (awesome) acting.
As Back to the future parts 2 and 3 were shot back to back so does this third season of ASOUE ‘feel’ like it was shot right after the second one. The kids don’t look aged at all (except Sunny the toddler of course) and the story takes off right after the (literal) cliff-hanger of the second season’s finale.

It is clear by now that each and every actor is invested in this terrible tale. Violet (Malina Weisman) and Klaus (Louis Hynes) are true brother and sister as they rely on each other time and again to get through the next obstacle Count Olaf set for them. Their parts are a bit less flashy this season which is a good thing since it allows the various other characters to shine (before they meet their grizzly fate).

Each and every actor shines through the screen –sometimes even surpassing the maleficent scene-stealing part of count Olaf that Neil Patrick Harris sometimes has trouble reining in (with such a character; who can blame him).

Even Sunny is more fun this season.  A bit bigger and (since last season’s insane elevator-shaft-escape) connected to the hook-handed man (Usman Ally) the character suddenly got somewhat of a personality. Often it is Sunny saying the smartest thing in the room taking a bit of the spotlight away from her older siblings who had two seasons to shine (and did).

The show stealer still is Kitana Turnbull as Carmelita Spats. It is amazing how terribly arrogant (and adorable) this character is. And this time nothing stands in her way. Carmelita is so over the top terribly wrong in every bit of her personality that every interaction she has with other characters leads to hilarity.
Especially in combination with her mother-by-proxy Esmé Squalor (Lucy Punch), the only woman in the world who can wear 'squid'.

The end in sight: Awful (great)
When it comes to narrative it is advisable to read up on the story so far -I for one totally forgot about the Peru-couple from season one- just to make sure you are ready for the final stretch. As always, this season involves sheer insanity and a healthy dosage of dark humour topped off with an impressive amount of absurdity.

As I said in a previous review of this series, the fun part of having one writer is that he/she can let jokes and events return episodes later. So of course the penultimate episode is pretty much a rehash of the three seasons previous as it –for one last time- rekindles what has tormented the Baudelaires day-in-day out: adults not listening and good people dying all around them.

The obvious allusion to ‘growing up’.

There’s a reason that episode ends with the (brilliant) song from season one. For one last time Lemony Snicket has pulled the rug from under the viewer. Now it’s time to put the sad tale of the Baudelaire’s to bed with the episode aptly titled: The End.

When that episode comes up you know strings are going to be tied up the minute you read the daily punctilio headline two minutes in.

The End is also a bit more obviously political than usual with clear stabs at fake news and gender-issues.

The End may not satisfy every answer (e.g. what happened to the bald bearded man and the non-bearded woman –did they really all die in the fire?) but it satisfies the story of the Baudelaires. Their story (as far as Snicket is concerned; even if it isn’t his story) is over and our heroes the victors.

A unfortunate ride into the abyss.
The television outing of A series of unfortunate events is tailor made for me. The show has a wonderful set design with amazing fantastical contraptions. Then there’s the deliciously dark humour in which every supporting character can meet their maker at a moments’ notice. And, of course, the sheer absurdity that oozes from every frame of this wickedly clever tale.

No, ASOUE isn’t for everybody; but it certainly is for me! I’m sad to see the show go; but, I’m certainly happy to have such a solid television outing to return to time and again.