Netflix is back at it again with their original series. This time they've decided to make an adaptation to one of the best book sagas ever, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. On top of that they've got the man himself helping to guide the show so there's no randomness that got in. Well there is, the series can be pretty random at times. This first season only covers the first four books.
By now we all know the terrebly depressing story of the Baudelaire orphons. Depressing in this context means to cause a feeling of miserable dejection. Violet, Klaus and Sonny were wealthy children until their parents perished in a fire leaving them alone. They were initially placed in the care of Count Olaf who is a very cruel man with an ankle tattoo. He attempted to marry Violet so that he may gain access to their fortune. He has been trying ever since that day, evading authorities at every turn. This has caused all of their guardians to die or go missing.
One thing the show does very well is stick to the idea that the majority of Adults aren't evil, they're just stupid. Mr. Poe is a great guy, he just can't seem to believe Olaf can disguise himself. Uncle Montgomery Montgomery was really smart to figure out Stephano was just a disguise. He was just too stupid to realize it was Olaf after the children and not colleagues after his work. This was a big thing in the books as well because unlike other stories they didn't lean on the idea of evil adults ruining everything.
Another thing that carries over from the books is the narration and exposition of Lemony Snicket. At first it is somewhat creepy and out of place but it really helps to move the story along and add details that could be missed otherwise. As a kid I just thought Charles and Sir were business partners and couldn't understand why Charles put up with Sir. Now I know they're business and life partners so it makes way more sense now. Things like this are why it's good to have the creator on board to explain little things like this to us we may have missed as children.
I don't care what anyone says, I think Klaus is annoying. I thought he was annoying in the books and I think he's annoying on Netflix. But, that's good because they kept the traits of thesecurity characters. The acting is generally solid. Neil Patrick Harris is however the standout. Having him play Count Olaf seemed strange but he's great in the role.
One thing the show does very well is stick to the idea that the majority of Adults aren't evil, they're just stupid. Mr. Poe is a great guy, he just can't seem to believe Olaf can disguise himself. Uncle Montgomery Montgomery was really smart to figure out Stephano was just a disguise. He was just too stupid to realize it was Olaf after the children and not colleagues after his work. This was a big thing in the books as well because unlike other stories they didn't lean on the idea of evil adults ruining everything.
Another thing that carries over from the books is the narration and exposition of Lemony Snicket. At first it is somewhat creepy and out of place but it really helps to move the story along and add details that could be missed otherwise. As a kid I just thought Charles and Sir were business partners and couldn't understand why Charles put up with Sir. Now I know they're business and life partners so it makes way more sense now. Things like this are why it's good to have the creator on board to explain little things like this to us we may have missed as children.
I don't care what anyone says, I think Klaus is annoying. I thought he was annoying in the books and I think he's annoying on Netflix. But, that's good because they kept the traits of thesecurity characters. The acting is generally solid. Neil Patrick Harris is however the standout. Having him play Count Olaf seemed strange but he's great in the role.
There are a few changes that I don't really care for but it's understandable as to why they were done. Mr. Poe's wife is now editor and chief of the local newspaper. However, that job belongs to his sister in the books. It's only subtle changes like that and none of them are bothersome nor do they take away from the show.
In the end it's a great show. Doesn't matter if you've read all the books along with the prequels and companion guides or never heard of it before. It's a really kooky show that somehow manages to be bright yet full of blight. Blight here means a detoriated condition.
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet. You can also check out his playthrough of Sleeping Dogs or Skyrim
Follow @OriginalKingD
In the end it's a great show. Doesn't matter if you've read all the books along with the prequels and companion guides or never heard of it before. It's a really kooky show that somehow manages to be bright yet full of blight. Blight here means a detoriated condition.
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet. You can also check out his playthrough of Sleeping Dogs or Skyrim
Follow @OriginalKingD
