“A Series of Unfortunate Events” Netflix Show is Clever

A Series of Unfortunate Events Netflix Show is Clever

Do you love tragedy? Sad children? Heartbreak? How about clever musical numbers?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, A Series of Unfortunate Events is the Netflix show for you!

If you never read the book series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (aka ASOUE) is about Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny Baudelaire (Presley Smith) — a clever set of siblings that face unending evil of antagonist/closest living relative Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), all the while unraveling the mystery surrounding their parents life. Olaf’s goal is to take advantage of the Baudelaire’s extraordinary wealth after their parents passed away in a house fire.

The first season covers the first four books over the course of eight, one hour episodes. This gave me plenty of time to get attached to the Baudelaire children. Of course, I felt like I was living their pain with them.

The actors who play the siblings are adorable, age appropriate, and talented. This was refreshing compared to the the abomination of a movie of the same name that occurred in 2004 that had tons of issues in storytelling. Thankfully, this series committed none of these sins and executed everything perfectly.

Siding with the children in their battle against Olaf is easy for the audience, but not so easy for the other adults. It was beyond frustrating to watch Count Olaf get close the the children episode after episode while literally all of the adults sit idly by.

Besides some minor changes, there was one huge change to the T.V series from the book that I thought was fantastic. Not to give it all away, but there is a subplot about a certain set of parents. I was so excited and confused when I first saw the Mother and Father who were never in the book. But of course, nothing good can last. And in a clever twist — everything you thought you knew wasn’t true.

I love Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, perfectly playing the villain you will love to hate and hate to love. Patrick Warburton plays an especially likable Lemony Snicket as well. They add much needed comic relief and you are blessed with two adults with common sense.

I could have watched this series ten times over time — with that, everyone should get a chance to watch A Series of Unfortunate Events.