Turn back now...this isn't an article where pleasant things are discussed. Just kidding! I'm here to tell you about a new series that will knock your socks off (even in this cold January weather)! I give you Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Remember that book series we would find ourselves reading through elementary/middle school....and that movie with Jim Carrey? Well, it's got a fresh new take and you should give it a watch... despite Snicket's opinion to search for a pleasant tale!

Before we get into our listicle...here is a breakdown of what you need to know: The intelligent and unique Baudelaire children--Klaus, Violet, and Sunny--find themselves orphans after their parents mysteriously perish in a fire one day. They are then sent to live with their closest living relative/guardian...the villainous Count Olaf who takes the children into his care in order to obtain their hefty family fortune the Baudelaire's parents left behind for them. However--things become tricky as not everything is what it seems on the surface.Is he really the guardian their parents wanted? Things get even more trickier for our fiend when we find out the fortune cannot be touched until Violet, the eldest, is of age to handle it herself. This is where Count Olaf devises multiple (and quite silly) plans to get his hands on the money before the children can outsmart him...this is where the fun begins! Let's take a look at why you should give it a chance and not listen to Lemony Snicket when he tells us to buzz off.

1. Neil Patrick Harris Wears Many Hats (Figuratively and Literally)

This show has great balance. NPH not only plays our frightful fiend, Count Olaf, he also sings the theme songs to the episodes (yes they change every other time), and was an executive producer for one of the episodes! Everyone likes a good villain and he has the combo of funny, tricky, and pure despicable. His theater troupe/band of accomplices are as clueless as they are hysterical (see Fernald--aka hookhanded man-- holding a cake up there?), and he takes on many elaborate identities throughout the series. All this while leaving plenty of time to break a fourth wall here and there during his busy villainous schedule.

You mean like...Netflix? And we also saw that nod to author Lemony Snicket in that last gif...don't let Snicket fool you that this show is all doom and gloom.

2. The Baudelaire's and Lemony Snicket Characters Are Refreshing and Give Us Hope

Again, making a point of telling us that we are indeed watching a Netflix series...but Patrick Warburton portrays our mysterious author, Lemony Snicket, who narrates and follows the journey of the Baudelaires. His presence in the story actually may tie closer to the Baudelaire family...but we're left in mystery and are distracted yet again with great wit. Not only does his sense of humor charm, but it makes you curious about why he is deciding to share with us his thoughts.

As for our Baudelaire children...they're the COOLEST! They almost makes you wish you applied yourself more in your childhood so you could enjoy inventing, reading, and solving mysteries (beyond Scooby-Doo of course) and be as brilliant as they are. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are unique children with outstanding talents which leads them to solve the case before the adults...because the adults never seem to listen to the children anyhow. Snicket's work parallels real life here because kids are not always wrong when an adult says so. Children are observant. Sometimes they really do have superior judgement, but our pride sees otherwise and ignores their jibber-jabber. Who wants to be told by a kid that they're wrong?

As frustrating as it is--we still see the Baudelaire's use their talents (Violet's inventing, Klaus' research, and Sunny's biting) to get their way out of any sticky situation! It leaves you on the edge of your seat. What would you do if no one believed you when you told them your mysterious relative was trying to steal your family fortune and keeps following you around in odd disguises with his sketchy theatre troupe? The Baudelaires are bold and take their fate into their own hands. Wouldn't you?

3. It Doesn't Matter If You've Read The Books Or Not

Whether you've read the books or not...you know that these three are always headed towards unfortunate circumstances. We know things aren't going to go swimmingly as long as Count Olaf continues to follow them and hatches up plans to steal their fortune. Nonetheless, we find ourselves cheering them on because we know they're brave and we want to know more about the mysteries that lie ahead for them! We even meet super cool spies Gustav and Jacqueline who are part of the secret organization the viewers are dying to know more about! So it's a unique spin on the books and giving us a glimpse on what can be going on behind the scenes and between the lines of our story.

4. Sunny's Baudelaire

I know we highlighted all three of the children before...but can you show me a baby who can outsmart bad guys in a game of poker, make a house of cards, and play with a viper? This character's screen adaptation is creative, fresh, and downright adorable! Be on the look out for her subtitles, as her baby talk is translated. Not to mention she's also voiced by none other than Tara Strong who is well known for her voice work in Rugrats, The Powerpuff Girls, and many other of our cartoon favorites!

5. The Story Doesn't Need A Love Interest

I love the sense of mystery and adventure we see when we're following the Baudelaires on their journey. It brings me back a feeling of simplicity and creativity when we were creating stories in our own youth. This show has no love interests or requires any romance to happen because it's pure ADVENTURE! We know we're not going to listen to Lemony Snicket when he tells us to find a more pleasant story...we want the real scoop and honestly how sick are we of hearing "and they lived happily ever after." This show's quick wit also leaves us looking at chaos with an open mind and a sense of humor. Though our protagonists are escaping a vile villain--we see that it's fictional and a battle of wits. Overall--it's purely for entertainment and need not rely on romance to create a plot.

So don't let me be the judge...decide for yourself! Season 1 of A Series of Unfortunate Events is streaming now on Netflix.

Photo/gif credit goes to: https://www.tumblr.com/search/count+olaf+gifs, https://www.tumblr.com/search/lemony+snicket+gifs,https://snowscouts.tumblr.com, and https://www.tumblr.com/search/to+beatrice+gifs