Why is “A Series of Unfortunate Events” so compelling? The books enchanted me at the age of 10, as I re-read over and over again the horrible tragedies that affected these three parent-less children: The resourceful inventor, 14-year-old Violet, the bookish realist, 12-year-old Klaus, and the tenacious “biter,” baby Sunny. They spend the majority of the series shuffled between would-be guardians, traveling to horrible and fantastical locals. Despite the 10 years since I have read the series, I am newly invested in the lives and tragedies of the Baudelaire orphans after watching the new Netflix Original's first season -- so much so that I am eagerly waiting for the second season a mere week after the premier. This begs the question, why does this show, aimed for children, work so well for adults, as well?
It could be the rock-solid performances of the dead-pan melodrama by Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket and the cruel idiocy of Neil Patrick Harris’s Count Olaf. The child actors are also remarkably good, with Malina Weissman imbuing optimism, resourcefulness, and kindness into Violet (can we also talk about how refreshing it is to have a 14-year-old played by someone who actually looks 14, and not a 22-yea-old in pigtails?), and Louis Hynes is wonderful as the hyper-intelligent, realist Klaus. The guest stars are just as good with amazing talent like Aasif Mandvi, Catherine O’Hara, Alfre Woodard, and Joan Cusack, to name a few.
It could be that they stayed true to the whimsical, stylized world that is both more colorful and drab than anything in the “real world,” with amazing sets -- especially Aunt Josephine's cliffside house and Uncle Monty’s magical reptile room.
It could be the script that maintains the absurd tone of the books, with plays on words, puns, and ridiculous lines that shouldn’t work but for some reason do.
I don’t think it's any one of those things, however.
Both the book series and the Netflix Original series show that adults, well-meaning to villainous, are ultimately all flawed. There's something to be learned here: Just because someone intends to do good doesn’t mean that they will. That even good people can be selfish, and that these actions have serious consequences. As horrific as it is to see Count Olaf jump back and forth between buffoonish costumes and stupid mistakes to genuine evil acts (I don’t know which is more disturbing: Count Olaf striking Klaus, or the suggestion of what he would do to Violet if his evil plan succeeded), the nice adults in the children's lives do just as much damage. Justice Strauss ignores Violet, almost leading her to be married to a middle-aged man, Aunt Josephine’s obsession with safety leads the children into more and more dangerous situations, and Arthur Poe’s willful ignorance constantly leads the children into the hands of Count Olaf time and time again. In any other story, these characters would be the heroes (but even in this one, they're never quite the villains).
This concept, that adults, even “good people,” end up hurting children -- three exceptionally bright, honest and kind children -- may be the most disturbing part of the show -- and the most compelling. Kids, like adults, don’t want simple answers to moral inquiries. Are characters like Justice Strauss, Arthur Poe, and Aunt Josephine evil? Of course not! Do these actions cause the Baudelaire orphans to be put in danger, and cause them emotional (and sometimes physical) pain? Yes. There are no easy answers, even as you are told over and over again that there is only one possible ending: A bad one.
The intro, sung by Harris, is equal parts hilarious and unsettling. Changing with the different books it is adapted from, it sets up the premise while simultaneously demanding that the audience “looks away.” It's kitchy with its silly lyrics and odd with its “Homeland”-style obsession boards, with yarn and pins and circles and crossed-out newspaper clippings. The faces of unhappy children, snakes, an odd eye symbol, and a man in disguise. The darker undercurrent and the quieter and nastier subtext keep kids and adults entertained and begging for more. This show probably shouldn’t work -- but it absolutely does, despite the openings credits' demand: Don’t look away.In fact, I would do the opposite. Check out “A Series of Unfortunate Events." You won’t be sorry.
