Beware, Unfortunate Souls: spoilers lie ahead!

For many of us, Lemony Snicket’s novels, A Series of Unfortunate Events, provided an alternate reality, a place of escape amidst childhood tribulations. It took eleven years from the last book for the entertainment industry to finally release a Netflix Original television show, but the wait made it that much more wonderful for an eager audience, ready to binge.

The beginning of each show contained a brief summary of the events to unfold in the episode, narrated by Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket. The narration at first seems a little distracting for diehard Family Guy fans who know Warburton as Joe Swanson, but the opening song; a dark, ominous tune, fit the menacing feel of the series quite well. As a whole, I could not say anything negative about the plotline nor the settings.

Each set of two episodes mirrored one of the books, and the scenery exactly matched the world I built for myself as a child. The scenery feels reminiscent of director Wes Anderson’s pieces from the symmetry, odd camera movements, and the vibrant color schemes. The reptilian wonderland of Dr. Montgomery Montgomery (Aasif Mandvi), Aunt Josephine’s (Alfre Woodard) rickety mansion, and Judge Strauss’ (Joan Cusack) grand library provided a perfect replica of the slithering house of wonders that my adolescent mind longed for.

The casting director really did wonders for this entire show; the cast pulled together the perfect scenery and executed their lines wonderfully. Neil Patrick Harris as the evil Count Olaf, Malina Weissman as the young Violet Baudelaire, and Warburton all played their characters seamlessly.

I can not complain about a single actor/actress on this show. Finding such accredited actors and adding in a dramatic aspect to Count Olaf’s minions really contributed to the series’ charm.

The only complaint I can possibly muster pertains to the show’s addition of the mother and father duo, the pair that seemingly belongs to the Baudelaires until the end of the episode. I felt such immense disappointment when they walked into the house of the unknown children, and not to the mill. The whole season built up to that very moment, and it completely let viewers down, even though readers know that the Baudelaire’s parents died.

Overall, the show surpassed my expectations with its endearing cast and interesting plotline. It left me hanging on, wanting more, but just like everything great, it came to an end too quickly.

The Chant’s Grade: A