A Series of Unfortunate Events | Friday the 13th

January 13, 2017August 6, 2017

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4834206/

• Don’t get excited because the worst show ever is now available on Netflix. Don’t watch it because you will immediately regret the decision •

• 👧🏻 • 👦🏻 • 👶🏼 • 👁️ • 👧🏻 • 👦🏻 • 👶🏼 • 👁️ • 👧🏻 • 👦🏻 • 👶🏼 • 👁️ • 👧🏻 • 👦🏻 • 👶🏼 • 👁️ • 👧🏻 • 👦🏻 • 👶🏼 • 👁️ • 👧🏻 •

I recently read A Series of Unfortunate Events for the first time since my childhood and was shocked at the effect it had on me. The Baudelaires suffer one misfortune after another without respite. I’m not talking about stubbed toes and stuffy noses but rather abuse, deception, hunger, and loss among other things. The story was much more grim and depressing than I remembered. More than once I had to resist reading before bed because I found my dreams turning into graphic nightmares. I tell you this not to deter your interests from the show but rather to prove the point that books are powerful. I am a twenty-three year old adult, and the content of a middle grade series still affected my mind and imagination. I find the plot of Lemony Snicket’s tale to be both horrifying and brilliant. It introduces kids to new vocabulary (I could go on and on about the intricate use of wordplay) and exposes them to bleak circumstances that are not at all far-fetched from reality. It also teaches the importance of telling the truth no matter what. Time after time the Baudelaires’ warnings about Count Olaf and his sidekicks are ignored by the adult characters, and one by one the doubters suffer the consequences. Life doesn’t get any easier, but the siblings continue to tell the truth and hope that eventually someone will listen. The books also deal with the difference between good and evil. The Baudelaires are seemingly good, but they find themselves compromising on more than one occasion to fight against various enemies. There is an inner struggle to decide whether or not they are any better than their main nemesis Count Olaf. I don’t think there is a simple answer to such a question, but I will say that these thought-provoking subjects are what shape young readers into intelligent adults.

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I hope I haven’t scared you off! The Baudelaire saga is sad but also quirky and funny. I’m so excited to watch this new adaptation, and I hope you will give it a chance as well. There are thirteen books in the series, and each book will play out over the span of two one-hour episodes, twenty-six episodes and fifty-two hours total. The first installment contains eight episodes and covers the first four books: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, & The Miserable Mill. Personally, I didn’t hate the 2004 movie adaptation. I loved the cast! However, I have to agree with the main criticism that the story felt rushed; too many books were squeezed into one film. The Netflix format will allow each book to play out at a much more natural pace. Enough chit chat!! Go watch the show!!

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