“A Series of Unfortunate Events” Season Two Review

This time last year, Netflix debuted their series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” adapted from the Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) book series of the same name. The initial season followed the devastating and tormented lives of the Baudelaire orphans as they are chased by proclaimed villain, Count Olaf, after the deaths of their parents in a mysterious fire leave them with an inheritance and half a spyglass as they bounce around from guardian to guardian.

Seasons two arrives with the similar theme and pacing of the first. Misery and darkness in the form of two part episodes as we pick up where we had last left the Baudelaire orphans – sitting on a bench at Prufrock Preparatory School. Thus far, this season starts off with it’s usual narration from the now deceased Lemony Snicket as the Baudelaire’s adjust to their new arrangements and new acquaintances; the Baudelaires blindly learn more about the secret organization, V.D.F., and begin to connect the events that have led up to their parents deaths and their own current horrific circumstances.

As usual, Count Olaf returns dawned in a new disguise that somehow everyone seems to be fooled by, expect the Baudelaires, yet they are able to escape his clutches once again. Although, it is at the expense of their new-found friends, the Quagmires, who mirror their situation. This season provides more twist and turns that you wouldn’t have seen coming unless you read the books, and the shocking deaths of a couple of characters that we had grown to admire in the short beginnings of the 10-episode season.

The plot of the series expands as well as the direness and danger of the Baudelaire orphans situations. There’s some character development and the Baudelaires themselves are put into, quite literally, a line of fire and near-death experiences. They often lose trust in others and are forced to conjure their own back-stories and disguises in order to further their current situation.

The season eventually ends on a massive cliff hanger and leaves both the viewers and the Baudelaires helpless and with more questions than answers. You could always read the preceding books that will be adapted into the third and possibly final season to find out what happens to the Baudelaire orphans, but there is something about this show that is able to capture the gloom and fantasy of Lemony Snicket’s novels that leaves you satisfied enough to wait the year until the next season.