A Satisfying Series. A Worth-while Watch. A Pleasant Production.
As a child, I LOVED "A Series of Unfortunate Events." The absurd yet strangely addicting stories by Lemony Snicket are a staple of my childhood. You better believe I read them during every "Sustained Silent Reading" in elementary school and, when I reached an especially intriguing part of the story, I read on at home instead of sleeping or playing with my friends. These 13 books still blow my mind when I think of the simplistic yet the intricately woven plot, language and alliterations that composed the series. Secret societies, absurd adventures, intelligent children facing the world of villains alone--I was always hooked.
You can only imagine my dismay when the original "A Series of Unfortunate Events" movie covering the first three books never succeeded. I waited and hoped but, alas, a sequel never came. I wanted to experience the "Miserable Mill," the "Vile Village," the "Ersatz Elevator" on the big screen. I had created the world in my mind, and now I wanted it to come alive.
As disappointed as I was by the lack of a sequel to the original movie, I was ecstatic when I discovered that Netflix would create a series based on the books. I have always thought that such a long book series like "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Harry Potter," should be a TV series with several episodes dedicated to each book rather than movies. I thought they could be more thorough and avoid leaving out so many details, as movies tend to do.
Boy, was I right. The Netflix series was everything I could want and more. Since the script was written by Lemony Snicket himself, I expected the episodes to closely mirror the books. As I reread "The Bad Beginning" this week, I discovered that the script was actually almost word for word (WHICH IS A BOOK LOVER'S DREAM COME TRUE). Not only that, the title sequence capture the witty irony of the show and the end of the season includes another catchy song sung by all the characters. The costumes, the set, the actors, everything captures the essence of the series that I fell in love with at such a young age. But even with the almost mirror image of the novels, the series still has plot twists and extra hidden puzzles that will even surprise the avid readers. I loved watching "The Miserable Mill" come to life on my screen since it was not included in the first movie and I'm so excited to see season two.
This series is the perfect mix of consistency and novelty in a book turned TV show and I could not stop watching until I reached the end. For original book series lovers, original movie lovers and those who've never experienced either, the new Netflix series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a perfect way to spend your time.
