I’d strongly suggest that if you are the type of person who is easily nauseated, disturbed, or distraught, a word which here means quick to become very, very, very, very sad and disturbed, that you look away from this article and go find something much more pleasant to read. This article will only draw you into a most unusual and woeful program presented by Netflix.
Netflix recently began streaming A Series of Unfortunate Events based on the children’s book series by Lemony Snicket. It features Neil Patrick Harris of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and How I Met Your Mother as Count Olaf among many other big names and recognizable faces in the television and cinema worlds.
As an avid reader of this series as a kid, this Netflix interpretation was a much-anticipated arrival on the streaming scene, especially after the film of the same title was released in 2004. The film has received a rating of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and was received by audiences with mixed reviews. Many appreciate that the film dives into this dark story, trusting that the children in the audience can handle whatever comes their way. The gothic aesthetic is also well-received as it pays tribute to the tragic nature of the tales of the Baudelaire orphans. The criticisms for the films comes in the actual story telling. The story is told in jumbled order of the books and is largely a rough overview of the story that Lemony Snicket tried to tell. Many of the nuances were left out which was disappointing.
The series on Netflix is different in many ways. The color scheme is different. Whereas the film took dark and gothic colors (lots of gray, black, and muted colors) and ran with it throughout the film, the streaming series makes a bold choice and introduces pops of color amongst a background that is largely shades of gray. The Baudelaire orphans are often seen wearing bright and sometimes even pastel colors, perhaps representing that despite what has already happened to them, they are still the vital children they are, full of life and fire.
Neil Patrick Harris’s interpretation of Count Olaf is an interesting one. He chooses to focus on the ridiculousness of Count Olaf’s character while having marked points where he reminds you, leaving no doubt in your mind that this is an evil and dangerous character. Not used to seeing Neil Patrick Harris in a villainous role but instead a more ridiculous role such as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, it took a little bit of getting used to, but ultimately I think he ushers you into his role with familiar caveats of his previous performances and slowly introduces that he’s capable of malice. You just believe him.
Having a series on Netflix pays tribute to the episodic nature of this story that the film just couldn’t without the story line feeling choppy throughout. This way, in 22 minute episodes, we can spend time with each part of the series and delve into the nuance of how Lemony Snicket tells the story of the Baudelaire orphans from trying to persuade the audience to turn away from this story for something more pleasant to watch to defining larger words in a humorous way.
What I personally love about this interpretation however is not how it adheres to the stories I know and love (which I do appreciate), but how it takes liberties to help tie the story together and keep the audience interested; new characters are created or old ones are given more of a backstory, and each part of the story is told in a way where there is one cohesive plot and story to follow. I know that I for one am excited to see what comes next in the lives of the Baudelaire children, even though I’ve read the series many times over.
