I’m not very positive that anybody understands the meaning of TV-PG anymore. A Series of Unfortunate Events, released in 2017 and not to be confused with the movie of the book series, is described as a “comedy-drama” upon research. I’d like to let that sink in for a moment. The single most horrifying piece of media I’ve consumed is considered a comedy. Sure, it’s dramatic and ironic. I recall laughing quite a few times at its absurdity, but as an 8 year old? Where is the laughing matter? I don’t see it, I must be blind to the abundance of laughter.
But let me be honest with myself. This is one of the greatest shows I have seen ‘till this day. I enjoyed almost every second of every scene, you know, besides the grotesque deaths each episode. Not only is this show gripping and utterly creative in its narrational approach, but it’s a solid contender for a horror movie too.
In case you aren’t familiar, it starts off with Patrick Warburton playing the pen name character of Lemony Snicket, known as the author of the book series. He narrates that there will only be tragedy in the beginning and the end, and all of the in between. Already a fun start, a man named Mr. Poe must deliver some important news to the Baudelaire children: “their family has perished in a terrible fire.” This is mentioned (more like rubbed in) multiple times throughout the show with “comedic” timing. That’s where the humor is! Anyway, the three Baudelaire’s have lost all of their belongings, but they still have one important thing, the center of the story. They have their fortune. Their dead parents have entrusted them with a very hefty sum of moolah, and the only way any guardian can obtain this money is through adoption until the children are old enough to manage it all on their own. The oldest, Violet, is the fanciful inventor. The middle child, Klaus, is a brilliant kid. And the youngest, Sunny, is . . . well, she’s a feisty baby. In the meantime, while Mr. Poe tends to proper guardians for the Baudelaire’s, they must stay at his family home, which does not go terribly well. After a long while of getting situated, Mr. Poe finds the closest relative to the Baudelaire’s, a gruesomely tall man named Neil Patrick—I mean, Count Olaf. Let’s just say, he isn’t very pleasant. He’s a poor influence on the children, his house is dingy and constantly full of hoodlums, he forces the children to do his bidding, and he most definitely knows about that fortune.
SPOILERS BELOW:
I understand there are a bunch of greedy people in this world, but Count Olaf does not, I repeat, does not know when to quit. The Baudelaire’s spend the entire series jumping from place to place, trying to find the perfect guardian for them. They ask Mr. Poe to find them another relative. They find Aunt Josephine! This is the episode I remember balling my eyes out to, which wasn’t even the saddest one. It was so jarring. Count Olaf wanted that money so badly, despite other lore between him and the Baudelaire parents, that he pushed this innocent woman into the ocean . . . full of oversized, killer leech. What?
I could go on about the members that they met, but I’m not sure anyone wants to hear about consistent death and demise, but the death that was most significant to me was around season two of the show. That’s right. TV-PG is apparently perfect for young kids to watch by themselves, and A Series of Unfortunate Events was anticipated everywhere. I was scared, but I couldn’t stop my feet from tapping excitedly. By the end of the second season, I didn’t have much of a heart to watch any other shows for a time. I’m lying, of course I watched Cartoon Network to recover. However, waiting for the last season was making me itch. I had to know whether the Baudelaire’s would get a happy ending or not, and they did. Or, it depends on your views. It’s one of those series’ where they don’t leave you hanging. They leave you to interpret, like Inception but for “kids.” It was amazing. The capabilities of the actors and actresses was impeccable, especially the ability for Sunny to hardly grow out of her baby face. Although some may steer away from this show because of its reputation for a young audience, I can only highly recommend that you at least watch the first season if you haven’t already read the books. There are twists. There are turns. I trust it won’t leave you disappointed, as in the plot. The deaths will cause you to look away in anguish. This show goes right alongside all the TV-PG shows that traumatized me, but for some reason, all I can think about is Goosebumps. Are these my only childhood?