Netflix "A Series of Unfortunate Events" continues where the show left off and looks at the miserable and horrible situations the Baudelaire children must go through. Immediately following the first season, the Baudelaire’s find themselves moving from guardian to guardian, with Count Olaf still chasing them for their fortune and a mysterious group with ties to the Baudelaire’s parents. The show which started in 2017, recently released season two on March 30, 2018, and is currently renewed for a third and final season due in 2019.
Good things
The second season of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" expands the story to include more about the children parents past and what organization they were working with.
New members of that organization are introduced including one played by Nathan Fillion, who albeit a short role, helped to make the story even more of a mystery. The audience does get to learn the organization's name and learn that at one-point Olaf was a part of it. Compared to the first season, the guardians that take the Baudelaire in are not just offed like the first season. This is a nice change to what I have come to expect as killing the guardians and then revealing Count Olaf in disguise was starting to feel stale. By the end of this season, more clues and mysteries are left for watchers of the show.
All the actors did a great job this season. Usually, when I watch a show or film with child actors they are just okay.
However, both older Baudelaire children played by Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes do much better than most child actors. They play the characters well and are believable as siblings working together to accomplish almost anything. Whenever Neil Patrick Harris is playing Count Olaf in a disguise is when the show is most fun. Most of the various supporting characters that are only there for an episode or two do their job well and help immerse me in the show.
Bad things about the show
Not everything is perfect about the show. Some of the motivations for the characters are not clear, like Count Olaf’s henchmen. I don’t remember it ever being explained why they are working for him or what they get after helping him. And why does Esme want the sugar bowl so much? Maybe the nitpicks mentioned are going to be explained in season 3.
But that is my only gripe with the show.
Final Thoughts
In all honesty, this show did its job and will be satisfying for fans of the first season. Watching the first season in 2017 was a sigh of relief after watching "Iron Fist" which was a huge disappointing mess. I feel that this show is just awesome and provides enough mystery to keep the audience guessing.
Score: 8.5
