Screen adaptations of your favorite children’s series can sometimes ruin beloved childhood memories — I’m looking at you, “Percy Jackson & The Olympians.”
Other times, though, if you’re lucky, these adaptations can help you rediscover a cherished story. Netflix’s episodic adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” does just that.
Upon watching the eight episodes available on Netflix, I was surprised to remember just how smart the series is.
The adaptation closely follows the plot of the original book series. The three Baudelaire orphans — Violet, Klaus and Sunny — are forced to live with various guardians after the mysterious death of their parents. Count Olaf, their first guardian, is after the Baudelaire’s sizeable fortune and will stop at nothing to get the money.
While I’m not one to expect perfection when it comes to matching screen adaptations to their original literary sources, I appreciate Netflix’s commitment to the content and aesthetic of the original series.
And the world Snicket created — one that is equal parts whimsy and horror — translates well to television.
The structure of the show itself plays better than the original 2004 film adaptation with Jim Carrey. Netflix devoted its season to the first four books of the series, splitting each book into two sections to create eight total episodes. This allows the adaptation to dive fully into Snicket’s world of strange characters and dark humor.
Snicket, played by Patrick Warburton, is one of the best parts of the show. Acting as narrator, he dissects the language and clichés that the characters use. His delivery is perfectly deadpan.
Neil Patrick Harris plays Count Olaf wonderfully with twisted charm and dark intent. Throughout the series, Count Olaf plays various characters in order to insert himself into the Baudelaires’ lives without being caught. Each character feels goofy and distinct from Olaf, but Harris will drop the farce at a moment’s notice, skillfully reverting back to the cunning, twisted nature of his main role.
There are many lessons to be learned from “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The intricacies of language and grammar, for example, are important.
As the Baudelaire children encounter various challenges and perils from the adults they are supposed to trust, they learn to trust their own instincts because, yes — children can understand the world around them.
And, perhaps most importantly, Neil Patrick Harris should always play the bumbling villain.
