The Unfortunate Blogger

The Bad Beginning-Part Two

As a blogger, you often find yourself reviewing things that aren't really quite pleasant, but you have to. Why? Because that's part of your job. Unlike Once Upon a Time, I have decided to stick with this one to the end. Why? Because a decent series deserves a second chance. So...I watched the second episode. And what do I think?

It's decent.

It's definitely not worse than the premiere, but it didn't get too much better. Some things improved in quality, such as the humor and the effects, but some things just got worse, like inciting confusion and just being terribly planned out. More or less. But to get the full picture, allow me to review the list.

THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

1) They explained exactly how the Baudelaires were sent to Count Olaf by mistake- This is something that is actually never explained in the book and the series. Why are the kids sent to Count Olaf when he's clearly a terrible person, known by characters who appear later on in the series? Well, this episode explains it. It also further confirms Mr. Poe's gullible stupidity, which is how Count Olaf manages to get the children into his grasp. There's no explanation as to why Count Olaf wants their money and not some other person's money, but...eh, not my main concern.

2) The reference to the Volunteer Fire Department's codes- I know I'm being wishy washy on whether or not they're balancing out the secrets and hints correctly in this series, but I actually kind of liked how they mentioned that there's no Sugar Bowl, there's a Very Fine Destination they need to get to, and so on so forth. On top of that, they make  references to things that Unfortunates will get automatically, but that the other characters won't.

3) Count Olaf- Yeah, he's too obvious, but the humor he has on top of his stupidity in comparison to his troupe is hysterical! I got a lot more laughs out of this episode than the last one, which is saying something considering my opinion of part one. I'm not sure if he surpasses Jim Carey, but heck to that, Harris is a darn good actor!

4) Violet's inventions- In the last episode, the only invention we see is  the poorly CGId rock fetcher that Violet has invented. (Well, there was the automatic toasting clock, but it wasn't quite built yet). Actually seeing Violet invent something and seeing it work without thinking it's CGI...that's incredible! I was actually fairly impressed with her grappling hook. In comparison to the one Klaus made in the movie and the one Violet made in the book, not only is it a cool update, but it was so much fun to watch!

5) Tiny details mentioned- So in this episode, we discover that Poe's wife is a reporter for the Daily Punctilio, which is the newspaper in the series that gets almost every single detail wrong. (Hence why the children are able to hide easily following the events in The Vile Village.) There wasn't too much detail, but there were enough like that to keep me interested.

6) The underground VFD members- The one cool thing I actually thought was interesting was seeing how the VFD network actually worked. They're more than just fire stoppers (as is seen in the movie). According to the book series, they were an underground network that worked together to keep people safe. I'm assuming that's why there were so many hints exposed so early on in the episode. And if that's what they're doing, then I'm more than happy to see more  of this. Watching the VFD agent dial a phone with her foot was so much fun to watch. Plus...SPYGLASSES!!!!!!

7) The Hook-Handed Man- Number one, I love the update to him. His hands aren't just hooks; he now has hook-like hands that slightly open and close, like a pair of tongs. Number two, his character is the best! I loved the hook-handed man in the movie as well, though he didn't say too much, so I'm glad they kept him just as entertaining, if not more so. I love his interactions with the kids and with the other characters. He can be very menacing, but also a ton of fun to watch. Plus, I love how he can understand Sunny, kind of like how Violet and Klaus can. And he's more intelligent than Count Olaf which makes for even funnier scenes!

8) The extended poker scene with Sunny and Hook-Handed Man- Despite the weird CGI, it was a lot of fun to watch a double-hooked man and a non-verbal baby play poker. With Sunny winning. Especially when Count Olaf is like, "What are you doing?" and he's like, "What? She got a royal flush?!" That was the best scene!!!!I may just save that to my YouTube channel. If I can find it.

9) Justice Strauss' interactions with the kids- It was really sweet to see her offer to help the kids. I really loved it when she picked up Sunny and then brought her back later with a carrot she can chew on.

10) Count Olaf's knowledge despite being dumb- Despite his lack of savvy and booksmarts, Count Olaf is actually pretty good at VFD stuff. He clearly knows the codes, the underground network, a good scheme, and what certain things mean to his group. It's probably what causes his troupe to follow him so. He's not too intelligent, but he knows what he's doing.

11) The Marvelous Marriage- In the movie, the play looks like a legit play that's actually entertaining to watch with a whole budget and everything. In the series, it's the exact opposite. The play is obviously terrible as it bores the entire audience to sleep. However, fun or boring, the way it was done was actually very entertaining, especially for someone like Count Olaf who very clearly doesn't act very well.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

1) VFD comes above ground- This is the one thing that bothered me. The two VFD members that you see in the show reveal themselves even though they have secret codes and tunnels and everything. I mean, I can understand if they want to help expose Olaf, but do they have to appear out of no where and just publicly announce everything? Especially because, in the end, they go back to tunnels and walkie talkies. I didn't like that at all.

2) Sunny's CGI- Yeah, they're still doing fast-paced movement CGI on Sunny. Granted, it's gotten slightly better, but...a little help, please.

3) The actor as Justice Strauss- I mentioned this in the last review, so I don't think there's a need to explain it again.

4) The series is made for people who have read the series- That's the one thing that's kind of bothering me. As much as I like the references, it seems that the whole series seems to be made for those who have read the book. Granted, if you watch it by yourself to the end, maybe there will be references to pick up on, but for now...I just see it as something for book-readers.

5) The blurry picture of the Baudelaire mother- This wouldn't bother me if they wouldn't keep showing us the children's mom. Or if she is the kids' mom. But that's a small thing.

6) The parents being alive- I'm 85% sure that these two people are the Baudelaire parents. What I don't understand is why they're living! If it's to replace Quigly Quagmire, I will be so upset! Besides, if the parents are alive, that kind of defeats the purpose of the whole series! I mean, yes, I don't know where they're going to go with this, but so far, I'm not impressed.

7) Lemony Snicket- I know I mentioned in the last episode that I liked how they did Lemony. And here, I still do. However, in this particular episode, he's starting to talk a lot like Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove. The voice is starting to bother me a little, but I'm sure if I look past it, this will soon no longer be a problem.

8) Mrs. Poe- Still don't like her. Not much else is to be said. But, I guess I'll have to get used to this idea. Hopefully things will improve.

9) Justice Strauss knows nothing about the law- Even though she's a judge, Justice Strauss needs to hear a lecture from Klaus in order to declare Violet's marriage invalid. She studied the law! Plus it's common sense! If Violet didn't sign the document with her legal hand, she's not married! How hard is that to understand?! Especially if you're a judge?!

Well, that's my review for today. It's a little better than the premiere, but not by a lot. Time can only tell if this series will improve at all.