Lost and found: Once upon a time in Eden
Netflix will air "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" on January 13, and it will consist of eight episodes only. Fans of Daniel Handler's series might be disappointed, but the entertainment company would remember the celluloid version by Paramount Pictures thirteen years ago.
Brad Siberling tried to be faithful to the original material, with the bleak picture and dark humor standing out. Jim Carrey admitted his delight in playing Count Olaf, who made a lifelong mission to inflict misery on Violent, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. The parents of the siblings died under mysterious circumstances, and they were about to inherit a fortune until they reached legal age. Olaf, who happened to be their distant kin, wanted to get hold of the money (with his dirty hands). The movie didn't gross much despite the presence of Meryl Street (playing the children's Aunt Josephine). Carrey was hoping to reprise his role in a sequel, as the film version covered the first three books. ("The Bad Beginning", "The Reptile Room", and "The Wide Window".) Paramount was rather polite, releasing a statement that there would be a right time (for the filming of the sequel). But it didn't happen.
Handler's series was released during the height of popularity of the Harry Potter novels. J.K. Rowling didn't hesitate from exploring the darker elements of the wizardly world, but readers sensed a young orphan's triumph against all odds. It wasn't the case with "A Series of Unfortunate Events", where the narrator warned the readers on the first chapter of every book. There won't be a happy ending for the Baudelaire children. Moreover, Handler had literary aficionados in mind. For instance, the patients of the Hostile Hospital featured the most memorable female literary characters. The native of Frisco used alliteration a bit too often, which made this series a treat. These won't translate into a good film, but Netflix is hoping otherwise.
"Home Alone" star Catherine O'Hara, who played Justice Strauss in the big-screen version, will appear as Dr. Georgina Orwell in the TV series. (Emmy winner Joan Cusack will play Strauss.) Don Johnson, most remembered for "Miami Vice", will portray Sir, owner of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. (The Baudelaire kids experienced exploitation in the workplace.) Alfre Woodard will be Aunt Josephine while Neil Patrick Harris (of "How I Met Your Mother") will be Count Olaf. Will Harris do better than Carrey? No one might be interested in the answer, as there will be a more pressing question. Will Netflix be able to adapt the rest of the series? The first eight episodes will include the fourth book, "The Miserable Mill". It happens that the series gets better as the story goes. As a matter of fact, the finale reaches Biblical proportions.
"We're all castaways here, from one storm or another, and rather than trying to return to the world, we've built a colony safe from the world's treachery."
"The End", the thirteenth and final book in the series, began with the Baudelaire children with Count Olaf in the middle of the ocean. A violent storm brought them to a very remote isle, where the inhabitants were the most memorable literary castaways. "Call me Ish," said Ishmael, the leader of the herd. (It would be a shame if you haven't guessed the opening line of "Moby Dick".) Ish was a cripple (or so the others thought). The rest, which included Friday and Captain Fletcher, would lead a simple existence in the sandy part of the island. They were forbidden to go to the other side, where a huge apple tree could be found there. A variety of items would be found underneath the huge roots. (These items were brought to the isle after each storm.)
Handler saved his best for last, as the setting resembled a tropical Eden. Readers would guess that the apple could be trouble, and they were both right and wrong. The author penned a parable with a message. It would be the instinct of parents (and adults alike) to shield their kids from pain and trouble, but they wouldn't be there for them forever. Eventually, the little ones must figure out how to deal with it. In the case of the Baudelaire kids, they have the misfortune to deal one setback after another. They were betrayed by the very adults that should protect them. It gave them unexpected resolve, as they decided to leave the isle after an uneventful year or two. This might surprise some readers, who have been expecting another sad ending.
"The End" was published ten years ago, and Handler didn't follow it up with another book or series. In fact, some critics thought that the author must release another book to address the whereabouts of the other characters. (The Quagmire triplets got lost in the sea, but Kit Snicket couldn't tell if they died from drowning.) Perhaps an open ending would be better. This would retain the goofball humor that keeps uplifts the saga (of the Baudelaire kids), but readers might be too twisted to miss Prufrock Preparatory School.
