The first part of "The Hostile Hospital" was great, and it and this ever so slightly even better second part made for a contender for the best adaptation of Season 2, a darker, more confident and more entertaining season where things felt more settled, for this adaptation of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'. And also one of the best of the whole series, along with "The Reptile Room", the second part of "The Miserable Mill" and "The Ersatz Elevator" as far as the previous episodes go.
Although "The Hostile Hospital" mostly is one of the series' two part adaptations where both parts are equal to each other in quality, there is a very marginal preference for Part 2. There is even more of a sense of jeopardy, more suspense, it's even tighter pace wise and Count Olaf is even more sinister and more of a threat, while having all of the great things about the first part. The first part has all those things but it's just done marginally better here. The only thing that Part 2 does worse is having Mr Poe, by default the most annoying character of the adaptation and as inept and increasingly pointless as usual.
It is a great looking episode for one. The production values were one of the series' biggest and most consistent high points, "The Hostile Hospital: Part 1" the lighting has a genuine eeriness and the photography is full of atmosphere and style. Most striking is the setting, the hospital setting is one of the most strikingly done and most atmospheric settings of the series and really does stand out. Those corridors have a real sense of claustrophobia that makes one appropriately uncomfortable, especially those actually that have been in and out of hospital for a large portion of their life. If a lot has been said about this asset, it is because it is that striking to be mentioned a lot. The opening titles sequence is right on the money for reasons that have been said already. The music atmospherically is a perfect match and there isn't a placement that's questionable.
Snicket's writing translates very well here in "The Hostile Hospital: Part 2". As well as having the right amount of entertainment value in a dark way and suspenseful intrigue, there is also a melancholic edge in the narration. Narration that didn't come over as overused or over-explanatory here to me). The story treats the source material (with only one really major change that doesn't ruin anything at all) compels throughout, and up to this point of the series "The Hostile Hospital" has been the adaptation to have the most sense of jeopardy that was especially fever pitch with Count Olaf and Violet and Babs. Really liked Klaus and Sunny being more resourceful and having more of a presence.
Count Olaf is even more sinister in Part 2 and he hadn't been as sinister in the previous episodes before the first part of "The Hostile Hospital". He a genuine threat here, and so is Neil Patrick Harris, clearly enjoying himself immensely. Patrick Warburton is suitably mysterious and manages to deliver and emote in a way that was amusing but also very serious (my definition of deadpan but in a good way). Kerri Kenney gives the creeps as Babs and the theatrical troupe are purposefully theatrical but also funny and creepy as ought, actually like that in this adaptation that they are more interesting than they were in the books with more fleshed out personalities.
Overall, great once again. 9/10
Although "The Hostile Hospital" mostly is one of the series' two part adaptations where both parts are equal to each other in quality, there is a very marginal preference for Part 2. There is even more of a sense of jeopardy, more suspense, it's even tighter pace wise and Count Olaf is even more sinister and more of a threat, while having all of the great things about the first part. The first part has all those things but it's just done marginally better here. The only thing that Part 2 does worse is having Mr Poe, by default the most annoying character of the adaptation and as inept and increasingly pointless as usual.
It is a great looking episode for one. The production values were one of the series' biggest and most consistent high points, "The Hostile Hospital: Part 1" the lighting has a genuine eeriness and the photography is full of atmosphere and style. Most striking is the setting, the hospital setting is one of the most strikingly done and most atmospheric settings of the series and really does stand out. Those corridors have a real sense of claustrophobia that makes one appropriately uncomfortable, especially those actually that have been in and out of hospital for a large portion of their life. If a lot has been said about this asset, it is because it is that striking to be mentioned a lot. The opening titles sequence is right on the money for reasons that have been said already. The music atmospherically is a perfect match and there isn't a placement that's questionable.
Snicket's writing translates very well here in "The Hostile Hospital: Part 2". As well as having the right amount of entertainment value in a dark way and suspenseful intrigue, there is also a melancholic edge in the narration. Narration that didn't come over as overused or over-explanatory here to me). The story treats the source material (with only one really major change that doesn't ruin anything at all) compels throughout, and up to this point of the series "The Hostile Hospital" has been the adaptation to have the most sense of jeopardy that was especially fever pitch with Count Olaf and Violet and Babs. Really liked Klaus and Sunny being more resourceful and having more of a presence.
Count Olaf is even more sinister in Part 2 and he hadn't been as sinister in the previous episodes before the first part of "The Hostile Hospital". He a genuine threat here, and so is Neil Patrick Harris, clearly enjoying himself immensely. Patrick Warburton is suitably mysterious and manages to deliver and emote in a way that was amusing but also very serious (my definition of deadpan but in a good way). Kerri Kenney gives the creeps as Babs and the theatrical troupe are purposefully theatrical but also funny and creepy as ought, actually like that in this adaptation that they are more interesting than they were in the books with more fleshed out personalities.
Overall, great once again. 9/10
