Season 1 of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', adapting 'The Bad Beginning', 'The Reptile Room', 'The Wide Window' and 'The Miserable Mill', was surprisingly very well done. It wasn't perfect, the first part of "The Bad Beginning" was a little uneven, while K. Todd Freeman manages to make Mr Poe irritating beyond belief and some of the narration wasn't needed. When it worked, especially both parts of "The Reptile Room" and the second part of "The Miserable Mill", Season 1 was very good.
'A Series of Unfortunate Events' second season similarly gets off to a very good start. Doing a great job re-establishing the series' dark, grim tone apparent throughout Season 1, and also building upon it, which is appropriate as the storytelling was growing darker all the time. Also doing very well indeed adapting 'The Austere Academy', to me one of the better books in the series despite perhaps the single most annoying character in the book series (Vice Principal Nero). "The Austere Academy: Part 1" is not perfect, none of the series' episodes are and to me perfection is somewhat rare, but it is another case of more good things than not so good things. 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', both books and show, is not for all tastes, criticised for being repetitive and having stupid and easily fooled adult characters and understandably. Personally am quite fond of the books, and the show does laudably adapting them.
Beginning with what didn't work with "The Austere Academy: Part 1", whereas Vice Principal Nero was a contender for the most annoying character in the book series (although at least he was meant to be), Mr Poe is by far the most annoying character of the show and unlike Vice Principal Nero he is not meant to be. Not just that, but Mr Poe just didn't feel necessary and added very little to what was going on. K. Todd Freeman just doesn't do it for me and that was the case throughout the whole of the adaptation.
Despite playing a prominent role in the books, the narration also didn't feel necessary. Patrick Warburton fares very well as Lemony Snicket and there are entertaining moments but the interjections tended to explain too much and condescended a bit. Also we didn't really need to know that things were going from bad to worse when it was fairly obvious on screen and those who saw the previous four, all four in two parts each, adaptations of the show will find it obvious as well.
"The Austere Academy: Part 1" is well worth seeing for the production design, with the sets and attention to detail being some of the best of the series and practically revels in the unpleasant environment that the school should have. The school is as wonderfully austere as it should be and the shack actually looks horrible and unforgiving to live in. The costumes, a mix of demure and outlandish to represent the divide between the good and bad. The opening credits sequence are still delightful and very clever. The music has the darkness, absurdity and jauntiness needed and is suitably atmospheric.
Similarly very well executed is the spirit of Snicket's prose in the dialogue. The darkly humorous edge is there, as is the increasing gloom and absurdity. The stupidity of the adults will be a source of frustration for those who have not read the books and it was also something that was purposefully frustrating in the books too, that is handled very well too and doesn't get over the top. The story captures the tone of the book very well and makes the most of the austerity and absurdity of the setting, not taking too long in setting up the story or season. Even if the second part is more eventful.
On the most part, the performances are strong. Neil Patrick Harris' Olaf steals the show, he is clearly having a lot of fun with the character while posing a genuine threat too (more so in the second part though). In his class are Roger Bart, deliciously loathsome and hilariously outlandish as Nero in an atypical role for him and the similarly spiteful Carmelita Spats of Kitana Turnball. Appreciated the understated acting of the Quagmires, more interesting characters to me than in the books. Didn't have a problem with the Baudelaires, especially Sunny, though the new characters are much more memorable.
In conclusion, very well done. 8/10
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