On Friday, Netflix released the first eight episodes of the new show “Series of Unfortunate Events,” adapted from the popular book franchise.

Acting

The casting for this series was a mixture of expected and unexpected. In regards to the Baudelaire children, Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith are all a perfect fit and resemble the 2004 actors and book art closely. They all deliver their respective characters well; however, in some of the intense scenes they seem disconnected from their emotions, which makes those scenes less impactful.
Neil Patrick Harris, who plays Count Olaf, is certainly unrecognizable because of the expertly placed prosthetic. Though Harris surely adds to the series’ marketability, he isn’t convincing as the story’s main antagonist. That being said, he still manages to shift into Count Olaf’s four disguises and give each a life of its own.
Another foundational character, Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket, adds a unique aspect that stays true to the book’s original commentary. Warburton effortlessly delivers his lines in a way that highlights the show’s quirks as well as adding a touch of dry humor.
K.Todd Freeman as Mr.Poe is also a good fit, providing humor to the story. Overall, the cast works together fairly well in order to create a sense of connection and credibility to the tale.

Plot

The story line follows the original books quite closely, allowing for the series to develop a multilayered feeling that is both engaging and interesting to watch. Each book’s plot line unfurls throughout two 50-minute episodes, which gives enough time to explore the entire story and all of its nuances. Three related stories — the Baudelaire children’s adventures, the narration by Lemony Snicket and the adjacent plotline seen in the last two episodes — all come together to form an intriguing show. The family friendly content of this program allows for people of all ages enjoy it, without compromising the premis.

Design

By far the most impressive part of this adaption are the sets. The world the set designers made is captivating, and the attention to detail is evident. Montgomery Montgomery’s reptile wing, Count Olaf’s dark mansion and Lucky Smells Lumbermill all stand out, but there was never a visually disappointing scene. It all worked together to create a world without a specific era that felt both fresh and antique at the same time.
Watch the trailer here
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tup-5yOcJuM”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ASUImTedo[/youtube]