a few differences between the show and the books, it is still the most faithful adaptation put to screen, and it received positive reviews all throughout its run.
Many aspects of the show were commended, including the brilliant cast, the lavish production design, and the witty writing. It's hard to choose the ten best episodes because the entire show was so great. But choose we must, so here are the ten best episodes of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Bad Beginning: Part One
What better way to start the list than at the very beginning? This episode introduces us to all the delightful characters, including Violet, Klaus, Sunny, and of course, Count Olaf. Everyone was well cast, and there wasn't a bad actor among them.
We also got a handle on the show's distinct way of implementing narration - through Patrick Warburton's gloriously deadpan and sincere delivery. The gorgeous production design also helped bring the story to vivid life, creating the most faithful, and most beautiful, adaptation of the beloved series. With this episode, we knew we were in good hands.
The Reptile Room: Part Two
This episode sees Olaf wishing to ferry the children away to Peru under the guise of Stephano. It's up to the children to prove that their Uncle Monty's demise wasn't a mere accident, and they must find a way to prevent Olaf from taking them to Peru.
The episode's focused premise keeps it from rambling and veering off course, as some of the weaker episodes tend to do, and it helps the episode remain rife with tension and excitement. We also get more of the Baudelaires, Olaf's goofy henchmen, and a surprisingly gruesome outcome for Uncle Monty, all of which make for a very memorable episode. After a couple of good but not great episodes, The Reptile Room: Part Two got the show back on track.
The Miserable Mill: Part Two
Season finales are typically ed as a show's greatest achievement, and The Miserable Mill: Part Two is no different. Following the shocking twist that Mother and Father were not the Baudelaires' parents, we were left in the titular Miserable Mill before starting part two.
Luckily, those feelings of misery quickly melted away as we watched Count Olaf in drag. That alone is enough to make this episode a classic. However, it also featured some wonderful exchanges between Olaf and Orwell, some tense action sequences, and an intriguing cliffhanger involving Lemony and Olaf, and that was more than enough to keep us invested. Bring on season 2!
The Horrible Hospital: Part One
After a surprisingly slow start, season two considerably picked it up with The Horrible Hospital: Part One. This unpleasant episode sees the Baudelaires on the run and exploring the incredibly creepy Heimlich Hospital. Soon, Olaf, Esme, and the group commandeer the hospital and begin hunting the Baudelaires. It's a legitimately suspenseful episode of television, thanks in large part to the oppressive atmosphere of the hospital and the persistent threat of Olaf and Esme.
It also ends in spectacular fashion, as the orphans hear the name Lemony, learn that there may have been a survivor of the fire, and Violet is grabbed and kidnapped by Olaf. Finally, it felt like season 2 had begun!
The Horrible Hospital: Part Two
The Horrible Hospital may be the first episode in the series to contain equally-excellent first and second parts. What makes The Horrible Hospital such a great episode is that it begins to tarnish the morality of the orphans.
Here, they begin to show signs of some immoral behavior, like stealing the keys from Hal and dres in disguises and putting on accents to attain their goals (sound familiar?). Part Two is also rife with excitement, and it flies by thanks to its blistering pace. With The Horrible Hospital, A Series of Unfortunate Events crafted its first legitimately great two-parter, and we couldn't wait to see where the series was headed.
The Carnivorous Carnival: Part One
Season 2 kept up its quality streak with The Carnivorous Carnival, Part One, the third in a string of excellent and exciting episodes. We get a few wonderful moments, including the flashback sequence to the glory days of the V.F.D.
We didn't get much information, but it was quite tantalizing nevertheless, and it helped expand the series' mythology. It also brings back Olivia Caliban, and the kids saw their first glimpse of Lemony Snicket. It opened the series up for numerous intriguing possibilities going forward, and it expanded the mythos in many satisfying ways.
The Carnivorous Carnival: Part Two
The ending of season two was a low point for the series. Not because it was a bad episode, but because it ended with the characters in the lowest points of their lives. Olivia is deposited into Olaf's snake pit. The children burn Lulu's tent on the orders of Olaf. Violent and Klaus are trapped in a towed caravan. Sunny is kidnapped by Olaf. Things look bleak, but really, isn't that what A Series of Unfortunate Events is all about?
This is one of the show's darkest episodes, and it takes the story in some surprisingly unexpected directions. It left us with big questions, but it also left us thirsty for more.
The Grim Grotto: Part One
Season 3 began in a relatively boring place. Literally. Mount Fraught was not one of the show's most original or intriguing settings, and it resulted in a relatively slow start to the season. Luckily, The Grim Grotto was there to pick up the pieces. In this, we get octopus-shaped submarines, the wide open ocean, and a giant sea monster called the Great Unknown, and every single setting was far more interesting than a boring, icy mountain.
It also a renewed sense of purpose and energy, as the show was slowly making its way toward a conclusion. It also ends in striking fashion, where they discover that Sunny's diving suit has been contaminated with the poisonous Medusoid Mycelium. It's a thrilling piece of television.
The Grim Grotto: Part Two
Part Two retains the rapid sense of progression and adventure from part one and capitalized on it in numerous interesting ways. At just a little over thirty minutes, it's one of the show's shortest entries, but the shorter runtime keeps the episode focused with laser precision.
It also added a few surprising twists, like the fact that the Hook-Handed Man is Fiona's brother. We also learn that he stopped the V.F.D. from using the poisonous mushroom against their enemies, which added some delightful and welcomed moral ambiguity to the show and its mythology. With the conclusion of The Grim Grotto, the show was entering its final stages, and we couldn't have been more excited.
The End
Leave it to A Series of Unfortunate Events to save their best episode for last. The episode focused more on character work than overt plot, and that probably helped in the end. While we did get some answers - like what was in the sugar bowl - the episode instead focused on presenting an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
And to that, it succeeded. We got numerous gratifying moments for both the Baudelaires and Count Olaf, and each got a respectable ending. It was a surprisingly hopeful and touching ending, and we couldn't have been more impressed. What a fantastic note to end on.