A Series of Unfortunate Events: These Are the Books Covered in Netflix's TV Show
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If you've been eagerly anticipating Netflix's adaptation of Lemony Snicket's beloved novels in A Series of Unfortunate Events, we have some good news: the show does the books justice and then some. The first season covers books one, two, three, and four out of the 13-part saga, leaving plenty of material left to pull from in season two. Unlike the 2004 movie, which jumbled up the plot from the first three books, Netflix's series devotes two episodes each for every one book, ensuring that the story is fleshed out and fully realized.
Not only does the show nail the storylines, but Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf and newcomers Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes as Violet and Klaus Baudelaire are exceptional, and the rest of the cast is equally overflowing with talent. Between their performances and some interesting tweaks to the original plot, fans of the novels will fall in love with the show in no time. Keep reading to get a refresh on the basic plot of each book!
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The Bad Beginning
After their family mansion burns down and their parents are presumed dead, the Baudelaire siblings are sent to live with Count Olaf, a distant (and disgusting) relative who resides in a large, dilapidated home and only cares about stealing their inheritance. In addition to slapping them around, he forces them to cook and clean, all the while ironing out a plot to trick Violet into marrying him (since the fortune is bequeathed to her when she turns 18). He devises a plan in which she'll "play" a bride character in his upcoming production, and he'll "play" the groom, when in actuality the vows they speak on stage will be legally binding. With the help of some quick thinking on the part of Justice Strauss (Joan Cusack), they're able to wriggle out of his grip.
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The Reptile Room
Once the orphans figure out a way to outwit Count Olaf, they're taken to the home of another distant relative in the second novel, Uncle Monty (Aasif Mandvi), who is their late father's cousin's wife's brother. They trust him immediately thanks to his overwhelmingly kind demeanor and are happy to discover he wants to take them on an expedition to Peru to aid in his snake research. Unfortunately his research assistant, Stefano, is not as he seems and soon throws another wrench into Violet, Klaus, and Sunny's chance at happiness.
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The Wide Window
The third book finds the kids living with their Aunt Josephine (Alfre Woodard) at Lake Lachrymose. Josephine's favorite things are grammar and being terrified of everything, but she's still a better guardian than Count Olaf. Sadly she jumps to her death out of the "wide window" in her home not long after meeting a charming sailor named Captain Sham (Olaf in disguise). The suicide note reinstates Olaf as their guardian (surprise, surprise), but the kids notice that the grammatical errors hidden in the note are actually clues to Josephine's true whereabouts, and they find themselves facing off against Olaf once again.
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The Miserable Mill
If you thought you'd seen the last of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny violating child labor laws in the first two episodes, think again. The children are sent to the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill to live with their new guardian, Sir, who makes them work in the old mill. Klaus ends up breaking his glasses after he's tripped by the foreman and must see an optometrist living nearby named Dr. Orwell. Count Olaf, in disguise as a female receptionist this time, arrives on the scene to help Dr. Orwell hypnotize Klaus into killing someone, which creates even more problems for the unfortunate orphans.