The Carnivorous Carnival: Part Two

As someone who enjoyed the 2004 movie, I really went into this series with eagerness and excitement and I was pleasant surprised. Just finishing season 2 and my jaw dropped that I need season 3 now.

Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, brings something else and new to the role and I love it. The acting troupe is hilarious and the supporting characters supporting the three children are all amazing and quirky. The three Baudelarie children are delightful and interesting and I hope to see more of them together.

The show is brilliantly written and takes the books to a new tale and I've not read the books so I am going into this excitement and eager for more

I need season 3 now

"The Carnivorous Carnival: Part 1" was a great, and even excellent, first part of one of the best adaptations of this 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' made for television/Netflix series, let down only by a few too many characters perhaps. A series that isn't flawless but was mostly very well done and enjoyable, with Season 2 being for me the best of the three seasons and none of the adaptations of all thirteen books (all but one, the final episode, done in two parts) being unwatchable or even bad.

One understandably prays that the second part would be just as good before watching it. Luckily, for me, it doesn't disappoint at all and continues to be a great adaptation of one of the better-faring books in the book series (am still fond of it and understand its popularity). "The Carnivorous Carnival" is one of the few two parters of the series where both parts are on an equal level, whereas others have been a case of one being better than the other. Find it actually an even better season finale than that of the previous season, the second part of "The Miserable Mill" which was still a season high point.

It is let down only by two things. One being the ever annoying and completely unnecessary presence of Mr Poe, K. Todd Freeman briging no appeal to him whatsoever. The other is the very end, which left me a little mixed. It is certainly shocking, edge of the seat and sets Season 3 up very well, making one excited for what is to come. Everything with the betrayal however was not particularly easy to swallow, seeing as the responsible was the one that up to then the viewer would not only find them the person they'd least likely suspect but also one where one thinks it is impossible for them to do it.

However, the setting is truly freaky, showing genuine danger and excitement. There is a real elaborate creepiness to how it's designed and the mysteriousness keeps increasing. "The Carnivorous Carnival: Part 2", simply put, looks wonderful and has a lot of atmosphere, which was a consistent strength throughout the whole adaptation. My praise for the opening credits sequence, for reasons already covered in previous reviews for the previous episodes, never changed from the very start to the very end.

Neither has that for the music, which fits the atmosphere with a mix of quirkiness and haunting. The writing is similarly quirky and darkly humorous yet also with the right amount of seriousness and even melancholy, the best moments belonging to Lemony Snicket (not overused or laid on too thick this time like it did in some of the previous instalments) and Count Olaf. The story is creepier, more dangerous, more exciting and more suspenseful, with the climactic moments being quite unnerving and the momentum even tighter. The supporting characters (though watching Season 1 beforehand is in order to know properly who is who) are remarkably well fleshed out with not so major characters having more to do, though with some splashes of well-gelled light-heartedness to not make it all doom and gloom. The mystery and twists are purposefully puzzling but also intriguing and clever.

While all the performances are strong, top honours do go to Neil Patrick Harris on fun and sinister form as ever, Sara Rue suitably mysterious, Patrick Warburton's expert balance of amusement and seriousness (deadpan in a good way) and Lucy Punch's increasing Cruella DeVil-esque Esme. Love the theatrical troupe as ever.

On the whole, great conclusion to one of the adaptation's best two parters. With one character left out and a more satisfying ending, it would have been even better. 9/10

Oh, as much as i love this series it just never stops making me feel awful, agitated and angry as hell when the season always ends like this !!

There they go into the belly of the beast ...

After a hellish ten hours of unfortunate events and unsuccessful trails to finally get the best of Count Olaf , the season ends "as expected" showing the Baudelaire kids plummet down the cliff into the unknown ,,

As a guy who watches Game of thrones ,, and that show is known for being so miserable with unexpected events,, this show just exceeds that level of misery and anger,, every time you feel hopeful and think finally the sun will rise they just easily smack you back to the sad reality the Baudelaire Orphans live.

Of course all of that just show the level of brilliant script writing by Daniel Handler and his co's.

Away from Drama and fantasy and back to the other genre part in this series ,, the comedy ,,, the comedy along this season honestly surpassed everything i'v seen in the last one ,, and it just hit the highest of the high in dark comedy ,, it is quick, clever and easily fathomable.

"Volunteer Fire Department". ;)

The cast , Bravo, Bravo, Bravo ,, for the second season they all, and I mean ALL ,, from Olaf to the kids to the Hook-Handed Man to the White Faced Woman sisters :D to all new character , man they all where genuine and owned their roles.

The series "no surprise" has been renewed the same day it went out on Netflix ,, I just can't wait till next year for a new adventure , new unfortunate events in the efforts to find the surviving Baudelaire parent before Count Olaf does.