In another fantastic episode of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” the Baudelaires are sent to live with their original intended guardian, Uncle Monty, who seems to know more than he’s letting on. All seems well until Stephano, Monty’s new assistant, arrives with sinister intentions.
“The Reptile Room: Part One” takes everything that works about the series so far and crams it into one hour. The excessive retreading of “The Bad Beginning: Part One” is gone here; most of the episode is brand new. The theater sequence contains a great balance between comedy and mystery as Stephano is the typical theater jerk, while Monty tries to decipher a message from Jacqueline and Gustav hidden in the film “Zombies in the Snow.” This also plays up the extent to which the mysterious organization operates: They make and release a film for the sole purpose of getting the children to safety.
Monty himself, played by “The Daily Show’s” Aasif Mandvi, was an entertaining character, managing to be funny, compassionate, aloof and likable all in one. Even though most viewers know his ultimate fate, thanks to Snicket’s narration, it’s tough to not like him, which should make Part Two all the more heartbreaking.
Since the first half of the episode is almost entirely Olaf-free, when he does show up as Stephano, it’s quite the treat. Nail Patrick Harris plays up the eccentricity of his new identity with a ludicrous accent and several odd quirks, not to mention a fourth wall-breaking remark about the power of television. It’s great that the show is trying to make each of Olaf’s personalities different, so that it’s a little more reasonable that no one is on to him.
“The Reptile Room: Part One” was an amazing episode with tons of mystery, comedy and suspense. Even with the change in scenery, the show is holding up amazingly well.