“A Series of Unfortunate Events” moves into “The Wide Window: Part One” as the Baudelaires move in with their Aunt Josephine, a fearful woman who is soon romanced by Captain Sham. Violet, Klaus and Sunny discover a crucial clue to the true nature of Jacqueline’s organization.
Compared to “The Reptile Room: Part Two,” this episode was rather uneventful. It was mostly buildup to Part Two and was drained of a lot of the comedy that made up the last few episodes, with the notable exception of Sham’s courting of Aunt Josephine.
Josephine herself, played by Alfre Woodard, was much more upbeat than Meryl Streep’s 2004 interpretation, although her fearfulness was played up just as much. On that note, it was odd how Josephine refuses to use doorknobs, and yet has a sword in her library.
Olaf/Sham was practically a footnote in this episode, not being nearly as sinister as the last few episodes. The only real nastiness he displays is how he seduces Josephine, given that Neil Patrick Harris and Alfre Woodard are even more unlikely a pairing than Streep and Jim Carrey.
“The Wide Window: Part One” was a notable downgrade from the last few productive episodes, leaving most of the VFD mystery behind for a more slowly paced episode. Hopefully, Part Two won’t leave us in the dust.
