Gearing up the final act of the season of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is “The Miserable Mill: Part One,” in which Violet, Klaus and Sunny escape to Lucky Smells Lumber Mill in hopes of discovering information about their parents. Olaf courts an old flame, who just so happens to be working at the mill.
Now that the series is moving into fresh waters, seeing as from here on in, nothing has been previously adapted, the show is really proving itself to be a capable series. Part One deviates greatly from the source material by introducing a connection between the Baudelaire parents and the fire that claimed Paltryville. The greater conspiracy going on is being unraveled little by little, which is a good way to keep viewers enthralled.
But enough about that, let’s talk the big twist at the end that revealed that Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders are NOT in fact the Baudelaire parents, but the parents of Duncan, Quigley and Isadora- names that should be very familiar to fans. Essentially, the entire subplot was there to mislead the viewer a-la “The Silence of the Lambs” and while it was obvious they would not reunite with the Baudelaires at the end, the final reveal was a genuine shock.
The series is also moving into darker territory, with a hypnotized Klaus nearly mulching Sunny and Olaf now disguised as a woman. Of course, this series has always been dark, but on the heels of such a twist, it adds more drama now that we know the kids are going to be in serious danger for the foreseeable future.
“The Miserable Mill: Part One” started out like any other episode before hurdling to a shocking climax. It was wise for the show to hold off on such a game-changing twist until near its finale, which should be an interesting ride given what happened here.