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Post by mizbizsav on Dec 17, 2018 18:05:02 GMT -5
Time for season three's review thread! Some reviews are starting to pop up, so I figured it best to start this early! It will be a nice way to build hype as we get through these Very Final Days - only 15 more until the end of The End! A sad occasion, indeed. I did a review thread for season one ( here) and one for season two ( right here). I will update with reviews as I see them, no matter how big the publication. If you find any new reviews, please do not hesitate (aye aye!) to share them so I can update the list! Recently added reviews marked with a *. ReadySteadyCut - 4.5/5 FilmEra - 3/5 SpoilerTV - highly positive GamerHeadquarters - 9/10 * Decider - highly positive * Datebook (SF Chronicle) - highly positive * Fatherly - highly positive * Entertainment Weekly (mini-review) - A (found in the #1542/1543 issue; not sure if for the entire season or just the Slippery Slope episodes) YouTube Reviews * Gamerheadquarters - 9/10 (same reviewer as above, but he gives more detail in his video review)
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Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 17, 2018 22:44:43 GMT -5
Interesting that they not only let the reviewers have all the episodes in the season -which they didn't do for Season 2- but also gave them the screening copies more than two weeks in advance.
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Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 17, 2018 23:40:30 GMT -5
A new review of Season 3 from Spoilertv.com, they don't give it an official number or star ranking, but they are extremely effusive with their praise. It does give us the interesting titbit that The End is only 51 minutes long. While certainly shorter than I was expecting, it is heartening to see that all three reviews of the season up to this point have unequivocally praised it as both as an excellent episode and a good ending that remains true to the books while still being its own thing. Alas - it is upon us, the final season of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events! Look away, for you do not want to watch this miserable end of the Baudelaire story. Hehe. Actually, you do, of course, because this has been one of the most entertaining series of recent years. If you're like me, you love that this Netflix show has been a faithful adaptation of Lemony Snicket's popular book series of the same name, and this third and final season is no different. Adapting the final four books in the series - The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril, and The End - season three continues the Baudelaire story in the way we expect from the writers, in the same dire, charming, and ultimately compelling way the first two seasons did.
"Please, this isn't some over-exaggerated melodrama."
The first two episodes - The Slippery Slope - resolves that literal cliffhanger from the season two finale straight away. We are introduced to some new characters, as well as some fan favourites from season two, setting off a great tone for this season. We see the strains of friendship and some surprising returns and reveals all in the very first couple of episodes. I have to hand it to Hooky, he proves he's a very worthy character, not just in this episode but it continues in the next episodes too. Some exciting things to look forward to in the first two episodes are the new characters, finding out the survivor of the fire, reaching V.F.D. headquarters, a mountain climbing expedition, important discoveries, and a mountaintop standoff that ends badly. All in all, a very strong start to the season.
"It's not fire, it's fashion."
The next two episodes - The Grim Grotto - continues the adventures in very unique settings. Another thing I love about this series in general is that we have so many different locations, and the Grim Grotto has some great sets. The Baudelaires are picked up by a submarine, the Queequeg, and its strange captain. Being deep below the surface of the sea delivers some of the show's creepier moments, but this also proves to be an important episode as some things that happen will have consequences in the final few episodes. Count Olaf is still on the heels of the children, with Esmé and Carmelita in tow (they really amp up their hilarious villainy). Some of the funniest lines and fashion moments happen in these episodes, and some of the exciting things to look forward to here are the incredible settings, Esmé's choice of dress, caverns of deadly mushrooms, unlikely allies, shocking betrayals, as well as a twist in fortune at the end of the second part.
"Is it safe to eat raw toast?"
The Penultimate Peril is a frustrating experience in that you know the Baudelaire children have come so far and yet they still have so far to go. These are the most hopeful episodes of the series, with the returns of Justice Strauss, Jerome Squalor, Nero Feint and more, and I have to say, out of all the episodes in season three, this one packed quite a punch. I really can't say much without spoiling this one (unless you've read the books already, then you'll know what I mean). The children are now working in a hotel where many people from their past have come for the trial of Count Olaf - which is bonkers, from beginning to end, but with some emotional moments for the children. Honestly, the performances of the main characters - Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes - really solidifies the turmoil they've gone through the past three seasons, that even though this show can be ridiculous at times, there's still a huge amount of heart. So much to look forward to in these episodes, including more answers on Kit Snicket, a dose of espionage, so many returning faces, more death, Count Olaf's trial, and the Baudelaires having their day in court.
"I don't care about some late-series backstory."
We all know how the story goes - we want a happy ending, but this is A Series of Unfortunate Events. The final episode stays true to the spirit of Snicket, and I would like to point out that The End is not a super-sized episode, it's only 51 minutes long, and it's not the longest episode of the season. However, the final episode does well to give us an ending for the children, with some satisfaction sprinkled in along the way. We end up on a small island, inhabited by people led by Ishmael, perfectly played by Peter MacNicol. I loved the island setting, it was beautiful but it also had this sinister undercurrent to it. We have some great flashbacks and answers to series-long questions and backstory that makes this final episode a satisfying one, even if there are still lots of answers left to be discovered. Some of the things to look forward to in this series finale are the beautiful tropical island and the mysteries it holds, old friends, more death, and an ending that feels right for this series.
For fans of the book series, there may not be very many surprises for you, and that's okay because the final season beautifully continues the world of Snicket and the unfortunate orphans. You'll be happy to know this is a faithful season that will satisfy loyal fans of both the books and the show. I was still left begging for more, but we all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we first played that pilot episode. I'm going to miss Neil Patrick Harris's performance as Count Olaf, and he continues to add dimension to his villain even in this final hour, and the devotion and detail by the crew has left me so incredibly happy with this final outing. For fans of the TV series alone, you will get some big answers like who survived the fire, what's the big deal with the sugar bowl, why is Count Olaf the way he is, and so much more. What I love most about the third season is that it continues the cinematic scope of the series so that you could watch every single episode, from The Bad Beginning in season one, to The End in season three, and feel like you're watching one mega-long movie. It's been epic.
It was hard to keep most of my feelings inside for this one, and there's so much to talk about for this season of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Be sure to tune into Netflix when the entire season premieres on January 1st, and I hope you all have a miserable (but totally incredible) time watching it - I know I did.
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Post by deathtentaclesandpip on Dec 17, 2018 23:43:03 GMT -5
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Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 17, 2018 23:45:12 GMT -5
Unless I'm very much mistaken I believe the show already revealed that on Nero's resume during the climax of TAA: Part Two. Nice to see that it appears they're officially saying it on screen, perhaps when they call him up during the trial to give evidence?
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Post by imlarryyourwaiter on Dec 18, 2018 0:01:16 GMT -5
Interesting that there’s at least one episode (maybe more) longer than 51 minutes. My guess is The Penultimate Peril. And both recent reviews have both praised the emotional storytelling of the Baudelaires most likely at their trial, which I am now very excited for.
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Post by veryfakedonkey on Dec 18, 2018 0:16:29 GMT -5
Then that picture found in TIHOSO must be who it looked like.
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Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 18, 2018 1:32:29 GMT -5
Then that picture found in TIHOSO must be who it looked like. The "old friends" likely include Kit as well.
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Post by deathtentaclesandpip on Dec 18, 2018 5:45:50 GMT -5
Unless I'm very much mistaken I believe the show already revealed that on Nero's resume during the climax of TAA: Part Two. Nice to see that it appears they're officially saying it on screen, perhaps when they call him up during the trial to give evidence? Ahh, maybe I missed that. I remember Nero making a comment about the founder of the school or something being a Feint but I don't think I took a good look at the resume. Either way, I think it's a cool tie-in to ATWQ, and I definitely think your trial idea is correct.
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Post by Hermes on Dec 18, 2018 10:20:25 GMT -5
Wow! Not very like his cousin, is he?
I had always supposed that Nero was his surname - though I also took it that he used only one name because he saw himself as a musician first and foremost, and this is something musicians often do, which would allow it to be either a first name or a surname. (The Emperor Nero actually used it as a first name, although it had historically been a surname, in his mother's family.)
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Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 18, 2018 23:46:38 GMT -5
Gamerheadquarters have published a review of Season 3, which they have given a 9/10. It's surprising that the end has already arrived, but after three perfect seasons I'm more than happy with what has been created here. As a big fan of the book series, it's incredible to see such as faithful adaptation as that rarely happens across mediums. They've once again managed to nail the themes and the general world of the series. We do get a shorter season this time around, but that's due to there being fewer books to cover. I should also mention that while this is relatively straight from the source material, some aspects are expanded upon.
That includes some side stories that were set in motion prior, not really getting a conclusion here. Other additions work out in an exciting way. First off, the initial set of episodes covers the "The Slippery Slope". This is a point that was hit right at the end of the last season. New horrors are introduced, the cast is thinned and we get to see a look at what once was. This is followed by "The Grim Grotto" which takes a more submerged style of scenery. That's built up by "The Penultimate Peril" which features a massive ensemble for a key turning point in the mystery. It all gets wrapped up with "The End" which I won't mention anything about. Some episodes are longer than others, and it's a very unbalanced selection of episodes in terms of length.
Not diving into the general narrative too much for those that haven't read the books, the orphans once again find themselves lost. There's not much hope, their connection to various adults has dwindled. It really is about them, and the new people they meet along the way trying to deal with their opposing enemies. That opposing faction is also facing problems as the journey has been rough on both sides. You get to see iconic characters appear, and they were just as whimsical and strange as the books setup them out to be.
I was particularly impressed by Kit Snicket (Allison Williams) and her journey here. Neil Patrick Harris was once get again perfect as Count Olaf and I also thoroughly enjoyed the somber connection from Patrick Warburton's Lemony Snicket. The core orphans were excellent. They nailed the characters and the growth throughout the series was perfect in terms of how they aged, along with how their characters changed. The sets were great, some of the CGI was a bit more glaring in this one. I say that as while it's supposed to be over the top due to the format of this series, some scenes looked off instead of magical.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 3 was a perfect way to conclude this series. They did an excellent job in adapting the source material, fans of the books should be more than happy. They even expanded upon some concepts with new back story aspects being shown and that's something the books just couldn't convey. You get a better look at the heritage of what caused the great schism, which adds more of a dimension to the villains and it's integrated well.
I did feel some aspects were dropped over the course of this and I would have liked more of a wrap up for other characters. I'm very happy it finished with a defined ending and that it was a concise presentation of the source material. It felt on tone with the rest of the series while bringing more wild locations, another set of crazy characters and of course a general conclusion with a sweet little extra. Few things get adapted well and I'm just grateful to see this franchise get a proper show as a Netflix Original series.
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Onder
Reptile Researcher
Posts: 28
Likes: 22
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Post by Onder on Dec 20, 2018 1:20:26 GMT -5
I actually think *The End* will benefit greatly from being only an episode long. One of the most common critiques of the Netflix show is that it can feel a bit bloated at times, so it'll be interesting to see a more reigned-in adaptation. Excited to see Peter MacNicol's portrayal of Ishmael!
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Post by deathtentaclesandpip on Dec 23, 2018 23:34:41 GMT -5
Any new ones recently?
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Post by mizbizsav on Dec 25, 2018 23:39:59 GMT -5
I haven't seen any since the one gothicarchiesfan posted about. We should be getting an influx of reviews this week since there's only one week left! And hopefully, when sites like IGN and DigitMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOy post reviews, we should be getting a more in-depth evaluation of the season.
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Post by deathtentaclesandpip on Dec 26, 2018 20:14:39 GMT -5
I haven't seen any since the one gothicarchiesfan posted about. We should be getting an influx of reviews this week since there's only one week left! And hopefully, when sites like IGN and DigitMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOy post reviews, we should be getting a more in-depth evaluation of the season. Thanks! I'm clearly just getting pretty desperate for literally anything I can get my hands on!
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