The Baudelaires went from a horrendous guardian in “The Bad Beginning” to a wonderful one in “The Reptile Room.” After poor Uncle Monty’s murder, A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episodes 5 and 6, “The Wide Window,” takes them to Josephine Anwhistle — a woman who is kind-hearted, but not an ideal guardian.
Josephine is pretty much exactly the same as she is in the books. She’s frightened of everything, loves grammar and misses her husband. She has good intentions when she takes the children in, but her fears make her selfish at times, leaving the Baudelaires to handle things themselves.
Alfre Woodard brings a likability to the character, who could easily be annoying in a poorer portrayal. She doesn’t have Monty’s energy or silliness, but she brings her own humor to part, and she has fun chemistry with Neil Patrick Harris as Captain Sham.
The only real change made to Josephine is that other characters frequently refer to her as “fierce and formidable,” and old photos show that she used to be more adventurous and unafraid. The only affect this really has, however, is it brings up viewers’ hopes that Josephine might find her bravery again. Of course, she never really does.
One of the characters who calls her “fierce and formidable” is Larry, the Anxious Clown waiter who is actually a V.F.D. member. Like “Zombies in the Snow,” Larry had a small part in the book, but more information on him is revealed in “Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.”
The books don’t often stray from the Baudelaires’ point of view, but “The Wide Window” shows an entire confrontation between Olaf and Larry, in which they discuss their secret organization and even mention Snicket himself.
Everything about the V.F.D. is so secretive that it can be confusing to keep track of it all at times in the books, so this scene is an interesting and welcome addition that gives viewers a few more hints while still keeping the Baudelaires in the dark.
So far, the adjustments that have been made from page to screen have all been improvements on the source material, but in “The Wide Window,” there’s a change that’s not a good thing at all.
Two moments when Violet is supposed to get to save the day are partially taken away from her, and it’s both disappointing and troubling.
In the book, it’s her idea to give the three siblings allergic reactions from the peppermints so they can escape brunch with Olaf and Poe, but in the show, Larry plants the idea in their heads.
In the book, Violet figures out everything they need to do to signal for help on the lake, including how to start a fire. On the show, she has the idea to make a torch, but she has to ask Klaus how to light it, and he’s the one who remembers the scientific principles of the convergence and refraction of light. His words on the show are from her thought process in the book.
Klaus already has his own moment to shine in “The Wide Window” — he’s the one who notices the code in Josephine’s fake suicide note, and he figures it out without Violet’s help — so why doesn’t Violet get her own moment to shine without Klaus’s help?
Plus, in these first few episodes, Klaus has been the one asking most of the questions about V.F.D. It’s his idea to look in Josephine’s safe, and he pushes Josephine for answers on the boat. Violet has questions too, but Klaus is more outspoken about it.
Violet and Klaus are supposed to be equals in intelligence, just with different areas of expertise, so it’s a little troubling that Violet doesn’t get the credit she deserves. Hopefully, future episodes will feature more of her inventions and will let her be the one to get everyone out of a sticky situation.
Overall, Josephine is an entertaining character and Captain Sham is a funny disguise, but there’s just something lacking about the show’s third two-part installment. It drags a bit at times, especially during Part One, but things do improve in Part Two.
“The Wide Window” ends with one more departure from the books — the Baudelaires sneak off to go to Lucky Smells Lumbermill on their own because they believe they’ll find more answers about their parents.
Already it’s clear the final two-part installment of A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 will hold some surprises for fans as it brings the first part of the Baudelaires’ tale to an end.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
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