A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Complete Season 2 Recap

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The Carnivorous Carnival: Part Two

And just like that, we are at the season two finale of A Series of Unfortunate Events. As expected, nothing worked in the poor Baudelaire orphans’ favor. And if you thought any episode before this was sad for them, you are in for a sad, sad awakening.

To up the ante at the carnival and attract more of a crowd, Olaf decides to pick one of the “freaks” to become a meal for the starving lions he has brought in. Esme, still bothered by Madame Lulu’s presence, tries to convince the group to push Lulu into the pit instead, promising them a job in Olaf’s troop.

Meanwhile, the Baudelaires are planning to escape with Olivia in a rollercoaster car. They want to head to the VFD headquarters to see if one of their parents is truly alive. Unfortunately, Olivia doesn’t make it to the end of the episode, because it is she who becomes the lion’s feast. In an effort to protect Violet and Klaus, who are actually picked to be thrown into the pit, she pushes them away and ends up sacrificing herself.

This leaves the orphans to fend for themselves once again–a narrative that is at the core of A Series of Unfortunate Events. We learn that the divide in the original VFD was due to half the members wanting to put out fires, while the other half (cough, Olaf, cough) wanted to start them. Fires have been at the epicenter of the series since the start, and Olaf decides the troop will leave the carnival behind and burn it down–including all the information about their parents in Lulu’s wagon.

The season ends on a cliffhanger — literally. Olaf places Violet and Klaus in a wagon attached to his car, while Sunny is sitting next to him. He reveals that he has known the Baudelaire children were in disguise this entire time, and has the troop cut the rope attaching the wagon to the car. Violet and Klaus are seen inside the wagon as it heads towards the cliff–waiting to plunge to their death, while Sunny is now under Olaf’s custody. Sigh.

And if you were waiting all season to see Allison Williams, A Series of Unfortunate Events gives us a tiny glimpse at her in the final moments as she arrives at the burned down carnival.

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Who exactly is she? Could she be the Baudelaires’ mother? And why did she take the sugar bowl from the hospital, and better yet why is it is so important? We have no idea where the story is headed (unless, of course, you’ve read the books), but we hope that there is a happier ending for the orphans in the final season. One can hope, right?