A Series of Unfortunate Events season 3, episode 3 recap: The Grim Grotto: Part One

A Series of Unfortunate Events heads under the sea as the Baudelaires attempt to reach the Last Safe Place.

A Series of Unfortunate Events is all about the sea life over the next two episodes, and it’s quite entertaining. In the last episode, the Baudelaires came across a submarine. They insist on being let in and when they are, they meet a young woman named Fiona.

Almost immediately, Klaus is smitten over this intelligent, sassy girl, but Violet, on the other hand, not so much. The girl’s full name is Fiona Windershins and she is the captain of the submarine. It was her stepfather’s but he went missing so now she is in charge. She appears to know all about the Baudelaires and their unfortunate luck thanks to the Daily Punctilio. They get the news underwater huh?

Violet is hoping to hitch an underwater ride to the Last Safe Place, but Fiona is currently in a mission of her own. Enter, the infamous sugar bowl. Not much is known about this bowl except for that it’s really important, and everyone wants it. Because of her mission, Fiona refuses to take the Baudelaires anywhere until she’s done.

Credit: Netflix

Klaus jumps at the opportunity to help her because the meeting is a few days away, and they can afford to give her some time. Whether it’s the fact that her brother found a crush and hers is off somewhere or if she just doesn’t like Fiona is yet to be known. But Violet is not happy about Violet’s decision and Klaus’ eagerness to help.

As always, Count Olaf is not far behind and conveniently finds a place to rent a submarine. Apparently, his mentors already knew they’d need one so they reserved one under Esme’s name. Dang, they really don’t like Olaf, huh?

In the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, the Baudelaires were in a lumber mill and met a man named Phil. Well, guess what? He’s working in the submarine as a cook and loves it. Mind you, he’s the most optimistic man ever so nothing can really ever seem grim to him. In any case, the kids are really happy to see a familiar face that isn’t trying to murder or kidnap them.

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Meanwhile, Quigley heads to the Department of Orphan Affairs and ends up meeting Kit. Very quickly, he learns that she is part of VFD and someone who can help him. Side note: Mr. Poe is utterly useless and doesn’t help Quigley at all, but are we surprised?

Violet wasn’t given much to do on the submarine so while she just roamed about, Klaus and Fiona researched currents to see where the sugar bowl could be.

They learn about a grotto near a place called Anwhistle Aquatics. It used to be a center of some sort, and not so shockingly is connected to their Aunt Josephine.

Despite figuring out the location of the sugar bowl, Fiona is unsure she wants to proceed. That’s enough to piss Violet off who just wants to get to the Last Safe Place. With Fiona cramping her style, the two are certainly not shaping up to be BFF’s anytime soon.

And if things aren’t frustrating enough, Count Olaf stumbles across Fiona’s submarine, finding the kids once again. However, there is a creature lurking about the water that is referred to as the Great Unknown. It nearly attacks the sub but Fiona has them turn everything off so it will go away. It almost gets to Count Olaf’s but they end up running into Fiona’s sub instead.

Credit: Netflix

Making themselves comfortable, Olaf and the crew hop onto the sub and begin looking for who is there. While they find the Baudelaires and Phil, Fiona sends out an SOS that is received by Kit. She’s alerted to them needing help and replies back. Unfortunately, Fernald finds Fiona and the machine.

Esme finds out that the kids know the sugar bowl’s location so they are sent out to the grotto to retrieve it. Violet sees this as an opportunity to escape, but crazy in love Klaus isn’t going to leave Fiona behind. Come on boy, you’ve known her for like two seconds. Their retrieval mission ends up being a fail because the sugar bowl is gone.

Do you want to know who has it? QUIGLEY! He was sent by VFD to get it and as Violet tries to rush up the ladder to get to Quigley, they are once again separated. A fungus starts spreading down the ladder and all over the grotto so the Baudelaires have to make an exit quick before they are exposed to it.

With no sugar bowl in hand, the Baudelaires head back to the submarine scared as to how Count Olaf will react. But, unfortunately, there’s a slightly bigger issue at hand. The fungus is spreading all over Sunny’s helmet. Uh oh.