Fans who have already binged their way through the second season probably recognized several faces: Less Than Perfect's Sara Rue and There's… Johnny!'s Roger Bart, who more recently appeared in another Netflix series, Grace and Frankie. Veep's Tony Hale was also joined alongside Lucy Punch, who you may remember from Ben and Kate and Ella Enchanted.

Castle and Firefly lovers were probably most excited to see the appearance of the one and only Nathan Fillion, who made his debut as Lemony Snicket's brother, Jacques Snicket. 

A near tonal opposite of the story's beloved but sobering narrator, the role sees Fillion stepping back into shoes Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog fans are quite familiar with: Neil Patrick Harris's foil. 

While promoting A Series of Unfortunate Events at this year's WonderCon, Fillion spoke to TV Fanatic about joining the grim and beautiful universe, what he most liked about playing Jacques, and what it's like working alongside both Harris and babies. 

What drew you to want to work on A Series of Unfortunate Events? 

It’s such a beautiful program. My God, it’s so good. Spooky painting, you know what I mean? Just really gross place you wouldn’t wanna live and it’s so gorgeous. You’re just like, “It’s captivating.” It’s written so eloquently.

The rhythms are so attractive. There’s so much going on in one scene and then the chance to work with Neil again? I mean, why not? Of course, I would do that. We slip into the roles that we’re both very, very comfortable with. Playing enemies. It's a win-win.

Related: A Series of Unfortunate Events Review: Netflix's Best Show Yet

You’re facing Neil Patrick Harris again. How did this happen?

I imagine Neil Patrick Harris was sitting with his morning coffee saying, “We need someone I can really hate. Who would be the perfect nemesis? The perfect enemy?.” Me. Yeah, and it's me. I love working with Neil.

Neil does such great work. Gosh, he does such great work. I watched the first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events and then I got a text from Neil saying, “Hey, keep your eyes open. We’re gonna send you a little something when, maybe, it comes on again.”

So you're playing the brother to one of the story's grimmest characters. What is the best thing about that?

I think he has an immutable goodness about him. I think Lemony Snicket is a depressed guy because he’s been through a great deal but in the timeline, Jacques didn’t have to experience all that horribleness. There’s some bad things going on certainly but Jacques still has a lot of hope and a lot of drive for deviance. 

Have you read the books? Or did you read to prepare for your role?

No, I hadn't read the books. I remember the first movie way back when and I thought it was super cool, but it could’ve used more. And here we are.

So you watched the first season. Was there any particular villain, parental figure or story that you were really enraptured by?

Here’s something that drove me crazy. It’s such an amazing world and there is so much beauty in it, that the kids are the smartest guys in the room. Always, gets a little frustrating for me. I’m that guy. But I can see how the entirety is satisfying for a younger audience watching it and wanting some credit. So, kids being treated like kids, I couldn't get exhausted by that.

[Sunny] is the smartest one in the room then.

There we go. Boom. You’re talking about cute little actors? That baby is on it.

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Babies can be hard. Critics can be wary of babies because babies are typically things that you just move or move around. But Sunny is a very active participant in the world.

You look at a baby and you just think, “Okay, what are my expectations?” But they just look at the baby and go, “Hey, that was great. Can you hold the giraffe up a little higher? And just stretch up the image so we get a little more. Look over here.” Then, boom. Got it. She’s so easy that baby. I’m telling you, it’s ridiculous.

Were there any memorable behind the scenes moments working with the cast on this season? Or moments that really stuck with you from working on this show?

You know, making TV is not rocket science, but it takes a group effort. It takes a team. You need people who are good with organizing, you need people with the money to back it, you need people to hire the right people for the right jobs. It's time intensive. It's a lot of work that goes into it.

So when I come to work the full day through and there's gonna be a lot going on and there's gonna be a lot expected of you but you're a part of the machine.

When I come to work and Neil Patrick Harris has already been there for two and a half hours in a chair doing stuff to his face and he's going to be there for an hour after I leave getting it taken off his face. Then he's coming back the very next day to start the whole thing all over again. I mean, that's a lot of work. 

So you would rather not have a part that requires a lot of makeup?

Jacques Snicket is the perfect role for me. Go on in, put a mustache on me, wig my hair back and then in two weeks, I’m done. I’m out. I come back a week later, I got another two weeks and I'm done. That’s it. I’ve put some time in but nothing like the colossal effort that they do. I come in, I dip my toe in and then I walk away. That’s actually what I do.

Related: A Series of Unfortunate Events Gets March Return Date, New Teaser

You were just in Santa Clarita Diet, doing the same thing.

Doing the same thing. You know what? I'm gonna be really honest. I think my career is basically a long line of riding coattails. But my gift is knowing which coattails to ride.

You spent so many years working on shows like Castle and Firefly – all on network television. Did you find any difference doing a show for Netflix?

The day to day is the same. The work is the same. The kinds of projects are I’d say, different. I think Netflix takes a lot more risks when it comes to “Let’s see if this sticks.” I think networks have a finite amount that show they could do any of that.

Networks have a whole lot of concern about, “If we put this on in a very important time slot and it doesn’t survive, that’s our investment. Whereas Netflix is a different animal. They take more risks and once your project is out there, it's accessible at any point in time. If you didn't tune in on Wednesday, that's totally good. You can still binge-watching on Thursday.

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The post A Series of Unfortunate Events: Nathan Fillion on Stepping Into His Role, and Playing Against Neil Patrick Harris (Again) appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 7 and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 8, the children got closer to the truth as they found themselves working in the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill. 

Now, I need to speak about the reveal that Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders were not actually Bertrand and Beatrice Baudelaire.

That floored me. The kids walking towards that yellow door definitely made me think we were getting to watch the reunion play out. 

However, the constant sense of dread that seeps from every single scene of the show should have sent alarm bells ringing as soon as it was "revealed" that they were alive. 

In the grand scheme of things, it made sense because it helped set up the plot at Prufrock Preparatory School for both the Baudelaires and the Quagmires.

Additionally, if you're a fan of the books, then you probably already know who set the fire at the Quagmire mansion, but that will no doubt be covered in the first few episodes of Season 2.

Sir: They’re not anywhere nearby, are they?

Violet: They died in a fire.

Sir: Good. What goes around comes around.

_{🔗 permalink: Good. What goes around comes around.}

With that plot aside, working at the lumber mill was definitely the worst job in the entire world. Hypnotizing people to do what you want is pretty grim. 

Catherine O'Hara was a delight as Georgina Orwell.

She played Justice Strauss in the original movie, so it was exciting to watch her in a new role this time around. 

Georgina was silly to even entertain the thought of working with Count Olaf.

Two power hungry people working together was never going to end well. 

Georgina's end differed from the books, too. Somehow, I think  having her cut into smithereens by the log cutter would have been a little too…graphic…even for Netflix. 

Count Olaf's latest disguise as Shirley was not my favorite, but it was better than Captain Sham.

Seriously, there's nothing this dude would not do in order to get his grubby hands on the Baudelaire fortune. 

Violet: Why do you hate us so much?

Olaf: Because it’s fun.

_{🔗 permalink: Because it’s fun.}

Mr. and Mrs. Poe showing up was one of the more annoying developments of the final two episodes, but it did lay the groundwork for the kids to wind up at Prufrock.

As soon as Mrs. Poe made it her mission to go after the children, it was clear she would use all of her crafty skills to ensure she would secure leads to write up another exploitative piece for the Daily Punctilio. 

With her husband's job at risk, there was no way she was not going to sleuth her way to the truth. She's definitely someone who gets things done, that's for sure. 

Don Johnson was the perfect person to play Sir. He effortlessly brought the character to life and I could not imagine anyone else in the role. 

With the kids wondering why their parents were being ruled as the ones to star the fire which destroyed the town, it was only natural that they would seek out the truth. 

These kids have been holding out hope for so long that they will get all of the answers about what really happened with their parents, but there was no way they were going to believe their parents were guilty. 

These episodes were a thrilling close to the first season of this Netflix series. Getting to see The Miserable Mill adapted for the first time was an excellent experience. 

There are still a lot of characters I can't wait to meet from the books, and I would love if the next batch of episodes were out this year, but that's doubtful. 

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Other tidbits from the final episodes:

• Characters being hypnotized can really make or break a show, but the solid writing helped it flourish. 

• Five minutes for a lunch break is not something that anyone would ever agree to. 

• Klaus questioning Georgina's ethics was hilarious. This kid is one of the smartest on TV. 

• Did anyone else feel bad for Charles? Everybody seemed to be using him. 

• Did Olaf and Lemony Snicket go to the same school?

• Jacquelyn sending Klaus the telescope was just perfect. 

What did you think of the conclusion? Sound off below!

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The post Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Finale Review: The Miserable Mill appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 5 and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 6 struggled with some serious pacing issues. 

These were the first episodes that really made me think that novel could have been adapted over just one episode. Aunt Josephine was never my favorite character in the books, but Alfre Woodard turned in a solid performance. 

My main issue with the character was her complaining about everything that could go wrong, but then she revealed she put gasoline in her watercraft. I mean, did she not realize she was scared to switch on a light just a few scenes earlier?

Josephine: It’s a good thing I remembered to put gas in my recreational watercraft.

_{🔗 permalink: It’s a good thing I remembered to put gas in my recreational watercraft.}

I completely understand that the line about the gasoline was thrown in purely for the comical value, but it was the first time that the jokes on the show got annoying. 

We were promised that Aunt Josephine would be the ones to hold all of the answers for the children, but instead, she just kept us guessing for longer. 

I know she was lonely, but what the heck was she playing at by bring Captain Sham back after speaking to him for a mere few moments?

Josephine: Follow me, but mind the rug. You might slip and break your necks.

_{🔗 permalink: Follow me, but mind the rug. You might slip and break your necks.}

If she was that scared of what could wrong in situations, getting flirty with anyone before learning about them was just so damn out of character. 

What if he was an estate agent, or something? We all know just how much she despises them. Either way, another one of the Baudelaire guardians has bit the dust. 

Neil Patrick Harris continued to prove that he was the right person for the role. Captain Sham was great, but I'm surprised he actually believed Josephine had killed herself. 

The smashed part of the window was clearly the statue that was in the room earlier.

I have to give a shout to the special effects during the hurricane. It was visually stunning… like something you would expect from a big budget movie spectacular. 

With Mother and Father flying over the children as they fought the leeches off, it seemed like there was a very real possibility of the parents finally meeting up with the children.

I mean, we're nearly finished with the season and they have still yet to cross paths. Yes, I know they are dead in the books, but this is one of those plots that should not be dragged out for very long. 

With the kids finally realizing that Mr. Poe was useless as a sack of potatoes, I have hope that the season is going to end in a good place. 

With all of the things Mr. Poe has gotten wrong, it's a miracle the children are still alive. Now, they're on their way to Lucky Smells Lumbermill. 

Olaf: The banker’s buying.

Mr. Poe: Oh, okay, then.

_{🔗 permalink: Oh, okay, then.}

They seem to think they're in for a happy ending to their tale, but there's nothing happy about what goes on in this show. Haven't you been paying attention to our good friend Lemony Snicket, who has told us several times to just give up?

Kidding aside, the adaptation of "The Wide Window" definitely lacked the spark that made the first four episodes flourish. Thankfully, The Miserable Mill was not adapted to movie, so we're finally getting to some of the stuff we've only read about. 

All things considered, a slower paced outing of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is still a cut above most of the other TV shows on the air right now. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• The leeches were scary creatures, but the kids should have just thrown Aunt Josephine into the water. They were really willing to die for her. 
• How will Mr. Poe feel about the children running off? Will that be the thing that forces him to be a better person and actually take on board what these children have to say?
• I want to know who the heck the man who was working in the restaurant was talking to on the phone. That will prove integral to unraveling what is really going on. 
• Cold Cucumber soup sounds like the worst soup, like, ever. Keep your soup to yourself, Aunt Josephine!
• The kids eating peppermint to get out of a situation proved the lengths they were willing to go to in order to get away from all of the villains. 

What did you think of the latest episodes? Were you enthralled by "The Wide Window"?

Check back tomorrow for our review of the final two episodes!

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The post Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Review: The Wide Window appeared first on TV Fanatic.

That was one of the key things we learned on Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 3 and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 4. 

With the kids finally making their way to Montgomery Montgomery's house, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Count Olaf would be far behind. 

His latest disguise as Stephano was a stark contrast to his Olaf and it really helped give Neil Patrick Harris another fun character to play. 

The thing I love about the Baudelaire children is that they can tell pretty much straight off the bat whenever Count Olaf is in disguise. It must be such a struggle for them to try and explain it to everyone. 

Then again, when you have the likes of Mr. Poe trying to throw you off to the highest bidder, you kind of have to be a good judge of character. 

Count Olaf: Good morning. I am Stefano. Montgomery Montgomery’s new assistant.

Klaus: It’s afternoon and you’re Count Olaf.

_{🔗 permalink: It’s afternoon and you’re Count Olaf.}

Monty's death should have come as no surprise to fans of the book, but Count Olaf's flawed plan was hilarious. a two-pronged syringe with poison may have been a good plan… at least to him. 

However, as Monty educated the kids about them, there was no way the viper would have been the one to kill its owner. It sucks that we did not get to spend more time with Monty. 

Outsmarting the two pale faced sisters and all of the stuff with the secret codes in the cinema was just gold. Aasif Mandvi was infinitely more likable in the role than Billy Connolly was in the movie.

Maybe he'll show back up at some point through flashbacks. One can hope. 

Olaf's plan to take just Violet to Peru was a surprisingly logical one for the likes of him. This is the guy who thinks it's alright to chase children up a set of stairs with a knife. 

The house being placed under quarantine was pretty hilarious. Say what you want about Count Olaf, but it's pretty clear he's a man who is not going to give up. 

He does not give a damn about what he does to get what he wants. However, it's becoming increasingly clearer that he knows a whole lot more about the parents than we first thought. 

Oh, and he also has some sort of past with Jacquelyn. Playing a statue must have been a tough task for Sara Canning, but the telescope kind of made it clear that the statue was not ordinary. 

The sad thing about all of it is that Jacquelyn gave the kids false hope. Telling them they would get answers from Aunt Josephine was not all that comforting. 

You would think she would have at least given them some tidbits of information. What if they never even made it to Lachrymose? 

There just seems to be a lot of people out for these kids and it's pretty sad. 

Klaus: the movie is English, why does the movie have subtitles?

Monty: Klaus, all the best movies have subtitles.

_{🔗 permalink: Klaus, all the best movies have subtitles.}

With all of that in mind, the exchange between Olaf and Jacquelyn on the boat was hilarious. How silly was Jacquelyn to believe that a spider was on her?

The only good thing that came for the exchange was that Jacquelyn got what was left of Klaus' telescope back. 

All things considered, this was a stellar follow up to the first two episodes. There were even more laughs, drama and peril for the Baudelaire children. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• Olaf throwing the lamp out the window was another perfect moment. Poor Monty was going on about him hatching a plan for an escape. 
• The parents being in Peru gave me hope that the children would meet them, but this show just seems to want to keep a level of dread pretty high in our minds. There's still time. 
• Can Mr. Poe just disappear? He's the worst banker in the world. 

What did you think of the episodes? 

Sound off below!

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Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 1 and Lemony A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 2 essentially covered the events of The Bad Beginning, which was the first book in the wildly popular book series. 

There was just something about these kids that held my attention throughout the two episodes. The acting from Malina Weissman (Violet), Louis Hynes (Klaus) and Presley Smith (Sunny) was just breathtaking. 

All three turned in riveting performances as the children lost their parents in a house fire. The story is one that definitely tugs at the heart strings. 

Being sent to live with someone who is trying to steal your fortune sounds like something ripped straight from a daytime soap opera. But the execution on this series really goes above and beyond to immerse viewers. 

Mother: I’m worried about the children.

Father: Me, too. They’re in danger, I know it.

Mother: We need to get to them.

Father: We need to get out of here first.

Mother: What’s that thing Einstein said?

_{🔗 permalink: What’s that thing Einstein said?}

The addition of the sub-plot about the parents was AMAZING. Who would have thought that there was even a glimmer of hope that these kids would still have parents?

Cool kids really need cool parents, and that's where Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders come into play. Who knew the series would be staging a How I Met Your Mother reunion?

Generally, fans can be very picky about the source material being messed with, but something about the parents being kidnapped and trying to work their way to their children really ups the tension for the TV iteration. 

It was clear straight off the bat that there was a larger conspiracy at play and that conspiracy is going to be hanging over us all season long as we try to piece together the little nuggets we are given on an episodic basis. 

Where the movie went wrong, the first two episodes got it right. These stories needed to be told over a longer arc to flourish and that's why the first book split into two episodes worked really well. 

There was a lot more time for the world to be created, and for viewers to understand the severity of the Baudelaire childrens' situation. 

These kids are not going to be able to stop moving from guardian-to-guardian for long. If Count Olaf was willing to murder one of them in order to get married to the eldest, there's absolutely no way the three kids are going to get out of their mess unscathed. 

A great trait with all three of the children is that they can tell when someone is lying to them and they are not afraid to call the person out on it. 

This rung true in every scene that included Olaf. Olaf was definitely not very well educated. He hated that fact that the children could problem solve their way out of anything. 

Count Olaf: You’re a little old for a girl scout.

Justice Strauss: I’m Justice Strauss.

Count Olaf: I don’t know you.

Justice Strauss: I’m your neighbor. I live across the street.

_{🔗 permalink: I’m your neighbor. I live across the street.}

Justice Strauss wanted to take the children in… that was very clear. Deep down, she was bored with her life and was looking for some fulfillment. 

That explained why she was so warm and welcoming to the Baudelaire orphans. Considering the way her storyline ended with the whole secret organizations book, it's obvious we will be seeing more from her at some point. 

Count Olaf: They don’t want to see you.

Justice Strauss: Are you sure? What did they say?

Count Olaf: The lamb was too salty.

Justice Strauss: Oh, okay.

_{🔗 permalink: Oh, okay.}

Jacquelyn was one of the most intriguing characters. Initially appearing as Mr. Poe's assistant, it seemed as though she was going to have a quick death in order for one of Count Olaf's henchmen to take on the role. 

Fortunately, Gustav was the one to die. I can't be the only one who thought that Gustav was going turn on Jacquelyn in the tunnel. Something just seemed very odd about the way he was acting. 

Jacquelyn will prove integral for the children to find out the truth about their parents, and I hope she becomes a regular. She was great!

Another great thing about the series was the dialog. Seriously, this show will probably go down as one of the most quotable series out there. 

"The Bad Beginning" was a perfect opener to a series that is already up there as Netflix's best. There's no chance of the series falling off the rails with this level of talent. 

Other tidbits from the episodes:

• Eleanor Poe was a vile opportunist. All she wanted was for Mr. Poe to get his promotion and to milk the predicament the kids were in to sell more copies of her newspaper. 
• Mr. Poe is hardly competent, either. He would not shut up about being the number one banker. These kids had just lost their parents, and he did not give a damn about them. All he cared about was throwing the kids to whichever person would take them.
• Sunny playing poker with Fernald Widdershins was freaking hilarious. A baby bet him at poker and managed to kidnap him. What the heck?
• Violet revealing the marriage was invalid was great. The reaction on Olaf's face was amazing. 

What did you think of the first two episodes? 

Sound off below!

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The post Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: The Miserable Mill: Part Two appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The parents are not the Baudelaire parents. They are the Quagmire parents.

Mr. Poe was the person calling. 
 

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