Lucy Punch as Esmé Squalor Succeeds Where Count Olaf Fails
I have kept spoilers for season two at a minimum, but if you have read the books, you should be good.
British actress Lucy Punch joined the cast of A Series of Unfortunate Events in the third episode of season two, first introduced as one of the new guardians of the three Baudelaire children, then revealed as Count Olaf’s new romantic partner and accomplice. The show, based off of the book series of the same name by Lemony Snicket (a pen name and character by Daniel Handler), aired on Netflix in early 2017, with its second season appearing on the platform in March 2018. Punch as Esmé Squalor has proven herself to be a necessary addition to the troupe of villains, especially as to play the role of the threatening force that Neil Patrick Harris cannot provide.
When I originally heard that Harris was cast as Count Olaf, I felt a wave of disappointment. Ever since his role on How You Met Your Mother as Barney Stinson and the show’s unfolding popularity, his future performance roles took note, and since then, I have not seen Harris play out a character role without some kind of inspiration from Barney. (If you are curious about characters he approached seriously, log onto your Amazon Prime account and watch season one, episode five of Numb3rs, “Prime Suspect”. Fun Fact: His wife in the episode is played by fellow Broadway veteran Susan Egan.) After the first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events was put onto Netflix, my concerns about the portrayal of Count Olaf were validated.
It was not as bad as I thought it would be, but it was a performance I definitely was not fond of. I wouldn’t even say Harris’ interpretation was bad — I can watch it without strong negative feelings (for the most part), but it is hardly remarkable. If I had not read the book series, I would probably be questioning whether or not Count Olaf was really capable of committing all of those atrocities, especially since many of them are done off-camera. Despite his threatening qualities, he truly is a ridiculous character, but the studios, when casting for the part, seem to solely want to focus on how silly he is than on the real threat he poses to the Baudelaires. Committing multiple murders, attempting to take a child bride, kidnapping, etc. — do we really think that the stereotypical persona of Jim Carrey is what we need for this role? The absurdity of his character and the storylines do not need to be emphasized.
A small criticism of the Netflix series I have in general is that no one seems to be on the same page about how to act their parts. Is it funny and flamboyant? Dark and serious? How do you pull off Daniel Handler’s sense of humor? In the first season, Aasif Mandvi did a good job with this balancing act, making me genuinely sad when Uncle Monty was killed off by the beginning of the fourth episode. Lucy Punch, in the second season, not only had the comedy down, but supplied the venom that made Esmé intimidating when she needed to be.
My fear of Count Olaf was supplied only because I had been conditioned to associate his presence with everything bad. The other characters have told us that he is an evil man, so I must believe them. Esmé, on the other hand, is a force to be reckoned with, best showcased in her scene in the Library of Records at the Heimlich Hospital. Other characters don’t need to tell me what an atrocious person she is because I can see it in her words and in her actions. I did not believe, for one second, that she would spare anyone’s life to get one step closer to achieving her objective. Punch knows how to approach the contrast between funny and scary, all within a single character. Esmé, fully realized with quirks and foul motivations, was portrayed in a way that made these qualities believable for the audience.
While Esmé was certainly a highlight from this season, she was not the only entertaining element. More secondary characters were added (expanded on or not from the books), resulting in the continuation of side-plots from season one. With each new location the Baudelaire children visit, we learn more about the mysterious world their parents and some of their guardians inhabited, making it more interesting than watching a Scooby Doo-like plot over and over again. Whether you liked the first season or were on-the-fence about it, the second season should be up your alley. If you haven’t already, head over to Netflix to continue on with the series.
