In this instalment, the Baudelaires finally arrive at the ‘last safe place’, the Hotel Denouement, where they hope to convene with the surviving members of VFD. This aspect ended up being a bit underwhelming, as the Baudelaires ultimately have to burn the hotel and escape to signal to the rest of VFD that the ‘last safe place’ has been infiltrated by their enemies; this makes the name of the Hotel Denouement a bit of a misnomer, as we don’t get any real resolution.

The significance of the sugar bowl remains unknown to the reader, and although its location is now (implied to be) known no actual attempt is made to retrieve it; at this stage I think it would be better to reveal a little more, otherwise it’s unclear whether it serves more purpose to the plot than merely that of a macguffin or a red herring. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the ‘secret triplet’ plot twist, even if it is the second time we’ve had it. The Scalia joke made me laugh a lot as well.

The Baudelaires once again have to disguise themselves to evade the police, this time as concierges (but really acting as flaneurs ‘observers’), and consequently find themselves inadvertently assisting the villains, because they have to see to their requests (for a harpoon gun and to hang flypaper) in order to remain undercover. This comes to a head in the courtroom drama scene, in which Olaf explains rather convincingly that the Baudelaires’ guardians did more to enable his nefarious deeds by giving in to him than even his own henchmen did, and points out the ways that the Baudelaires have failed to adhere to their own moral standards. The testimonies of most of the minor characters also play into the view that the Baudelaires are ‘troublemakers’, though we readers know that trouble finds them. This fully lays bare the theme of moral ambiguity, and does so very effectively, but I would have liked a proper verdict rather than avoiding making a commitment of judgement by cutting the scene short.

The fact that the Baudelaires have become more like Olaf is further emphasised by the parallels in their backstories (since we find out that Olaf is also an orphan, and that his parents were murdered too) and in the decision to leave with him as fugitives rather than going with Justice Strauss and trusting the authorities to deliver justice properly. Just as it is not possible to tell the identical twins Frank and Ernest apart, although one is good and one is evil, we cannot always tell whether a person is good or bad, especially based on an immediate, superficial glance.