Arthur Poe {{Infobox character
Arthur Poe is a banker at Mulctuary Money Management in charge of the Baudelaire and Quagmire fortunes and the Baudelaire orphans' guardianship. He is distinguished by a congenital cough, purblind demeanour, and general inefficacy in caring for the Baudelaire and Quagmire children. Poe is the first to bring the news of Bertrand and Beatrice's death to the Baudelaire children who were at Briny Beach. As executor of the Baudelaire estate, he interprets the will's instructions that the children "be raised in the most convenient way possible", meaning they should remain within the city limits, and arranges for their distant relative Count Olaf to take custody. When the Baudelaires contact Poe at Mulctuary Money Management to report Olaf's abuse, the banker points out that Olaf is acting
in loco parentis, and can raise them as he sees fit. However, when Olaf traps Sunny in a birdcage and attempts to force Violet to marry him during the play while exposing his plot, Poe invokes
citizen's arrest just prior to Count Olaf's escape. Since then, Arthur Poe tries to find a suitable guardian to watch over the kids although is often quite unhelpful. The Baudelaires are unable to contact him after the events of
The Vile Village. However, Poe is one of the few people to maintain the Baudelaires' innocence. In the 2004 film, Arthur Poe drives a
Tatra 603 and is portrayed by
Timothy Spall. In the video game adaptation, he is voiced by
Daniel Hagen. In the 2017 TV series, he is portrayed by
K. Todd Freeman.
Baudelaire family members Beatrice Baudelaire Beatrice Baudelaire was the wife of Bertrand Baudelaire and the mother of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. She is known to have been an actress, a lion-tamer and a "baticeer" (bat trainer). Lemony Snicket was in love with Beatrice and they almost got married, but Beatrice married Bertrand instead, supposedly because she believed that Lemony was dead after his obituary appeared in
The Daily Punctilio newspaper. Besides this, various other hints are dispensed throughout the series as to why she called off the marriage. Since then, there have been many theories about it. Lemony had dedicated all the books in
A Series of Unfortunate Events to Beatrice, however, the reader does not learn that she is actually the Baudelaires' mother until the final book. According to
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, Snicket was at one point mistakenly reported by the notoriously inaccurate
Daily Punctilio as dead. In
The Grim Grotto, Lemony makes reference to Captain Widdershins's having convinced Beatrice that a story in a newspaper was true, which could be the report of his death. The other evidence for her belief was that she had planned to name Violet 'Lemony' had she been a boy, in accordance with the family custom of naming a child after a dead friend. We can assume that Beatrice at one time believed that Snicket was dead. When Lemony was revealed to be alive, she had already married Bertrand and she could not marry him. However, in
The Beatrice Letters, the reader is told that Beatrice returned Lemony's engagement ring and sent him a 200-page book explaining why the two could not be wed, something she could not have done had she believed Snicket to be dead. However, this may have been after he was revealed to be alive. This may contradict Ishmael's statement from
The End that the ring was given to Beatrice then back to Lemony to Kit to Bertrand then back to Beatrice. Also, the newspaper article mentions Lemony's work as the biographer of the Baudelaires, so this particular article could not have been published until after Beatrice's death, which puts a damper on the idea that she read that particular article. She could, of course, have believed a completely different article about him (perhaps one accusing him of crimes he did not commit—Snicket makes frequent references to such articles and false information), sent him the book and the letter, then later when she had married Bertrand, discovered the truth and also believed him (for a time at least) to be dead for some reason—though again, it could not be the obituary that appears in the
Daily Punctilio that convinces her of this, as that must appear after her death. When Kit Snicket nears death, she informs the Baudelaire children that "their families have always been close, even if they had to stay apart from one another". In the 2004 film, Beatrice is portrayed in an uncredited cameo by
Helena Bonham Carter. In the 2017 TV series, Beatrice is portrayed by an unknown extra in season one and by
Morena Baccarin in season three. A flashback in "The Carnivorous Carnival" had Lemony running to warn Beatrice that Count Olaf is after her. Count Olaf's attempt on Beatrice's life is revealed to have failed. In a flashback in "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 2, Beatrice accidentally killed Count Olaf's father with a dart that was meant for Esmé Squalor after she and her ex-fiancé Lemony Snicket steal Esmé's sugar bowl. This led to Olaf's hatred of both the Baudelaire and Snicket families.
Bertrand Baudelaire Bertrand Baudelaire is the father of
Violet,
Klaus and
Sunny Baudelaire, the husband of
Beatrice and a V.F.D. member. He trained under S. Theodora Markson, who was also
Lemony Snicket's chaperone during his early training. Markson often describes Bertrand as a model apprentice. Throughout the series, the children remember anecdotes about their father, such as him cooking at a dinner party, or splashing in a fountain to cheer up Sunny. He was a childhood friend of Beatrice and a good friend of Dewey Denouement. As a member of V.F.D., Bertrand helped train the V.F.D. lions to become the Volunteer Feline Detectives. Count Olaf implies that Bertrand and Beatrice murdered Olaf's parents during an opera performance. At the beginning of the series, Bertrand dies in the fire that destroyed the Baudelaire Mansion. Before Violet's birth, Bertrand and Beatrice lived on the Island on which the events of
The End (novel) take place. They built it to be a safe haven for volunteers who were affected by the schism. Ishmael arrived soon thereafter and began questioning their decisions, eventually taking over the island and banishing the Baudelaires. The Baudelaires then moved into their mansion and the city. They had minimal contact with V.F.D. afterwards since Violet only has vague memories of them and Klaus none at all. In the TV series, Bertrand is portrayed by an unknown extra in season one and by Matthew James Dowden in season three.
Beatrice Baudelaire II Beatrice Baudelaire II is the daughter of Kit Snicket, who dies after giving birth. The infant Beatrice is adopted by the Baudelaire orphans, hence the use of the surname Baudelaire. At age one, "she looks very much like her mother," according to
Chapter Fourteen. The younger Beatrice was named after the Baudelaires' mother
Beatrice, at Kit's request and in keeping with the tradition of naming children after deceased friends. In
The Beatrice Letters, which is set ten years after the main series, she is the second Beatrice Baudelaire. She is searching for her uncle
Lemony Snicket and for the Baudelaire orphans, who have apparently disappeared. She follows her uncle and writes him six letters. However, he constantly refuses to see her and actively runs from her. She writes that she attends a "secretarial school that is not really a secretarial school", implying that she has found a V.F.D. training school. Her sixth letter is signed "Beatrice Baudelaire, Baticeer Extraordinaire." In the TV series, a preteen Beatrice Baudelaire II is portrayed by Angelina Capozzoli. After having been raised by the Baudelaires, she later encounters her uncle at Old Ed's Soda Shop to tell him what she and the Baudelaires have been up to since leaving the island. She begins going into how she and the Baudelaires encountered "female Finnish pirates." The episode ends before she can reveal the rest of her information.
Montgomery Montgomery Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, also called "
Uncle Monty" by the Baudelaire children, is
Bertrand Baudelaire's cousin's brother-in-law and
Violet,
Klaus, and
Sunny's second
guardian. His sole appearance in the books is in
The Reptile Room where he is introduced as a world-renowned
herpetologist. Uncle Monty is described as a "fat, short, chubby man with a round red face". He discovered and named the Incredibly Deadly Viper, deliberately misnaming the otherwise gentle animal to prank his colleagues. Uncle Monty is the first guardian who treats the Baudelaire siblings with kindness and respect and as a result the children immediately warm up to him, despite finding him a little peculiar. The children's life with Monty is ruined when Count Olaf kills Monty's assistant, Gustav, and poses as his new assistant named Stephano. The children immediately see through Olaf's disguise and try to warn Monty, but Monty simply believes Stephano to be a spy from the Herpetological Society. Ultimately, Olaf murders Monty using snake venom and attempts to frame it as a snake bite. Although the children are able to reveal Olaf's true identity and how he murdered Monty, Olaf still manages to escape and remains at large at the end of the book. Monty also appears in some
Snicket's other works and the broader universe of the series.
Snicket's autobiography indicates that Uncle Monty's death may be partly attributable to his failure to learn the Sebald Code. In the book
Who Could That Be at This Hour?, Monty is mentioned by Hector in the final chapter. In the film adaptation, Montgomery Montgomery is portrayed by
Billy Connolly. He is voiced by
Bob Joles in the video game. In the TV series, Montgomery Montgomery is played by
Aasif Mandvi. He is shown to have a ticket taker ally at the local movie theater who helped him splice the footage so that he can take down the remaining hidden message. Monty appears once again during a flashback scene in "The Carnivorous Carnival" Pt. 1 where he attends a VFD party as he and his ticket taker ally interact with Larry.
Josephine Anwhistle Josephine Anwhistle, also called
Aunt Josephine, is
Violet,
Klaus and
Sunny's second cousin's
sister-in-law, and becomes their guardian in
The Wide Window. She is portrayed as an overly cautious woman
who is afraid of everything, including doorknobs, radiators and realtors. She developed these fears after losing her husband,
Isaac "Ike" Anwhistle, to the carnivorous Lachrymose leeches when he swam in Lake Lachrymose less than an hour after eating something. Aunt Josephine believes
grammar is the greatest joy in life and has a personal library filled with books about grammar. Due to her irrational fears and obsession with grammar, the children struggle to fully acclimate with her.
Count Olaf woos her disguised as a sea captain named Captain Sham. He later reveals himself to Josephine and forces her into writing a suicide note that leaves the children in his care. Aunt Josephine hides a message in her note in the form of grammatical mistakes. Klaus is able to decode the message which reveals Josephine is hiding in Curdled Cave. The children go the cave and convince Aunt Josephine to come back to talk to
Mr. Poe. As they are leaving, however, they are caught by Hurricane Hermann and Lachrymose leeches and are ultimately rescued by Olaf. Olaf almost lets Josephine go but pushes her overboard after she corrects his grammar. It is implied that she was eaten by the leeches just like her husband. Like many of the Baudelaire's other guardians, Josephine also appears in
All the Wrong Questions, specifically in ''
Shouldn't You Be in School?'', as an associate of
Lemony Snicket. In the movie, Aunt Josephine is portrayed by
Meryl Streep. In the video game adaptation, she is voiced by
Donna Bullock. She was shown to be courageous before Ike's death. In the TV series, she is played by
Alfre Woodard. Like the film, Aunt Josephine is explicitly shown to be more courageous before Ike's death. Aunt Josephine is also seen in "The Carnivorous Carnival" Pt. 1 where she was seen in a flashback attending a VFD party with Ike. She shoots down his suggestion for them to have children.
Isaac "Ike" Anwhistle Isaac "Ike" Anwhistle is the late husband of
Josephine Anwhistle and the brother of Gregor Anwhistle, making him a distant relative of the Baudelaire's mother,
Beatrice Baudelaire. He was shown to have a courageous personality and had a love for grammar, like his wife. While on a picnic with his wife, Ike wanted to go swimming in Lake Lachrymose, though Josephine had warned him to wait an hour after eating, in order to avoid attracting the Lachrymose Leeches. Ignoring Josephine, he only waited 45 minutes, which led to him being devoured by the Lachrymose Leeches, leaving Josephine traumatized and terrified of the lake. In the TV series, Ike is portrayed by the show's developer
Barry Sonnenfeld. His picture was shown in Josephine's house in "The Wide Window". In "The Carnivorous Carnival" Pt. 1, Ike made an appearance in a flashback at a celebration at the V.F.D. headquarters on the day when Count Olaf failed to murder Beatrice.
Count Olaf's acting troupe '''Count Olaf's acting troupe''' is a troupe of actors who follow
Count Olaf as he hunts the Baudelaires. Few of them are given names. In the books, they are mostly referred to by descriptions. Along with Olaf, the members of the troupe often need to disguise themselves and use fake names, which are frequently anagrams of Count Olaf.
Esmé Squalor Esmé Gigi Genevieve Squalor is
Count Olaf's girlfriend and the ex-wife of
Jerome Squalor. Her name is a reference to the short story "
For Esmé—with Love and Squalor" by
J.D. Salinger. Esmé is distinguished by her very tall height and her obsession with
high fashion. She often wears outlandish outfits that she considers stylish. Esmé first appears in
The Ersatz Elevator, as "the city's sixth most important financial advisor", when the Baudelaires are placed in the care of the Squalors. Count Olaf appears disguised as an auctioneer named Gunther. Although the Baudelaires try to warn her, it is later revealed that she knew his true identity all along and was even assisting him in securing the Quagmire triplets. The book ends with Esmé and Count Olaf driving away together. From thereon, Esmé is a central character of the series, working closely with Count Olaf and commanding his troupe. In following books, it is revealed that Esmé was also a member of VFD and indeed had even known the Baudelaire parents. She is keenly interested in finding the mysterious sugar bowl, which causes some minor rifts between her and Olaf. Her fate after the burning of Hotel Denounement is left unclear. In the Netflix TV series, Esmé is portrayed by
Lucy Punch. She is said to be the original owner of the sugar bowl which was stolen from her by Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire. It is revealed in "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 2 that she was in fact friends with Beatrice and Lemony, but that they stole the sugar bowl from her resulting in her fixation upon it.
The Hook-Handed Man Fernald, commonly known as the
Hook-Handed Man, is an assistant of
Count Olaf who has hooks instead of hands ever since he lost his hands to the Bombinating Beast. He is one of the few members of the troupe who is named. He sometimes wears fake hands on his hooks when putting on disguises. Although Fernald plays an important role in all the books as one of Olaf's henchmen, Fernald's history is only revealed in
The Grim Grotto. He is the brother of
Fiona and stepson of
Captain Widdershins. He joined Olaf and left Captain Widdershins after burning down Anwhistle Aquatics and killing Gregor Anwhistle. In
The Grim Grotto, Fiona convinces Fernald to betray Count Olaf and steal his submarine. In the movie, Fernald is portrayed by
Jamie Harris and is voiced by
Jay Gordon.
Usman Ally plays him in the TV series. In the TV series, Fernald is depicted as relatively mild-mannered when compared with the rest of the crew and even develops a close relationship with
Sunny Baudelaire. "The Grim Grotto" Pt. 1 revealed that Fernald lost his hands when a fragment of Anwhistle Aquatics flew towards the boat he was in.
The Bald Man with the Long Nose The
Bald Man with the Long Nose is one of Olaf's henchmen; he is described as a bald man with a hooked nose who always wears a black robe. At the time when Count Olaf's true nature is exposed, the Bald Man is among the members of Count Olaf's theatre troupe that escape during the blackout. In
The Miserable Mill, the Bald Man disguises himself as
Foreman Flacutono at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. In
The Hostile Hospital, the Bald Man disguises himself as the head doctor,
Dr. Flacutono at Heimlich Hospital while using a surgical mask to cover his face both times. In
The Carnivorous Carnival, the Bald Man helped to dig the pit for the lions that will be used in the lion-feeding event at the Caligari Carnival. He and Olivia Caliban fell into the lion pit during the crowd chaos and are devoured by the lions. In the film, the Bald Man is portrayed by
Luis Guzmán. He is shown to be the least sinister with no long nose but a short one, and for that matter least intelligent of the troupe; he is also shown to have a spiral tattoo on the back of his head. The deleted scenes reveal that he wishes to have a prominent role in
The Marvelous Marriage, but Count Olaf makes him the effects man instead. In the video game adaptation, the Bald Man is voiced by
S. Scott Bullock. In the Netflix series, the Bald Man is portrayed by
John DeSantis. He is shown to be rather large and intimidating with a short nose instead of a long one. In addition, the Bald Man has a deep bellowing voice. Despite this, he is shown to be just as unintelligent as his movie counterpart, though he is shown to be a talented artist. He also has a crush on Esmé. Unlike the novel, the Bald Man survives the events of "The Carnivorous Carnival". In "The Slippery Slope" Pt. 2, the Bald Man, the Person of Indeterminate Gender, and the White-Faced Women become disillusioned with Count Olaf and take their leave of him after he demands that they do away with Sunny. He tells Count Olaf to take care of Esmé. In "The End", Lemony postulates that he, along with the Person of Indeterminate Gender and the White-Faced Women, became successful performers in their own right.
The Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender The
Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender is one of Olaf's henchpeople who appears in
The Bad Beginning,
The Wide Window, and
The Hostile Hospital. Described as a gigantic, overweight individual, with pure white eyes and an androgynous appearance, the Person is immensely strong and never speaks, except in bellows and roars. As the Person's gender is said to not look like a man nor a woman, even Count Olaf does not know what the Person's gender is. At the time when Count Olaf's true nature is exposed, the Person is among the members of Count Olaf's theatre troupe that escape during the blackout. In
The Wide Window, the Person posed as a security guard at "Captain Sham's Sailboat Rentals". In
The Hostile Hospital, the Person poses as a hospital security guard. The Person is last seen trapped in a fire at Heimlich Hospital trying to catch the Baudelaires. Their fate is unknown. In the film, the Person is portrayed by
Craig Ferguson. Most of the Person's dialogue is cut from the film; the Person possess a Scottish accent and surprisingly they too are unsure of their gender, though Count Olaf calls the Person "Eliza" even after referring to the Person as "he". They appear to wear both men and women outfits stitched together similarly to the circus performer
Josephine Joseph; they also have a mustache on the left side, a beauty mark on the right lip, and a mole in the top middle of their forehead. In the Netflix series, the Person is portrayed by
Matty Cardarople. The Person is the youngest member of the troupe and, unlike in the books, actually talks a lot. However, the Person's speaking is prone to mumbling and mostly consists of rather educated observations that tend to agree with the Baudelaires' arguments much to the annoyance of Count Olaf and their fellow troupe members. Unlike in the books, the Person survives the events of "The Hostile Hospital". In "The Slippery Slope" Pt. 2, the Person of Indeterminate Gender, the Bald Man, and the White-Faced Women become disillusioned with Count Olaf and take their leave of him after he demands that they do away with Sunny. They quote that they need some space. In "The End", Lemony postulates that they, along with the Bald Man and the White-Faced Women, became successful performers in their own right.
The White-Faced Women The two
White-Faced Women are members of Olaf's theater troupe who always cover their faces in white powder. They are apparently sisters. They disguise themselves as cafeteria workers in
The Austere Academy where they succeed in abducting the Quagmire Children. In
The Hostile Hospital, the White-Faced Women posed as Heimlich Hospital's workers
Dr. Tocuna and
Nurse Flo. In
The Carnivorous Carnival, the White-Faced Women helped to dig the pit for the lions that will be used for the lion-feeding event at the Caligari Carnival. The White-Faced Women abandon Count Olaf in
The Slippery Slope after accusing him of starting a fire that killed their third sibling and when they refused to kill Sunny. Their fates have been speculated by Lemony Snicket to either have them singing sad songs in some of the gloomiest music halls in the city, living together in the Hinterlands attempting to grow rhubarb in the dry and barren ground, or never making it out of the Mortmain Mountains where their bones can be found in one of the mountain range's many unbearable caves. In the film, the two White-Faced Women are portrayed by
Jennifer Coolidge and
Jane Adams. They are both rather vain and seem to have a slight attraction to Count Olaf. As revealed in the deleted scenes, they seem to be slightly reciprocated. In the video game adaptation, the White-Faced Women are voiced by Jocelyn Blue and
Kari Wahlgren. The White-Faced Women in the video game adaptation are named White-Faced Jen and White-Faced Jane after the actress that portrayed them in the film. In the Netflix series, the White-Faced Women are portrayed by
Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins. They are twins, they both wear glasses, and are both elderly. They admire Count Olaf and are always finishing each other's sentences. In "The Slippery Slope" Pt. 2, the White-Faced Women, the Person of Indeterminate Gender, and the Bald Man become disillusioned with Count Olaf and take their leave of him after he demands that they do away with Sunny. The White-Faced Women stated that they would not stoop to that level. In "The End", Lemony postulates that they, along with the Bald Man and the Person of Indeterminate Gender, became successful performers in their own right.
The Wart-Faced Man The Wart-Faced Man is a man with warts on his face who is a minor member of Count Olaf's theater troupe where he works on Count Olaf's play that would have him actually marrying Violet. Lemony Snicket described him as being important-looking. Upon Count Olaf's true nature being exposed during the play, the Wart-Faced Man causes a blackout that enables himself, Count Olaf, the Hook-Handed Man, the Bald Man with the Long Nose, the Person of Indeterminate Gender, and the two White-Faced Women to escape. The Wart-Faced Man is not seen again after that.
Unseen associates In
The Bad Beginning, it was mentioned that there were at least seven other members of Count Olaf's troupe that attended Count Olaf's dinner party. While the Baudelaires did not get a good look at them, they can tell that they are frightening like the rest of the troupe members. Chapter 10 of
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography mention the tallying of total 17 total members of Count Olaf's acting troupe in Lemony's
commonplace book that was sent to Valorous Farms Dairy. These unseen associates were mentioned here.
Carmelita Spats Carmelita Spats is a 11-13 year old pupil of Prufrock Preparatory School and a Snow Scout, appearing in
The Austere Academy,
The Slippery Slope,
The Grim Grotto and
The Penultimate Peril. She dislikes the Baudelaires, taunting them for being orphans and calling them "cakesniffers". Carmelita is liked by Vice-Principal Nero and disliked by Mrs. Bass. Her uncle Bruce is the leader of the Snow Scouts as seen in
The Slippery Slope. She hikes up the Mortmain Mountain every year with the group, which celebrates the False Spring by crowning her queen. One year later, she meets Olaf and Esmé at the peak of the mountain, and they unofficially adopt her. In
The Grim Grotto, she claims to be a "tap-dancing ballerina fairy princess veterinarian" and performs a recital. Esmé finds this adorable while Olaf is annoyed by it. In
The Penultimate Peril, she dresses as a "ballplaying cowboy superhero soldier pirate" and has a pool and a ship brought to the rooftop sunbathing salon of the Hotel Denouement. In the Netflix TV series, Carmelita Spats is portrayed by Kitana Turnbull. Unlike the books, Carmelita was the one who snuck Count Olaf and his troupe into Prufrock Preparatory School upon Count Olaf making a deal with her through the bleachers. She also helped Count Olaf and the White-Faced Women trap Larry in the walk-in freezer. The series also comically depicts her literally sniffing cakes (in the manner of cocaine) which she does in secret in the middle of the night when nobody is looking. In "The Grim Grotto" Pt. 1, Carmelita poses as the daughter of a normal happy family when a disguised Count Olaf plans to obtain a submarine. In "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 1, Carmelita is unaware that her parents are dead as Count Olaf and Esmé cover up that fact. In "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 2, Carmelita and Esmé cook up some over-peppered crow meat sausages. When the Hotel Denouement begins going up in flames, Olaf sarcastically tells Carmelita and Esmé that the sugar bowl is in the laundry room, leaving their fates ambiguous.
Caligari Carnival freaks The
Caligari Carnival freaks are members of a freak show that reside in the Caligari Carnival's House of Freaks. They later side with Count Olaf.
Hugo Hugo is a
hunchback who is one of the Caligari Carnival freaks. He has a hunched back that makes him look slightly awkward. He is good-natured and always flexible towards the present circumstances. Hugo lives with the Baudelaire children for a small period of time in
The Carnivorous Carnival and appears to bond with Sunny Baudelaire when they make soup together. He later became one of Count Olaf's henchmen when Esmé gives him the large coat that was a part of the Hook-Handed Man's doorman disguise that would hide his hunchback. After discovering that the Baudelaire siblings are not actually freaks, Hugo appears especially bitter towards them in
The Slippery Slope. In
The Penultimate Peril, which marks his final appearance in the series, he and the freaks are present at the Hotel Denouement where Hugo poses as a worker at the hotel's rooftop sunbathing salon. When Dewey Denouement is killed during the confrontation with Count Olaf which awakens all the hotel patrons, he agrees with Mrs. Bass when she claims that the Baudelaire children are criminals and he says that they are too freakish to be allowed to move around freely. During the blindfolded trial presided over by Justice Strauss, Hugo presents some carnival posters as evidence. When Hotel Denouement catches fire, Hugo, Colette and Kevin are last seen holding the bird paper that Klaus hung on the outside of the sauna. Hugo asks if the plan for the hors-d'œuvres is still in operation. It is left uncertain whether Hugo survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement. In the TV series, Hugo is portrayed by
Kevin Cahoon. He, Colette and Kevin follow Olaf like in the book. However, they immediately wise up to his carelessness when he has them stay outside their camp during the events of "The Slippery Slope Pt. 1". They soon have an encounter with the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard and are not seen again afterwards. When Count Olaf comments that the freaks are running around the mountain somewhere, the Woman with Hair But No Beard quotes "Not anymore." Olaf's henchmen deduce that they were killed by the couple.
Colette Colette is a
contortionist who is one of the Caligari Carnival freaks. She considers her trait to be an abnormality rather than an ability. In
The Carnivrous Carnival, Esmé swayed her to Count Olaf's side by giving her a large robe that would allow her to contort her body into any shape she wanted without people being aware. In
The Slippery Slope, Colette wondered why the White-Faced Women disliked their paleness since they used makeup and powder in front of her. In
The Penultimate Peril, Colette was present at the Hotel Denouement where she posed as a chemist in a long white coat and surgical mask staying at the Hotel Denouement that is outside of the sauna when Frank or Ernest Denouement suggests that she takes Sir and Charles to room 547 where Organic Chemistry is. During the blindfolded trial, Colette submitted some drawings as evidence. When Hotel Denouement was starting to catch on fire, Hugo, Colette, and Kevin were last seen holding the bird paper that Klaus hung on the outside of the sauna. Colette talks about plucking the feathers off some crows. It is left uncertain if Colette survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement. In the TV series, Colette is portrayed by real-life contortionist
Bonnie Morgan. He, Colette and Hugo follow Olaf like in the book. However, they immediately wise up to his carelessness when he has them stay outside their camp during the events of "The Slippery Slope Pt. 1". They soon have an encounter with the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard and are not seen again afterwards. When Count Olaf comments that the freaks are running around the mountain somewhere, the Woman with Hair But No Beard quotes "Not anymore." Olaf's henchmen deduce that they were killed by the couple.
The Man with a Beard But No Hair The Man with a Beard But No Hair is a high-voiced man who has no background history, but is said to be villainous to the point that even Count Olaf fears him. He and The Woman With Hair But No Beard were Count Olaf's mentors; he refers to them as "mommy" and "daddy". He and the Woman with Hair But No Beard first appear in
The Slippery Slope where they congratulate Count Olaf for setting fire to the Caligari Carnival and gave him the coveted Snicket File when they meet him at the Mortmain Mountains. After some eagles are summoned to abduct the Snow Scouts, the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard escape on some of them telling Count Olaf that they will see them at the Hotel Denouement. In
The Penultimate Peril, the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard served as judges alongside Justice Strauss at the trial of the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf. When Count Olaf starts the fire at the Hotel Denouement, the Man with a Beard But No Hair was last seen on the first floor with his hand on Jerome Squalor as he secretly praises Count Olaf for starting the fire. When Jerome asks how arson is a good thing, the Man with a Beard But No Hair changes his comment by helping the Woman with Hair But No Beard in directing Frank and Ernest Denouement to the elevator. It is left uncertain if the Man with a Beard But No Hair survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement. In the TV series, he is played by
Richard E. Grant. The Man with a Beard But No Hair has a deep and haunting voice in the series and was a father figure and mentor of sorts to Olaf. He constantly viewed him as a disappointment and even scoffs at his quest to acquire the Baudelaire fortune. The Man ends up taking an interest in Esmé and begins giving her perks over Olaf. In "The Grim Grotto" Pt. 1, the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard pre-pay for a submarine to be used by Esmé. In "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 2, he and the Woman with Hair But No Beard pose as judges at the trial of the Baudelaires and Count Olaf where they find the Baudelaires guilty. In contrast to the novel, he chastises Olaf for not burning down the Hotel Denouement when he claimed to the people in the lobby that the fire warning is a fake. Count Olaf responds by leaving him and the Woman with Hair But No Beard behind as Justice Strauss shouts that they are a disgrace to the legal profession.
The Woman with Hair But No Beard The Woman with Hair But No Beard is a low deep-voiced associate of the Man with a Beard But No Hair where they are the latest members of Count Olaf's theatre troupe. Her "aura of menace" even frightens Count Olaf and Lemony Snicket states that he refused to write down her real name. She and the Man with a Beard But No Hair first appeared in
The Slippery Slope where they congratulate Count Olaf for setting fire to the Caligari Carnival and gave him the coveted Snicket File when they meet him at the Mortmain Mountains. After some eagles are summoned to abduct the Snow Scouts, the Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard escape on some of them telling Count Olaf that they will see them at the Hotel Denouement. In
The Penultimate Peril, the Woman with Hair But No Beard and the Man with a Beard But No Hair served as judges alongside Justice Strauss at the trial of the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf. When Count Olaf starts the fire at the Hotel Denouement, the Woman with Hair But No Beard was last seen on the first floor where she directs the blindfolded Frank and Ernest to the elevator. It is left uncertain if the Woman with Hair But No Beard survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement. In the TV series, she is played by
Beth Grant. She has a plain and feminine voice in the series and was a mother figure and mentor of sorts to Olaf. She constantly viewed him as a disappointment and even scoffs at his quest to acquire the Baudelaire fortune. She ends up taking an interest in Esmé and begins giving her perks over Olaf. In "The Grim Grotto" Pt. 1, the Woman with Hair But No Beard and the Man with a Beard But No Hair pre-pay for a submarine to be used by Esmé. In "The Penultimate Peril" Pt. 2, the Woman with Hair But No Beard pose as judges at the trial of the Baudelaires and Count Olaf where they find the Baudelaires guilty. In contrast to the novel, she chastises Olaf for not burning down the Hotel Denouement when he claimed to the people in the lobby that the fire warning is a fake. Count Olaf responds by leaving her and the Man with a Beard But No Hair behind as Justice Strauss shouts that they are a disgrace to the legal profession.
Quagmire triplets Quigley, Duncan, and Isadora Quagmire are triplets that are older than
Klaus but younger than
Violet, appearing to be between the ages of 12 and 13. Their parents are Mr. Quagmire and Mrs. Quagmire, who appear in the "Wide Window" and "Miserable Mill". They help the Baudelaires on some of their adventures and misfortunes. While they are often mistaken to be twins because Quigley supposedly died in a fire, Duncan and Isadora still consider themselves to be triplets, and so do the Baudelaires. The triplets will receive their fortune of sapphires when they come of age.
Duncan and Isadora Quagmire Duncan and Isadora Quagmire are students at Prufrock Preparatory School in
The Austere Academy. His appearance is different from Duncan where he had a messy hairstyle in season one and shoulder-length hair in season three. He appears in both parts of "The Grim Grotto" where he is shown to have acquired the sugar bowl and has the birds take it to the Hotel Denouement. He briefly appears in "The End", where Lemony postulates that he successfully reunited with Duncan and Isadora.
Baudelaire children guardians Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire, and Sunny Baudelaire live with various
guardians following the death of Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire. After a brief stay with Mr. Poe, the children are shuffled from one legal guardian to another until
The Vile Village when they run away from the Village of Fowl Devotees and become fugitives for the "murder" of Count Olaf. From this point on, there is always someone (or in some cases several someones) who takes care of them. Besides Count Olaf, Uncle Montgomery, and Aunt Josephine, among the known guardians in order of appearance are:
Sir In
The Miserable Mill,
Sir is the proprietor of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, located in Paltryville. His real name is not known, although it has been described as being hard to pronounce. Mr. Poe has attempted to pronounce the first syllable of the name, using a radically different syllable every time (Wuz, Qui, Bek, Duy, Sho, Gek, etc.). Klaus may have been able to pronounce it, but he is shot down by Mr. Poe stating it's too complicated for an adult. Equally obscure is Sir's appearance. Sir's entire head is hidden by the thick smoke of his ever-burning
cigar; Lemony Snicket also stated that neither the Baudelaires, the reader, or himself would ever see Sir's face. He shows little or no concern for either the Baudelaire orphans or his employees, whom he pays in
coupons and provides with an unsatisfying meal of
chewing gum. His partner Charles mentions that he has had a terrible childhood. Following Count Olaf being exposed, the death of Dr. Georgina Orwell, and Count Olaf's escape with the Bald Man with the Big Nose, Sir fires the Baudelaire children, thinking that they would bring misery to Lucky Smells Lumbermill much to Charles' objection. He later appears in
The Penultimate Peril where he and Charles were at Hotel Denouement and staying in room 674 which was reserved for people in the lumbermill industry. Klaus takes them to the sauna down the hall. Charles explains to Sir that he wants to apologize to the Baudelaires for their treatment. While in the sauna, the two of them talk about a party on Thursday held by a person with the initials J.S. as well as Charles addressing to Sir about fires being used in the lumber industry. Sir planned to do business with some rich people there in order to save his lumber business. In addition, Sir mentions that lumber from Lucky Smells Lumbermill was used to build Hotel Denouement. Frank or Ernest Denouement appears and states to Sir and Charles that the sauna has to be cleared out. To satisfy Sir's claim of liking the burning wood smell, Frank or Ernest has Colette posing as a chemist waiting outside to take them to room 547 where Organic Chemistry is. When Dewey Denouement is accidentally killed during a confrontation with Count Olaf which woke up all the patrons, Sir claimed the Baudelaires caused accidents at the Lucky Smells Lumbermills where Charles stated that Count Olaf was responsible for them. During the blindfolded trial, Sir submitted employment papers as evidence. When Count Olaf starts a fire at the Hotel Denouement, Sir was last seen holding hands with Charles on one of the floors arguing about the use of fires in the lumbermill industry. In the 2017 Netflix series, he is portrayed by
Don Johnson. Unlike the novel, his face is completely shown. As he never encountered Mr. Poe, he met the Baudelaire children when they were brought to him by Charles who found them near the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. Upon the Baudelaire children breaking Georgina Orwell's hypnosis on the workers, Sir flees during the employee chaos. His role in
The Penultimate Peril has been omitted.
Charles Charles is Sir's partner at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill in
The Miserable Mill. Charles is kind to the Baudelaires but not very helpful; he organizes a library to be set up at the mill but it only contained three books. He was nearly killed by a hypnotized Klaus before being broken free from Dr. Georgina Orwell's hypnosis by Violet. When Sir fires the Baudelaire children thinking that they will bring more misery to the lumbermill, Charles objected to Sir's action. Charles makes an appearance in
The Penultimate Peril, staying with Sir in the Hotel Denouement where they are seen in room 674 with other people in the lumbermill industry. He explains to Sir that he wants to apologize to the Baudelaires for their treatment and he is sent a letter by J.S., which assists him in his search. Both of them are taken by Klaus to the sauna that's down the hall where they both talk about a party on Thursday held by someone with the initials J.S. Although it is not stated in the book, Charles may be on the firefighting side of V.F.D. due to a mentioning by Kit Snicket where he sent her some blueprints. Charles voices his concerns about fires being used in the lumber business to Sir. Frank or Ernest Denouement appears and states to Sir and Charles that the sauna has to be cleared off. To satisfy Sir's claim of liking the burning wood smell, Frank or Ernest has Colette posing as a chemist waiting outside to take them to room 547 where Organic Chemistry is. When Dewey Denouement is accidentally killed during a confrontation with Count Olaf which woke up all the patrons, Charles objects to Sir's claims that the Baudelaires caused accidents at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill and states that Count Olaf was responsible. During the blindfolded trial, Charles submitted some environmental studies as evidence. When Count Olaf starts a fire at the Hotel Denouement, Charles was last seen holding hands with Sir on one of the floors where they argue about the use of fire in the lumbermill industry. In the 2017 Netflix TV series, Charles is portrayed by
Rhys Darby. It is strongly implied that Charles is Sir's
domestic partner, something that was only vaguely implied in
The Penultimate Peril. In this show, Charles was the one who found the Baudelaires near the property and brought them to Sir. Charles mentions that he does things for Sir like ironing his clothes, cooking his omelets, and making him milkshakes. Before leaving to find Sir after he fled during the employee chaos, Charles shows the Baudelaires the truth about their parents actually fighting the fire in Paltryville. His role in "The Penultimate Peril" has been omitted, though Jerome Squalor called him 'the love of his life' and said he could not come due to some business at the mill.
Vice-Principal Nero Vice-Principal Nero is the childish, narcissistic, egotistic, and delusional vice-principal of Prufrock Preparatory School in
The Austere Academy. His name is seemingly an allusion to the Roman Emperor
Nero, who is often said to have "fiddled while Rome burned." Vice Principal Nero plays the violin, and he expects all the students to attend his daily six-hour violin performances. Anyone who misses them must owe him a bag of candy and watch him eat the entire bag. Nero dresses in a brown suit with a necktie patterned with pictures of snails. In
The Austere Academy, his hair is tied into four pigtails, but by
The Penultimate Peril, they have grown into four long braids that dangle behind him. Nero often mimics what others have just said in a high, mocking tone and has numerous strict and unusual punishments for his students, especially if they miss his violin performances where those who miss it must buy a bag of candy and watch Nero eat the whole bag. In his first appearance, he gives Mr. Poe the approval to let the Baudelaires live at his boarding school where his security system will detect Count Olaf if he came near the school. Vice-Principal Nero had them in the Orphans Shack with the Quagmire Children and had Sunny work as his administrative assistant. While he has adored the student Carmelita Spats, he unknowingly hired Count Olaf in the form of Coach Genghis to be the new gym teacher. When Coach Genghis puts the Baudelaires through the S.O.R.E. exams, Nero states to them that this will not exempt them from his violin recitles and that they will owe him bags of candy. When the Baudelaires were caught "cheating" in the S.O.R.E. exams, Nero gleefully expels the Baudelaires much to the objection of Mrs. Bass and Mr. Remora. Even after Count Olaf was exposed as Coach Genghis and gets away, Nero still would not have the Baudelaires living with him which he argued with Mr. Poe on. In
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, it was mentioned that Kit Snicket went to Prufrock Preparatory School where she operated under the alias of Ms. K following Mr. Remora's retirement. This lasted until Vice-Principal Nero fired her upon Carmelita Spats' parents tipping him off that Ms. K had given her students books that were not on the approved reading list. Upon Nero firing her, she ran off and took two orphaned students with her. Nero re-appears in
The Penultimate Peril when he, along with Mr. Remora and Mrs. Bass staying in room 371 at the Hotel Denouement and are invited to a cocktail party hosted by "J.S." and
Esmé Squalor. When being taken by a disguised Sunny to the Hotel Denouement's Indian restaurant run by Hal, Nero expresses interest to perform his violin at the cocktail party so that his musical genius can be recognized and he can resign as vice-principal. When Nero hears from Hal that they do not serve candy in his restaurant, Nero comments that he wo not have anything. When Dewey Denouement is accidentally killed during a confrontation with Count Olaf which woke up all the patrons, Nero mimics what Mr. Remora claimed about the Baudelaire children and claims that Violet and Klaus failed all the tests and were not good students while Sunny was the worst administrative assistant. During the blindfolded trial, Nero submitted administrative records as evidence. When Count Olaf starts the fire at the Hotel Denouement, Nero and Mr. Remora were last seen wandering the seventh story as Nero starts to worry about his violin case. In the Netflix TV series, Vice-Principal Nero is portrayed by
Roger Bart. In this show, his full name is
Nero Feint where he is less cruel and more sympathetic as well as being financially poor. He is shown to have fainting spells when he is addressed by the Council of Elders which challenges his courage. Hector mentioned to the Baudelaires that his mother was busted for violating the rule where you cannot wear white after
Yom Kippur. He mentioned that his mom had to pay a fine and she later moved to the City where she opened a gallery.
Hal Hal is a near-sighted man in small glasses that first appears in the eighth novel
The Hostile Hospital. Working as a bookkeeper at the Library of Records in the Heimlich Hospital, he is one of the oldest men that the Baudelaires have ever met. When the Library of Records is burned down with the hospital by
Count Olaf, Hal is quick to believe that the Baudelaires are responsible and so turns against them. He eventually forgives the Baudelaires and apologizes for believing Geraldine Julienne's stories in
The Daily Punctilio. In
The Penultimate Peril, he reappears as the owner of an Indian restaurant at the Hotel Denouement in room 954 after he was approached by Dewey Denouement. He waited on Vice-Principal Nero, Mr. Remora, and Mrs. Bass when they were brought to his restaurant by a disguised Sunny. Although he owns the Indian restaurant and is seen wearing a turban, Hal is a terrible cook as mentioned when somebody's voice was heard in one of the windows claiming that he or she could not sleep because of the Indian food that he made. It is hinted that Hal may be a V.F.D. member as he says the code "I didn't realize this was a sad occasion" to Mr. Remora who failed to understand it as Mr. Remora quotes that "it won't be a sad occasion if you feed us." When Dewey Denouement is accidentally killed during a confrontation with Count Olaf which woke up all the patrons, Hal firmly says that the Baudelaires aren't criminals. During the blindfolded trial, Hal submitted some paperwork. In the TV series, Hal is portrayed by
David Alan Grier. In this show, he wears normal-sized glasses have magnifying lenses that are on both sides of his glasses. After Esmé destroys the Library of Records, Hal is depressed and operates the front desk when Mr. Poe arrives. Hal has him fill out the paperwork to get him checked out for his hay fever. When Klaus and Sunny in their alias of Dr. Faustus are exposed by Esmé, Hal comes in feeling deceived by the Baudelaires as the Baudelaires try to explain themselves. As Count Olaf in the alias of Mattathias Medicalschool starts a fire at the Heimlich Hospital and blames the Baudelaires for starting it, Hal joins the Person of Indeterminate Gender and some members of the Volunteers Fighting Disease into pursuing them. Before the fire can get worse, Hal managed to make it out alive feeling depressed at the loss of the Library of Records as he walks past Lemony Snicket during his narration. His part in "The Penultimate Peril" is omitted, though he does appear in a newspaper clipping with Mr. Poe.
Olivia Caliban Olivia Caliban (a.k.a.
Madame Lulu) appears solely in
The Carnivorous Carnival. She is technically the ninth guardian of the Baudelaire orphans due to the fact that the Baudelaires go to work for her. She is a fraudulent
fortune-teller. Her lightning device (operated by reflecting beams of the
sunrise) tricks guests into believing in magical lightning. After instructing them to close their eyes, she seeks out the answers from the archival library under her table. Madame Lulu says she just likes giving people what they want. It is implied, but not explicitly stated, that she is a member of V.F.D.
The Grim Grotto reveals that she once knew
Captain Widdershins. It is strongly implied that she is in love with
Count Olaf, earning her the enmity of Olaf's then-girlfriend
Esmé Squalor. As a method of disguising her voice, she speaks in
broken English with a thick fake accent, saying "please" in the middle or the end of her sentences (similar to Count Olaf in his alias as Gunther in book 6). Lulu promised the Baudelaires that she would not tell Count Olaf where they were if they took her to the Mortmain Mountains. This place was marked on her map, but Klaus found that it was a coffee stain, but he later said that it might be there to refer to as a secret place, such as the headquarters of V.F.D. Esmé Squalor convinces the "freaks" in the Caligari Carnival to murder her by pushing Madame Lulu into the lion pit in exchange for being hired by Count Olaf. After that, at the performance, Madame Lulu was to throw "Beverly and Eliot" into the pit. She was uncertain, which led everyone into a frenzy, rushing to throw them in. In all the commotion, Madame Lulu fell into the pit. Later Count Olaf reveals that Madame Lulu told him about the Baudelaires' disguises. She has been implied to be a fortune-teller mentioned in a much earlier book who cursed Lemony Snicket when a policeman tripped Mr. Snicket, causing him to break the crystal ball he was holding. She also states in the book that Olaf promised to give her the Snicket Fortune for the times she helped Olaf. When Olivia removes her
turban, Snicket states she has blond hair but in illustrations, she is shown with black hair. If this is simply a mistake or not is unknown. A later book mentions an "
Olivia Caliban", who may be Olivia and who thus may be the sister of Friday's father Thursday Caliban. In the TV series, Olivia Caliban is portrayed by
Sara Rue. Instead, he was replaced in "The Slippery Slope" with someone named
Brucie who is portrayed by
Keegan Connor Tracy. While she is the leader of the Snow Scouts, Carmelita mostly uses Brucie as a pack mule. When en route to the top of Mount Fraught, Brucie stated to Carmelita that the False Spring Queen is an elected title causing Carmelita to lead the Snow Scouts into abandoning Brucie. Once Carmelita was gone with the Snow Scouts, Brucie runs off in the opposite direction and throws off the backpacks stating "I'm free."
Captain Widdershins Captain Widdershins is the
captain of the
Queequeg submarine and the
stepfather of Fiona and Fernald. In
The Grim Grotto, he finds
Klaus,
Violet, and
Sunny Baudelaire at sea while he is looking for the sugar bowl and takes them aboard the
Queequeg. He is extremely emphatic, with almost all of his sentences being exclamations, and permeates his speech with the word "Aye!" His personal philosophy is "He who hesitates is lost", which the Baudelaires find to be unreasonable. Captain Widdershins is considered the eleventh guardian of the Baudelaires. He seems aware that Fiona takes a fancy to Klaus (he accuses them of flirting when Fiona is proud Klaus knows what a
mycologist is), stating that if Klaus finds the sugar bowl, he will "allow [Klaus] to marry Fiona." After sending the Baudelaires and Fiona into the Gorgonian Grotto, he and Phil appear to desert the
Queequeg. The reason may have to do with a woman who approached the Queequeg to tell Captain Widdershins something involving him being required to leave the submarine. In
The Penultimate Peril, Kit Snicket says that she intends to meet Captain Widdershins and is later mentioned
water-skiing towards and, soon after, away from him. Kit had contacted all three of the Quagmire Triplets as well as their guardian Hector and had met with them and the crew of the Queequeg when their self-sustaining mobile home crashed into it. This reunion was short-lived, however, as all of the crew as well as the triplets were picked up by the mysterious '?' Shape (dubbed by Kit Snicket as "The Great Unknown"; implied to be the Bombinating Beast from
All the Wrong Questions). Another note to make is that though he himself stated that The Great Unknown was "something worse than Olaf himself", he seemed to insist to take his chances with it as mentioned by Kit Snicket in
The End. It is possible that Captain Widdershins also has, or had, a fortune because when
Count Olaf is talking about all the fortunes he will obtain, he says "the Widdershins fortune". Widdershins says that Fiona's mother died in a manatee accident. In the TV series, Captain Widdershins is alluded to by Olivia Caliban when she reads the Hook-Handed Man's fortune. He does not physically appear in either parts of "The Grim Grotto" and only his portrait is shown. His role is primarily taken over by his daughter Fiona and they continuously state that he is lost at sea. In "The End", Lemony postulates that Fiona and Fernald successfully find him as they hear his transmission (provided by an uncredited actor).
Dewey Denouement Dewey Denouement is the hotel manager of the Hotel Denouement and the brother of Frank and Ernest, but far fewer people are aware he exists. In addition to Dewey being an old friend of Bertrand Baudelaire, Count Olaf describes Dewey as a "legendary figure". He calls himself a "sub-sub-librarian" and has spent his life cataloging evidence hidden beneath the pond near the Hotel Denouement. Dewey was four when the Schism began and later began a relationship with Kit Snicket. His parents were killed when his house burned down. At Hotel Denouement, Dewey was also responsible for winding up the clock that was built into the ceiling. He made himself known to the Baudelaires at midnight where he revealed his library at the bottom of the nearby pond. Dewey and the Baudelaires meet up with the arriving Justice Strauss and Jerome Squalor where all six of them are confronted in the lobby by Count Olaf and his remaining associates. When he refuses to tell Count Olaf the passwords to unlock a door (which supposedly led to a room containing the sugar bowl), Count Olaf threatens to shoot him with a harpoon gun. The Baudelaires try to save Dewey, but Count Olaf drops the gun when Mr. Poe shows up having been awoken by both sides and it goes off killing Dewey whose body falls into the pond which then sinks. He even quoted "Kit" as his final word. The harpoon gun going off also woke up the other patrons and staff members. As for Dewey's secret library, Lemony Snicket stated that it was unharmed when Hotel Denouement was set on fire. In
The End, Dewey is mentioned by Kit to be the father of her child. In the TV series, Dewey is portrayed by
Max Greenfield. He is officially confirmed to be Kit Snicket's lover in this show. Unlike the book, Dewey meets with Kit outside the Hotel Denouement as the Baudelaires enter the Hotel Denouement as concierges. When he meets the Baudelaires and they travel through the V.F.D. tunnels, he states that his secret library is filled with information gathered by every V.F.D. agent, scholar, researcher, inventor, scientist, explorer, cartographer, poet, journalist, naturalist, herpetologist, optometrist, receptionist, chef, waiter, taxi driver, sea captain, film director, ballerina, children's book author, and mountaineer.
Frank and Ernest Denouement Frank Denouement and
Ernest Denouement are identical brothers of Dewey and are managers of the Hotel Denouement who oversee the maintenance of the hotel and the needs of the guests. Frank is a "volunteer" while Ernest is a "villain" who used to be part of Count Olaf's theater troupe. The Baudelaires work in the hotel as concierges and meet the managers on several occasions, but fail to tell Frank and Ernest apart. When their brother is accidentally killed during a confrontation with Count Olaf which woke up all the patrons, Frank and Ernest were charged by Justice Strauss to put the Baudelaires in room 121 and Count Olaf in room 165 until her fellow judges arrive. As both of them are blindfolded for the trial as well, it was not known which one brought the Baudelaires to where the blindfolded trial is. During the trial, Frank and Ernest submitted a commonplace book as evidence. When Count Olaf starts the fire at the Hotel Denouement, Frank and Ernest were last seen on the first floor as the Woman With Hair But No Beard directs them to the elevator where the Baudelaires, Count Olaf, and Justice Strauss are. When Violet asks for them to call the fire department, Frank and Ernest ask "which one" as the elevator closes on them. Their names are a reference to the phrase "You be frank and I'll be earnest." In the TV series, Frank and Ernest are both portrayed by
Max Greenfield. Frank and Ernest's roles in the TV series became more important. Ernest and Count Olaf capture Larry Your-Waiter at the hotel's Indian restaurant and boil him alive in a pot of curry. As for Frank, he's the one who brought Olaf back into Hotel Denouement following the death of Dewey and locked him in room 170 (the Dewey Decimal number for ethics).
Animals There are different animals that appear in this franchise and are listed in order of appearance:
Incredibly Deadly Viper The
Incredibly Deadly Viper (also known as
Ink and
Inky) is a snake that was discovered by Montgomery Montgomery. In
The Reptile Room, Inky was presented to the Baudelaire children as Montgomery's latest discovery where it bonded with Sunny. When Count Olaf posed as Stephano and killed Montgomery while framing Inky, the Baudelaire children were able to prove its innocence and expose Stephano as Count Olaf. After Count Olaf and the Hook-Handed Man got away, Inky was among the reptiles that were packed up by Bruce to be sent to the Herpetology Society. In
The End, Inky arrived on the island with a pregnant Kit Snicket who revealed that Inky lived on the island before being "discovered" by Montgomery. Following Count Olaf and Kit Snicket's deaths, Inky rounded up the type of apples that were mixed with normal apples and horseradishes in order to give them to the departed castaways following their infection of the Medusoid Mycelium. In the film, Count Olaf as Stephano pinned the blame of Montgomery's death on the Incredibly Deadly Viper to Mr. Poe and the Constable. This plot was foiled when Sunny plays with it causing Count Olaf and the Hook-Handed Man to secretly get away while shedding their disguise on their way out. In the TV series, Count Olaf as Stephano pinned the blame of Montgomery's death on the Incredibly Deadly Viper to Mr. Poe with the help of the Person of Indeterminate Gender posing as Nurse Lucafont while the rest of Count Olaf's troupe posed as members of the Sheriff Department. Just like the book, Violet finds the vial containing the Mamba du Mal venom in Stephano's briefcase. Lemony Snicket postulated that Inky was catching up to the castaways.
Mamba du Mal The
Mamba du Mal is a snake in Montgomery Montgomery's collection which is "one of the deadliest snakes in the hemisphere" that kills its victims by strangling them. In
The Reptile Room, Count Olaf in his alias of Stephano used its venom to kill Montgomery and frame the Incredibly Deadly Viper for the death. After Count Olaf was exposed and the Incredibly Deadly Viper was innocent, the Mamba du Mal is among the reptiles that are packed up by Bruce in order to take them to the Herpetology Society. While the Mamba du Mal does not appear in the film, its venom was used in the TV series during the final parts of "The Reptile Room" Pt. 1. When Stephano talks about the Mamba du Mal in the second part, it shifts to a snake that might be the Mamba du Mal. Either way, it alongside the other creatures in Montgomery's collection are claimed by the Herpetology Society in light of Montgomery's death.
Lachrymose Leech The
Lachrymose Leech is a type of leech that lives in the waters of Lake Lachrymose where they have six rows of sharp teeth, a sharp pointed nose, and a smell of food. As they are blind, the Lachrymose Leeches can attack any human who has just eaten something as well as their usual food of small fish and crabs. Anyone traveling on the lake must wait one hour after eating before entering it for any reason. In
The Wide Window, Josephine Anwhistle mentioned that she lost her husband Ike to the Lachrymose Leeches when he waited 45 minutes before going swimming. When the Baudelaire children and Josephine were leaving Curdled Cave by water, the Baudelaires did not know that Josephine ate a banana which started to attract the Lachrymose Leeches. As their boat is attacked by the Lachrymose Leeches, Violet invents a signal light that attracts a passing boat. However, the boat is operated by Count Olaf in the alias of Captain Sham. When Josephine begs for Captain Sham to spare her, he got irritated with Josephine and pushed her into the water where the Lachrymose Leeches are. In
The Beatrice Letters, there was a Lachrymose Leech paperweight that Ike Anwhistle gave Lemony Snicket as a graduation present. In the film, the Baudelaires were rescued from the Lachrymose Leeches by Count Olaf who left Josephine to her fate. In the TV series, the Baudelaires were rescued from the Lachrymose Leeches by Captain Sham and the disguised members of Count Olaf's troupe.
V.F.D. Crows The
V.F.D. Crows are a type of crows that are worshipped by the Village of Fowl Devotees and have the same migratory pattern every day. The #1 rule in the Village of Fowl Devotees is to never harm a crow. In
The Vile Village, Esmé Squalor in the alias of Officer Luciana accidentally harmed a crow when she fired a harpoon gun at the books that the Quagmire children were throwing to the Baudelaire children. This incited the wrath of the villagers causing Count Olaf and Esmé to flee.
Volunteer Feline Detectives The
Volunteer Feline Detectives are a group of lions that lived in the caves of the Mortmain Mountains. They were trained by the V.F.D. to smell out smoke. At some point following the Schism, the fire-starting side of the V.F.D. gained possession of the lions. On a related note, one of Gustav Sebald's movies was called
Lions in the Mountains which references these lions and their habitat in the Mortmain Mountains. In
The Carnivorous Carnival, Count Olaf whipped and abused them enough for them to have scars where the Baudelaire children noticed that as they can see the ribs of one of them due to them being lethargic and malnourished. When Count Olaf put on a show at the Caligari Carnival, he held an event where one of its freaks would be fed to the lions. During the crowd chaos, Olivia Caliban and the Bald Man with the Big Nose were knocked into the lion pit and devoured by the lions. When the Caligari Carnival is burned by Count Olaf, the lions perished in the fire as Count Olaf neglected to get them out of the pit. Lemony Snicket stated that the lions' bodies were blackened when he found them. It was not mentioned what happened to the remaining lions in the Volunteer Feline Detectives. In the TV series, a group of starving lions lurk in the haunts near the Caligari Carnival. Two of the lions were captured by Count Olaf for his lion-feeding event. Just like the book, the lions perished in the Caligari Carnival's fire.
Snow Gnats The
Snow Gnats are small flying insects that inhabit the Mortmain Mountains. Similar to red ants, they enjoy stinging people for no reason. There are two ways to prevent Snow Gnats from stinging people. One is to create smoke by starting a fire since Snow Gnats hate smoke. Another way is to cover the entire body so that they would not attack. In
The Slippery Slope, the Snow Gnats are first seen attacking Violet and Klaus. They managed to find shelter in a cave where Bruce, Carmelita Spats, and the Snow Scouts are taking refuge in. The Snow Gnats appear in the TV series.
V.F.D. Eagles The
V.F.D. Eagles are a type of eagle that are used by the fire-starting side of the V.F.D. They bend to their whim upon hearing their whistles. In
The Slippery Slope, the V.F.D. Eagles are summoned by Count Olaf to carry off Bruce and the Snow Scouts. The Man with a Beard But No Hair and the Woman with Hair But No Beard escaped on some of them. In
The End, it was mentioned that the V.F.D. Eagles have attacked Hector's self-sustaining hot-air mobile home causing it to crash into the Queequeg. This was foreshadowed by Kit Snicket in
The Penultimate Peril where Quigley Quagmire used a homemade net to save his fellow siblings. The V.F.D. Eagles appear in the TV series.
Great Unknown/Bombinating Beast The
Great Unknown is a question mark-shaped
sea monster that is said to be the same as the
Bombinating Beast. It swims in the oceans that are near the city and is described by Captain Widdershins to be worse than Count Olaf. In
The Grim Grotto, the Great Unknown is said to be larger than the Queequeg and the Carmelita. In
The End, Kit mentions to the Baudelaires that the Quagmires, Hector, Captain Widdershins, Fiona, and Fernald were said to have been swallowed up by the Great Unknown. It is unknown whether it saved or killed them. ==Other characters==