I couldn't say. I think it's trying to appeal to fans of the book series, so it's target audience is children currently reading it and the adults that grew up reading the series.

I say adults who read the series as children will enjoy it, there are little references and jokes here and there, but largely I feel like it's aimed at children aged 8-12.

An example of an adult thing, FWIW -- In one scene, Catherine O’Hara’s character riffs off of Count Olaf and says, “la petit mort,” which refers to orgasm. I wonder if this is in the books, and whether kids look it up!

To the above poster, it was not in the books. However, the books also did not have much of the childish humor in the show as well. It had a more sarcastic, dark form of comedy, not the modern type we see in this show.

@FlamboyantRose Thanks for the info! I read somewhere in passing that this show had “everything in it that the books have”... maybe they were being sarcastic. I’m not intentionally being dense, but I’m not sure what you mean by the modern type of humor vs. dark comedy. (I’m too old to have read the books as a kid.) Can you give examples? No worries if not.

I have not read them in a while, so I cannot give direct examples, but from what I remember it was the type of humor with subtle dark understones you would laugh at, then feel guilty about it right after. The modern type of humor to me is more slapstick comedy and a lot of references to modern day pop culture (the books were anachronistic with no defined time period). Dark comedy to me feels more sordid, and is not as blatant in its subtext.

Fair enough, THANKS!

I’m an older person and I zipped through the show as time-pass. Found it entertaining enough -- I guess because it was fast-paced. I like the actors they cast.

Your welcome! 😊