document_title: Young Sheldon

question_text: who plays the neighbor brenda on young sheldon

text: Young Sheldon

text: Premise[edit]

text: Set in 1989, the series follows 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper as he attends high school in the fictional town of Medford, Texas, and tries to fit in the world around him while his family and friends attempt to deal with his unique intellectual capabilities and social challenges.[1][2]

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Iain Armitage as Sheldon Cooper, a 9-year-old child prodigy with a "once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science". While well-versed in all types of math and science, he is shown to prefer theoretical physics, stating that he decided to pursue the field around the same time as the show began. While academically gifted, Sheldon lacks a full understanding of social cues and behaviors, in addition to having a sense of superiority over everyone around him due to his intelligence. Sheldon is prone to travel his own path even if he gets into trouble along the way. Nevertheless, Sheldon has proven to love his family and almost always has his heart in the right place.[2][3]
Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother. She is very protective and patient with Sheldon but also struggles to understand him at times. She is a devout Christian and so has friction with Sheldon's atheism and derision of Christianity. Nevertheless, she deeply loves her son and wants to protect him for as long as she can.[3]
Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr., Sheldon's father and the head football coach at Medford High. While often a voice of reason, George is not the brightest member of the family, leading others, especially Meemaw, to doubt him being Sheldon's father. While he may struggle with understanding his intellectually gifted son, George is a loving father and has defended Sheldon on multiple occasions, earning Sheldon's love and appreciation.[1][2]
Montana Jordan as George "Georgie" Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother. Georgie openly despises Sheldon and never hesitates to bully him. He is not very intelligent and so is mocked and teased by the rest of the family, particularly Sheldon and Meemaw. While he is outwardly confident in himself, Georgie hides deep insecurities over feeling inferior to his genius brother and thus copes by trying to belittle Sheldon's intelligence in any way he can. He attends Medford High with Sheldon and plays on the football team.[1][2]
Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister. She teases Sheldon along with Georgie but not as much. She does not share Sheldon's intelligence but is very perceptive. While she does not always get along with Sheldon, she finds in her twin brother a solid confidant and has admitted to not feel as whole without him.[1]
Jim Parsons as the voice of adult Sheldon Cooper, who narrates the series as the older, present-day version of the character.[1]
Annie Potts as Constance[A] 'Connie' Tucker, Sheldon's maternal grandmother, known to him as "Meemaw". She is very close with Mary and her grandchildren but does not think highly of George and often jokes about him. She is the most patient and understanding of Sheldon's quirks and advises Mary to trust that Sheldon will find his way.[4]

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Wyatt McClure as Billy Sparks, the son of a neighbor to the Cooper family, who is not very intelligent.
Billy Gardell as Herschel Sparks, Billy's father.[5]
Melissa Peterman as Brenda Sparks, Billy's mother who works at the bowling alley frequented by Meemaw.
Ryan Phuong as Tam Nguyen, Sheldon’s Vietnamese-American childhood best friend and classmate. Tam is responsible for introducing Sheldon to many of his non-scientific interests, including comic books and role-playing games.
Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Hodgkins, the upbeat pastor at the Cooper family’s church. Like Mary, he has friction with Sheldon's atheism, but he challenges Sheldon to explore their line of thought through logic exercises.
Valerie Mahaffey as Ms. Victoria MacElroy, Sheldon's homeroom teacher at Medford High.
Rex Linn as Principal Tom Petersen, the principal of Medford High.
Danielle Pinnock as Ms. Evelyn Ingram, Sheldon's math teacher at Medford High.
Brian Stepanek as Mr. Hubert Givens, Sheldon's science teacher at Medford High.
Doc Farrow as Assistant Coach Roy Wilkins, Sheldon's P.E. teacher and the assistant football coach at Medford High.
Sarah Baker as Ms. Sheryl Hutchins, the Medford High librarian.
Wallace Shawn as Dr. John Sturgis, a college physics professor who is romantically interested in Meemaw with Sheldon's encouragement.

text: Notable guests[edit]

text:
Melissa Tang as Ms. Fenley, a music teacher at Sheldon's high school. Tang had previously played the character Mandy Chao in an episode of The Big Bang Theory.
Bob Newhart as Arthur Jeffries, a scientist who plays the title character of Professor Proton, Sheldon's favorite educational television series. Newhart reprises his portrayal of the character from The Big Bang Theory.
Vernee Watson as Nurse Robinson, a nurse who caters to George when he suffers a mild heart attack. Watson also plays a nurse named Althea in numerous episodes of The Big Bang Theory, including its pilot.
John Hartman as Dr. Goetsch, the psychiatrist Sheldon sees when he has Phagophobia and when he loses at the Medford High science fair.
Ray Liotta as Vincent, Meemaw's bookie.
Jason Kravits as Dr. Ronald Hodges, a NASA engineer and college roommate of Mr. Givens. He makes a presentation about his work to Mr. Givens' science class, which intrigues Sheldon to solve the challenges of reusable launch systems.
Dave Florek as Dr. Eberland, Sheldon's doctor.
Karly Rothenberg as Mrs. Janice Veazey, Dr. Hodges' secretary.
Frances Conroy as Dr. Flora Douglas, headmaster of the boarding school Sheldon briefly attends.
Harry Groener as Elliot Douglas, Dr. Douglas' husband.
Paul Yen as Le Nguyen, Tam's father. He runs Medford Mart with his wife.
Vyvy Nguyen as Trang Nguyen, Tam's mother and Mr. Nguyen's wife.
Richard Kind as Ira Rosenbloom, one of Meemaw's boyfriends.
Jason Alexander as Mr. Lundy, Medford High School's resident drama teacher.[6]
Ella Allan and Mia Allan as Bobbi Sparks, Billy Sparks' younger sister with a reputation for tormenting Sheldon.
Cleo King as Mrs. Costello, a Medford High School counselor.
Michael Cudlitz as a NASA supervisor who appears in Sheldon's daydream sequence

text: Elon Musk makes a cameo appearance in the episode "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac" in a flashforward scene set 27 years into the future.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)

1
"Pilot"
Jon Favreau
Chuck Lorre & Steve Molaro
September 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)
T12.15551
17.21[7]

Sheldon Cooper, a 9-year-old genius, begins his first day of high school in the ninth grade with his older brother, George "Georgie" Cooper Jr. Having shown more skills than a typical child his age, he skipped several grades. On his first day, he questions his teachers and informs students of their rule-breaking. He tries to find his place in the new school and Georgie must deal with having a much younger sibling in his class.

2
"Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System"
Michael Zinberg
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)
T12.15552
12.66[8]

Sheldon learns that his mother is worried about his not having any friends. He therefore gets a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People from the school library and tries its methods on various students and teachers without success. Missy recommends that he try to make friends with other people who checked out the book, since they too are looking to make friends. That also fails. He eventually meets a Vietnamese American boy named Tam who sees him with the book and they share how difficult it has been for them to make friends. As they start speaking, they realize that they also share an interest in rocketry. Sheldon's mother is so happy that she insists Sheldon invite Tam over for dinner and lifts the ban on Sheldon's model rocketry hobby. The dinner turns awkward when Sheldon's parents exhibit cultural insensitivity as Tam tells them the story of his life. After dinner, the boys' launch attempt goes out of control just as FBI agents arrive to ask Sheldon why he was trying to buy uranium.

3
"Poker, Faith, and Eggs"
Michael Zinberg
Story by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
November 9, 2017 (2017-11-09)
T12.15553
12.39[9]

Sheldon debates the relationship between religion and science with Jeff Hodgkins, his family's pastor, while Billy Sparks brings some eggs for Missy. George suffers a mild heart attack, so Mary takes him to the hospital after calling Meemaw to watch the children. While she is sleeping, Georgie "borrows" her car and takes the other children to see their father. In the hospital chapel, Sheldon prays to Blaise Pascal for his father's recovery. When he does recover, Sheldon briefly doubts his atheism, but immediately gets over it after his family eats Billy's eggs and suffers from food poisoning. When Sheldon gets into another debate with Pastor Jeff, George pretends to have heart trouble in order to get his family out of the church service.

4
"A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Rob Ulin & Dave Bickel
November 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
T12.15554
11.83[10]

Sheldon chokes on a sausage and becomes fearful of solid foods. His parents take him to a psychiatrist, Dr. Goetsch, who talks to his parents first, and tells Sheldon that he can read any of the comic books that are in the waiting room whilst waiting for him. Although Sheldon had previously not been interested in comic books, he starts reading X-Men, which inspires him. He then leaves Dr. Goetsch's office and wanders away to a comic book store to read the next volume of X-Men. He runs into Tam, who is eating licorice at the store. Due to his fear of solid foods, Sheldon initially refuses the licorice that Tam offers him, but eventually gives in and eats one, solving his eating disorder. Meanwhile, Meemaw babysits Georgie and Missy and comforts them on their feelings of being invisible because of Sheldon's quirks taking most of their parents' attention.

5
"A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a Cheerleader's Bosom"
Chris Koch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
November 23, 2017 (2017-11-23)
T12.15555
11.43[11]

Sheldon uses sports analytics to help his school's football team, coached by his father, win games, but immediately becomes too popular for his taste as a result. Georgie struggles with his father neglecting him in favor of spending time with Sheldon, while Missy and Tam revel in Sheldon's new popularity. Meanwhile, Meemaw also asks for his advice for her sports bets. Sheldon gets a B+ on a math test from his exhaustion after accompanying Tam to a party and decides that he cannot keep helping the team and continue giving Meemaw advice. He tells on his family to Mary, which prompts her to reprimand them on their actions. George begins ignoring Sheldon again for being a "snitch" and reconciles with Georgie.

6
"A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac®"
Don Scardino
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Anthony Gioe & Nick Mandernach
November 30, 2017 (2017-11-30)
T12.15556
12.11[12]

Dr. Ronald Hodges, a NASA engineer, appears as a guest speaker in Sheldon's science class and does not take his idea about VTVL technology seriously, making Sheldon go to great lengths to prove him wrong. He does the calculations himself and mails his notebook to NASA. Frustration from receiving no replies give Sheldon a stress ulcer, prompting George to impulsively drive the family to the Johnson Space Center and demand that Hodges listen to Sheldon's idea. Hodges admits that it is theoretically valid, but that NASA lacks the technical capability to implement it. Sheldon asks to be contacted when they do before leaving and thanks George for standing up for him. A flashforward shows the successful SpaceX CRS-8 mission, followed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk looking over Sheldon's old notebook, then hiding it in a desk drawer.

7
"A Brisket, Voodoo, and Cannonball Run"
Mark Cendrowski
Story by : Nick Bakay
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07)
T12.15557
12.49[13]

Meemaw's disdain for George emerges when she refuses to give him her brisket recipe. George later complains that Mary always takes her mother's side. To get back at George for secretly searching her home for it, Meemaw gives him a fake recipe which requires him to go to great lengths to get the ingredients. After George spends 14 hours cooking in vain, he attempts to ban her from the household. When Georgie and Missy fear their parents might divorce over this, Sheldon suddenly recalls a memory of Meemaw telling him her recipe when he was 23 months old, so he threatens to reveal it unless the two of them make up. While he initially shows his interest in the recipe, George states that he is more bothered by the fact that she never thought he was good enough for her daughter. He acknowledges being a disappointment when they first met, but he also believes that he has grown since then. Meemaw seemingly accepts him as a worthy son-in-law, only for George to get the recipe from Sheldon as soon as she leaves.

8
"Cape Canaveral, Schrödinger's Cat, and Cyndi Lauper's Hair"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : David Bickel
December 14, 2017 (2017-12-14)
T12.15558
11.64[14]

George takes the boys to Florida to see a Space Shuttle launch to cater to Sheldon's interests for a change, but it gets rained out. To cheer him up, George pretends to act dumb and asks Sheldon how lightning and thunder work, leading the latter to appreciate the former more. Meanwhile, Mary, Missy and Meemaw go to a beauty salon. Mary and Meemaw get into a heated argument after the latter comments on the former for being "no fun" for forbidding Missy to dye her hair, but both later make amends with one another.

9
"Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia"
Peter Lauer
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
December 21, 2017 (2017-12-21)
T12.15559
11.32[15]

Sheldon tutors Georgie for their math test, only to discover that the latter cheated to pass. Since Star Trek character Captain Kirk also got away with cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test, Sheldon decides to adapt the "playing fast-and-loose with the rules" lifestyle he believes both Georgie and Kirk embrace by forging Mary's signature on a note excusing him from P.E. class and not checking out the school library books. He eventually gets caught after Coach Wilkins shows George the note, prompting Mary to tell off Sheldon to make amends by making him return the books and go back to P.E., where Coach Wilkins makes him climb the gym rope.

10
"An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"
Rebecca Asher
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Rob Ulin & David Bickel
January 4, 2018 (2018-01-04)
T12.15560
14.70[16]

Sheldon's principal asks Mary and George to consider sending Sheldon to a school for the gifted in Dallas. Sheldon and his teachers are delighted by the idea, but his family (except for Georgie) quickly begin to miss him. Sheldon enjoys the intellectual stimulation but dislikes the folk rock-singing family that he lives with. When George impulsively drives to Dallas to bring him home, Sheldon is happy to go back home.

11
"Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan
January 11, 2018 (2018-01-11)
T12.15561
14.17[17]

Mary becomes worried when she finds Sheldon playing Dungeons & Dragons with Tam and Billy. She tries to ask Tam's and Billy's parents' help to try to put an end to the game, but they see the game as harmless. Mary then seeks advice from Pastor Jeff, who with Mary, convinces Sheldon to study Baptist theology. Sheldon, however, takes it a step further and starts researching all of the major religions, but is ultimately unsatisfied with any of the major religions. One night he has a dream about two living numbers, a 1 and a 0, who almost reveal the secrets of the universe to him before Georgie wakes him up. He then decides to start his own religion which he calls "Mathology" and in which the only sin is being stupid.

12
"A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer"
Richie Keen
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18)
T12.15562
13.33[18]

Sheldon asks Mary to buy him a Tandy 1000 SL computer. George insists that they cannot afford it, but Mary reveals that she has been secretly saving money. They get into a heated argument about the secret fund, which prompts Mary to take Sheldon and Missy to live with Meemaw for a while. She buys Sheldon the computer to make a point to George and, while Sheldon is initially overjoyed, he finds that its ELIZA psychotherapy program's advice on how to fix his parents' marriage proves to be useless. Meemaw eavesdrops on Sheldon and forces Mary to feel out George to get her out of her house. Meanwhile, Georgie advises George to apologize to Mary, which the latter eventually does. In the ensuing days, the family finds various uses for the computer.

13
"A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Eric Kaplan & Jeremy Howe
February 1, 2018 (2018-02-01)
T12.15563
12.92[19]

Sheldon's mysophobia surfaces when influenza hits his school. He is successively sentenced to detention and suspension for leaving his class and the school. He then uses his suspension time in an attempt to convert the garage into a closed ecological system. While George, Missy and Meemaw are mostly amused by his behavior, Mary is the only member of the family to be really worried about it. Meanwhile, Georgie takes advantage of Sheldon's situation to gain sympathetic hugs from girls at school. With numerous attempts to get him out of the garage proving to be futile, Meemaw finally coaxes Sheldon out by appealing to his pride as a Texan. Nevertheless, he gets sick, but feels better when his mother sings "Soft Kitty" to him.

14
"Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad's Whiskey"
Howie Deutch
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01)
T12.15564
12.42[20]

Mary gets a job as church secretary, but Pastor Jeff quickly begins asking her for advice, since his beautiful new wife does not speak English and is spending all his money. Since Mary does not get home until 6 pm, and Meemaw refuses to watch them until then, Missy and Sheldon become latchkey kids. When Meemaw peeks in on the twins, they think that she is a burglar and spray her with a fire extinguisher. When Sheldon gets a splinter in his finger, Missy searches all over the house for tweezers with which to extract it. She eventually finds them in an Operation game and successfully removes the splinter.

15
"Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman"
Mark Cendrowski
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
March 8, 2018 (2018-03-08)
T12.15565
12.52[21]

Sheldon and Tam befriend Libby, an 11th-grade girl with an interest in geology. During one of their lunches at the library, Libby offers to drive the three of them to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see an IMAX film. However, Sheldon is devastated to learn that Libby thinks of him as a child during her talk with Mary. While Sheldon resolves never to make any more friends, Mary assures him that he will be surrounded by a lot of them who are also smart. Tam and Libby end up going to Houston without Sheldon to see the film, where Tam's advances are rejected by Libby. Sheldon and Tam later revert to a two-man social group, where Sheldon reconsiders geology as "not a science" to the point where he considers it as more of a hobby.

16
"Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Steven Molaro
March 29, 2018 (2018-03-29)
T12.15566
11.91[22]

At the school science fair, Sheldon is devastated when his asteroid impact avoidance project loses to another student's Van de Graaf generator, and vows to quit science. After a therapy session with Dr. Goetsch, Sheldon decides to become an actor. In an acting class, he impresses the drama teacher, Mr. Lundy, and gets the lead role in Annie. His parents worry about him playing a female role, but Sheldon dismisses their concerns until he experiences stage fright on opening night and refuses to perform, leaving Mr. Lundy to take over his role.

17
"Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Tara Hernandez & Jeremy Howe
April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
T12.15567
11.66[23]

Sheldon is being bullied by Bobbi Sparks, the six-year-old neighbor girl. His parents have different ideas about how to handle the situation, neither of which is effective. In the end, George and Bobbi's dad hang out and plan to tell their wives the made-up story of them being involved in a deadly fight. Sheldon even tries paying Missy to warn Bobbi off using his life savings, but that plan eventually fails.

18
"A Mother, A Child, and a Blue Man's Backside"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Teagan Wall
Teleplay by : David Bickel & Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
April 12, 2018 (2018-04-12)
T12.15568
11.70[24]

After Mary confiscates Sheldon's comic books, due to the rather explicit content in an issue of Watchmen, Sheldon demands to be treated like an adult and fails his every attempt to live like one, but a tornado warning reminds Sheldon of family values.

19
"Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple"
Alex Reid
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
April 19, 2018 (2018-04-19)
T12.15569
11.67[25]

Meemaw drives Sheldon to a nearby college so that he can audit a weekly class on quantum chromodynamics. The professor, Dr. John Sturgis, asks Meemaw out on a date. She has a nice time, but finds that he is like an older version of Sheldon. The following week, she has to leave the class because her presence is too distracting for Sturgis. Meanwhile, Missy gets Georgie to help her with her homework. Stimulated by Sheldon's example, they actually make some progress.

20
"A Dog, A Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija & Teagan Wall
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & David Bickel
April 26, 2018 (2018-04-26)
T12.15570
11.15[26]

Sheldon's cynophobia surfaces when the Sparks family begins taking care of a relative's dog, which shows a strange attraction to Sheldon. The families are unable to agree about how to control the dog until Pastor Jeff mediates. Sheldon tries to overcome his fear by dressing in protective clothing and petting the dog, but this backfires when the dog licks him, apparently stimulated by the smell of his Brylcreem. Meemaw tries to get Sheldon accustomed to animals by buying him a fish, but the fish bites both him and George.

21
"Summer Sausage, a Pocket Poncho, and Tony Danza"
Alex Reid
Story by : Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan & Stacey Pulwer
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Tara Hernandez & Connor Kilpatrick
May 3, 2018 (2018-05-03)
T12.15571
11.67[27]

Sheldon invites John to dinner without telling anyone. The next evening, John comes to Meemaw's house to cook her some Sichuan cuisine, after which she invites him to stay for the night. Sheldon monitors the event through binoculars. George takes Missy, who is dressed as a princess, to dinner at Red Lobster. That leaves Mary and Georgie to have dinner together, where he quizzes her about the chronology of his conception.

22
"Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Jeremy Howe & Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan
May 10, 2018 (2018-05-10)
T12.15572
12.44[28]

Meemaw tries to date John and Ira simultaneously, but then decides to dump Ira, who tries to win her back by giving her furniture. John goes to confront Ira, and they reach an understanding. Meemaw is furious that John did that without her permission, and that Sheldon is meddling in their relationship. It then occurs to Sheldon that he can draw up a relationship agreement which covers the three of them.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In November 2016, it was reported that CBS was in negotiations to create a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory centered on Sheldon Cooper as a young boy. The prequel series, described as "a Malcolm in the Middle-esque single-camera family comedy" would be executive produced by The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre and producer Steven Molaro, with The Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady expected to be involved in some capacity, and intended to air in the 2017–18 season alongside The Big Bang Theory.[29][30] The initial idea for the series came from Jim Parsons (who portrays the older Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory), who passed it along to The Big Bang Theory producers.[3] On March 13, 2017, CBS ordered the spin-off Young Sheldon series, which was created by Lorre and Molaro. Jon Favreau directed and executive produced the pilot. Parsons, Lorre, Molaro and Todd Spiewak also serve as executive producers on the series, for Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.[1] On September 27, 2017, CBS picked up the series for a full season of 22 episodes.[31] On January 6, 2018, the show was renewed for a second season.[32]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In early March 2017, Iain Armitage was cast as the younger Sheldon, as well as Zoe Perry as his mother, Mary Cooper. Perry is the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, who portrays Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.[3] Lance Barber stars as George Cooper Sr., Sheldon's father; he had previously appeared in one episode of The Big Bang Theory.[33] Raegan Revord stars as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister; and Montana Jordan as George Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother. Jim Parsons reprises his role as adult Sheldon Cooper, as narrator for the series.[2] In July 2017, Annie Potts was cast as Meemaw, Sheldon's grandmother.[4]

text: Release[edit]

text: Young Sheldon began airing weekly episodes on CBS from November 2, 2017, after The Big Bang Theory. It premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017.[2]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Air date
Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)

1
"Pilot"
September 25, 2017
3.8/13
17.21[7]
1.7
5.25
5.5
22.46[34]

2
"Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey
Decimal System"
November 2, 2017
2.2/8
12.66[8]
1.1
3.89
3.3
16.74[35]

3
"Poker, Faith, and Eggs"
November 9, 2017
2.2/8
12.39[9]
1.2
4.07
3.4
16.47[36]

4
"A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast
Sausage"
November 16, 2017
2.0/8
11.83[10]
1.2
3.54
3.2
15.37[37]

5
"A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a
Cheerleader's Bosom"
November 23, 2017
2.6/11
11.43[11]
1.3
4.10
3.9
15.53[38]

6
"A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac"
November 30, 2017
2.1/8
12.11[12]
1.0
3.60
3.1
15.71[39]

7
"A Brisket, Voodoo and Cannonball Run"
December 7, 2017
2.2/8
12.49[13]
1.1
3.71
3.3
16.20[40]

8
"Cape Canaveral, Schrödinger's Cat, and Cyndi Lauper's Hair"
December 14, 2017
2.0/8
11.64[14]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

9
"Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia"
December 21, 2017
1.8/8
11.32[15]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

10
"An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"
January 4, 2018
2.6/10
14.70[16]
1.1
3.73
3.7
18.43[41]

11
"Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers"
January 11, 2018
2.6/10
14.17[17]
1.1
3.81
3.7
17.99[42]

12
"A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer"
January 18, 2018
2.4/9
13.33[18]
1.2
4.04
3.6
17.37[43]

13
"A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek"
February 1, 2018
2.3/9
12.92[19]
1.3
4.03
3.6
16.95[44]

14
"Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad's Whiskey"
March 1, 2018
2.1/8
12.42[20]
1.3
4.30
3.4
16.72[45]

15
"Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman"
March 8, 2018
2.1/9
12.52[21]
1.2
4.09
3.3
16.61[46]

16
"Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine"
March 29, 2018
2.0/9
11.91[22]
1.2
4.06
3.2
15.97[47]

17
"Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo"
April 5, 2018
1.9/8
11.66[23]
1.2
4.02
3.1
15.69[48]

18
"A Mother, A Child, and a Blue Man's Backside"
April 12, 2018
1.9/8
11.70[24]
1.1
3.67
3.0
15.37[49]

19
"Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple"
April 19, 2018
1.9/8
11.67[25]
1.1
3.89
3.0
15.56[50]

20
"A Dog, A Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish"
April 26, 2018
1.8/7
11.15[26]
1.0
3.62
2.8
14.78[51]

21
"Summer Sausage, a Pocket Poncho, and Tony Danza"
May 3, 2018
1.9/8
11.67[27]
1.2
3.76
3.1
15.44[52]

22
"Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set"
May 10, 2018
2.2/9
12.44[28]
1.1
3.96
3.3
16.41[53]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating with an average rating of 6.81/10 based on 41 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Young Sheldon's appealing cast and relatable themes bring a fresh—and overall enjoyable—perspective to its central character's familiar story."[54] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[55]

text: Notes[edit]

text: A ^ revealed in the episode "Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set".


document_title: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)

question_text: who played the twins in the series of unfortunate events

root

text: Premise[edit]

text: When a mysterious fire kills their parents, the Baudelaire children are placed into the care of their distant relative Count Olaf, an actor who is determined to claim the family fortune for himself. Following Olaf's failed attempt and his plot being exposed, the Baudelaires set out to elude Olaf and uncover the mystery behind a secret society from their parents' past.

tag: p

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf,[4] an actor determined to claim the Baudelaire fortune for himself. He has one eyebrow and a tattoo resembling an eye on his left ankle, which is frequently used to identify him when he is disguised.
Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket,[5] the narrator tasked with explaining the events during the lives of the Baudelaires.
Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire,[6] the eldest Baudelaire sibling and an inventor talented in mechanics.
Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire,[6] the middle Baudelaire child, interested in literature and books.
K. Todd Freeman as Arthur Poe,[7] the family banker and executor of the Baudelaire parents who is in charge of placing the Baudelaires in the care of a suitable guardian.
Presley Smith as Sunny Baudelaire,[8] the infant child of the Baudelaires with unnaturally strong teeth. Tara Strong provides Sunny's babbling sound effects, the meaning of which is often translated in subtitles.[9]
Lucy Punch as Esmé Squalor, a wealthy financial advisor, who becomes an ally and love interest for Count Olaf.[10]
Avi Lake as Isadora Quagmire,[11] Duncan and Quigley's sister who loves writing poetry.
Dylan Kingwell as Duncan Quagmire, Isadora's brother. Duncan is a keen journalist.[11]

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Will Arnett as Father,[12][13] a man who is trying to return home to his three children.
Cobie Smulders as Mother,[13] a woman who is trying to return home to her three children.
Usman Ally as the Hook-Handed Man,[14] a member of Count Olaf's theatre troupe with hooks instead of hands.
Matty Cardarople as the Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender,[14] another member of Count Olaf's theatre troupe.
Cleo King as Eleanora Poe, Arthur Poe's wife and the editor-in-chief of The Daily Punctilio, who loves pursuing sensationalist headlines.
John DeSantis as the Bald Man,[15] a large bald-headed man who is another member of Count Olaf's theatre troupe.
Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins as the White-Faced Women,[14] two elderly twins who are members of Count Olaf's theatre troupe.
Sara Canning as Jacquelyn, Mr. Poe's standoffish assistant and a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society. She possesses a spyglass.
Patrick Breen as Larry Your-Waiter, a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society who is seen working as a waiter at various establishments the Baudelaires visit, including the Anxious Clown and Café Salmonella.
Sara Rue as Olivia Caliban, a librarian at Prufrock Preparatory School who later enlists as a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society when she becomes invested in the Baudelaires' plight.[10][16][17]
Nathan Fillion as Jacques Snicket, the dashing adventurer brother of Lemony Snicket who enlists Olivia Caliban to help the Baudelaires.[10]

text: Guest[edit]

text: Introduced in season 1[edit]

text:
Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss,[18] a judge and Count Olaf's neighbor who helps the Baudelaires and is hopeful to adopt them.
Luke Camilleri as Gustav Sebald,[14] a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society and Monty's former assistant.
Aasif Mandvi as Montgomery "Uncle Monty" Montgomery,[19] a distant relative of the Baudelaires and enthusiastic herpetologist who claims to have spent his childhood with their late parents. He is a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society and possesses a spyglass.
Alfre Woodard as Aunt Josephine Anwhistle,[20] a distant relative of the Baudelaires at Lake Lachrymose who has many rational and irrational fears and a love of grammar. She is a member of the Baudelaire family's secret society.
Don Johnson as Sir,[21] the cigar-smoking owner of Lucky Smells Lumbermill.
Catherine O'Hara as Georgina Orwell,[22] an optometrist and Count Olaf's ex-girlfriend who hypnotizes the Lucky Smells Lumbermill workers so they never leave, also causing them to believe the Baudelaire parents set fire to Paltryville. O'Hara previously portrayed Justice Strauss in the 2004 film adaptation.
Rhys Darby as Charles,[12] Sir's partner.
Timothy Webber as Jimmy, a worker at Lucky Smells Lumbermill.
Chris Gauthier as Phil, an optimistic worker who befriends the Baudelaires during their stay at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill.
Loretta Walsh as Norma Rae, a worker at Lucky Smells Lumbermill.
Trent Redekop as Cesar, a worker at Lucky Smells Lumbermill.

text: Daniel Handler cameos as a fish head salesperson at Lake Lachrymose. Barry Sonnenfeld does a picture cameo as the late Ike Anwhistle in "The Wide Window" and appears as him in a flashback scene in "The Carnivorous Carnival" Pt. 1.[citation needed]

text: Introduced in season 2[edit]

text:
Barry Sonnenfeld as the voice of Mr. Tammerlane, a person that Arthur Poe talks to on the phone.
Roger Bart as Nero Feint, the violin-playing vice-principal of Prufrock Preparatory School and struggling musician with an egotistic personality and a love for excessive punishments.[10]
Kitana Turnbull as Carmelita Spats, an obnoxious, tutu-wearing student at Prufrock Preparatory School.[23]
Bronwen Smith as Miss Tench, Prufrock Preparatory School's gym teacher who is replaced in the post by a disguised Count Olaf while on her way back to Prufrock Preparatory School with the pep squad and the sports team.[17]
Malcolm Stewart as Mr. Remora, a teacher at Prufrock Preparatory School who specializes in teaching his personal anecdotes and is always seen eating a banana.[17]
BJ Harrison as Mrs. Bass, a teacher at Prufrock Preparatory School who specializes in measuring objects. She later becomes a bank robber.[17]
Tony Hale as Jerome Squalor, the timid husband of Esmé Squalor.[10]
Ithamar Enriquez as Hector, a skittish handyman and citizen of the Village of Fowl Devotees who befriends the Baudelaires.[16]
Mindy Sterling as Elder Anabelle, a member of the Village of Fowl Devotees' Council of Elders.[17]
Carol Mansell as Elder Jemma, a member of the Village of Fowl Devotees' Council of Elders.[17]
Ken Jenkins as Elder Sam, a member of the Village of Fowl Devotees' Council of Elders.[17]
Lossen Chambers as Mrs. Morrow, an inhabitant of the Village of Fowl Devotees that wears a pink robe.
Kevin Chamberlin as Mr. Lesko, an inhabitant of the Village of Fowl Devotees that wears plaid pants.
John Bobek as the bearded leader of the Volunteers Fighting Disease.[17]
Lauren McGibbon as the perky member of the Volunteers Fighting Disease.
Kerri Kenney-Silver as Babs, the Head of Human Resources and Hospital Administration at Heimlich Hospital.[17]
David Alan Grier as Hal, a visually-disabled file clerk who is employed in the Library of Records at Heimlich Hospital.[24]
Robbie Amell as Kevin, an ambidextrous "freak" who works at Caligari Carnival.[25]
Kevin Cahoon as Hugo, a hunchbacked "freak" who works at Caligari Carnival.[17]
Bonnie Morgan as Colette, a contortionist "freak" who works at Caligari Carnival.[17]
David Burtka as Mr. Willums, a heckler with a pimpled chin who attends Caligari Carnival. He is based on The Man With Pimples On His Chin from "The Carnivorous Carnival" book.[26]
Jill Morrison as Mrs. Willums, the wife of Mr. Willums.
Harper and Gideon Burtka-Harris as Trixie and Skip Willums, the children of Mr. Willums.[27]
Allison Williams as an as-yet-unidentified woman who arrives to see the Caligari Carnival engulfed in flames.[28]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally released

1
8
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

2
10
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

tag: table

text: Season 1 (2017)[edit]

text: The first season adapts the first four books of the novel series: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window and The Miserable Mill.[29]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original release date

1
1
"The Bad Beginning: Part One"[a]
Barry Sonnenfeld
Daniel Handler
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire receive the news that their parents have perished in a house fire from well-meaning but inept banker Arthur Poe. While exploring the ruins, Klaus finds a broken spyglass with an insignia of an eye embedded on the front. Shortly afterwards, they are sent to live with their distant relative Count Olaf, a cruel and vain amateur actor, who forces them into servitude. One night, the siblings prepare puttanesca for Olaf's theatre troupe only for him to demand roast beef upon arriving home. The children state that they were never asked to prepare roast beef, angering Olaf and prompting him to slap Klaus across the face when he protests about the sleeping arrangements. Meanwhile, a mother and father are held against their will by a mysterious captor.

2
2
"The Bad Beginning: Part Two"[a]
Barry Sonnenfeld
Daniel Handler
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

The Baudelaires attempt to convince Mr. Poe of Olaf's actions, only to be sent away when Poe dismisses their claims. When Olaf gives Violet the starring role in his latest theatrical production, which ends with the two main characters being married, the siblings realize that Olaf intends to acquire their fortune by marrying Violet for real. Klaus confronts Olaf, who threatens to kill Sunny if Violet doesn't follow through with his plans. At the very last minute, however, Violet signs the marriage certificate with her left hand, invalidating the proceedings due to the fact that she is right-handed. Mr. Poe's mysterious secretary Jacquelyn reveals they were intended to be put in the care of their distant relative Montgomery Montgomery. Meanwhile, Jacquelyn's ally Gustav is mysteriously drowned, after being hit by a poisoned dart.

3
3
"The Reptile Room: Part One"
Mark Palansky
Daniel Handler
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

The Baudelaires are sent to live with their herpetologist uncle Montgomery Montgomery, who has recently come across a reptile he calls the Incredibly Deadly Viper. While attempting to learn more about Montgomery, Klaus discovers that the hedge maze in Montgomery's garden is exactly the same shape as the tattoo on Olaf's ankle. Olaf poses as Montgomery's new assistant Stephano and attempts to kidnap the Baudelaires, but Monty assures the Baudelaires that he recognizes Stephano as a threat. The four arrive at a movie theatre, where Monty deciphers a code sent for him through the subtitles of the film, using a spyglass identical to Klaus'. The message instructs him to bring the children to Peru. He fires Stephano shortly afterwards, believing him to be a spy sent to steal his research.

4
4
"The Reptile Room: Part Two"
Mark Palansky
Emily Fox
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

Immediately after dismissing "Stephano," Montgomery notices that the door to his Reptile Room is ajar and investigates, only to be attacked by an unseen figure. The next day, the Baudelaires discover Olaf standing next to Montgomery's corpse. Olaf threatens to kill Sunny unless the siblings accompany him to Peru, but is prevented from carrying out his plan when Mr. Poe accidentally crashes into their car when they are trying to leave. Olaf's theatre troupe then arrives disguised as police and nurses, and claim Monty was killed by the Incredibly Deadly Viper, despite Monty's claim of it being completely harmless. While searching for proof of the snake's innocence, Klaus discovers a statue in Monty's hedge maze, and a photograph of Monty, both of them carrying spyglasses identical to Klaus'. Violet proves Olaf to be the murderer; however, he escapes via the hedge maze with Klaus' spyglass. While pursuing him, the Baudelaires meet Jacquelyn, who is posing as a statue. She tells them to seek answers on the spyglasses from their Aunt Josephine while she hunts down Olaf via underground passageways.

5
5
"The Wide Window: Part One"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Daniel Handler
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

Mr. Poe takes the Baudelaires to live with their Aunt Josephine, an irrationally frightened woman who lives in a dilapidated house overlooking Lake Lachrymose. She refuses to answer questions about their parents, so the siblings pursue answers themselves around her house, and discover their parents were members of a secret organization, with spyglasses being used as useful devices. They are also shocked to find out that Josephine was once fierce and formidable, and developed her phobias after the death of her husband. Olaf, who has followed the Baudelaires, disguises himself as a sailor named Captain Sham before pretending to fall in love with Josephine. Despite the siblings' warnings, Josephine accepts his invitation to take her out for a fried egg sandwich. Later that night, the siblings discover that Josephine has jumped out the library's bay window and left a note informing them that "Captain Sham" is their new guardian.

6
6
"The Wide Window: Part Two"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Daniel Handler
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

As Mr. Poe prepares to hand the Baudelaires over to "Captain Sham," the siblings discover the note has several grammatical errors, something Josephine would never do since she was obsessed with proper grammar. Mr. Poe takes the children to a restaurant and prepares to complete the transfer, but allows the siblings to leave after Larry, a waiter secretly a member of their parents' organization, triggers their allergy to peppermint. After returning to the house, the siblings decipher Josephine's suicide note and discover she is still alive moments before a hurricane sends the house teetering over the cliff. Escaping with a photograph of their parents standing in front of a lumber mill, the siblings find Josephine at a nearby cave, only to be confronted by Olaf, who abandons Josephine to be eaten alive by the leeches that inhabit Lake Lachrymose. Upon returning to shore, Olaf escapes after being unmasked in front of Mr. Poe while the Baudelaires sneak away and set out to find the lumber mill in the photograph.

7
7
"The Miserable Mill: Part One"
Bo Welch
Joe Tracz
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

Upon arriving at the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill, the Baudelaires are forced to work by the owner Sir, who blames their parents for starting a fire that destroyed the entire town. While investigating the workers' unnaturally happy behavior, Klaus' glasses are broken by the Hook-Handed Man posing as Foreman Flacutono, and he visits local optometrist Georgina Orwell, who puts him into a hypnotic trance. Later that day, the siblings learn that two visitors are waiting to see them. Believing that their parents are still alive, the three are shocked to instead find Orwell and her receptionist "Shirley St. Ives," who is a poorly-disguised Olaf. Meanwhile, the mother and father who were previously held captive are revealed to be the parents of the Quagmire triplets, with whom they are reunited.

8
8
"The Miserable Mill: Part Two"
Bo Welch
Tatiana Suarez-Pico
January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13)

The Baudelaires discover the entire mill is under a hypnotic trance, ensuring they do not leave their jobs. Orwell and Olaf use a still-hypnotized Klaus to murder Sir's aide Charles, but Violet figures out how to break everyone's trance in the nick of time. The workers then storm the mill, causing Orwell to fall into the furnace and die. Sir, Olaf, and the Hook-Handed Man all escape in the chaos. Charles reveals the truth about the Baudelaires' role in the town, where they actually helped to fight the fire. The three siblings are reunited with Mr. Poe, and Jacquelyn sends Klaus the broken spyglass that Olaf stole from him. Poe then sends the three siblings to a dreary boarding school, which two of the three Quagmire siblings are also sent to, due to their house being burnt down by an unknown woman. The Quagmires' parents are revealed to be members of the organization. In the final scene, Lemony Snicket, Count Olaf, the Baudelaires and Mr. Poe sing the song "That's Not How the Story Goes."

text: Season 2 (2018)[edit]

text: The second season adapts books five through nine of the novel series: The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital, and The Carnivorous Carnival.[32]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title [b]
Directed by
Written by
Original release date

9
1
"The Austere Academy: Part 1"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Daniel Handler
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

The Baudelaires are introduced to life at Prufrock Preparatory School, an unpleasant institution run by an unpleasant vice-principal named Nero and terrorized by an equally unpleasant student named Carmelita Spats. The school's only redeeming qualities are its friendly librarian, Olivia Caliban, and the surviving Quagmire triplets, Duncan and Isadora. During a lunch break, Klaus and Isadora discover that they are holding two halves of the same spyglass. The newfound friends quickly realize that they must track down a book on secret organizations to find the answers they seek—a book Jacquelyn sent Larry to give them, but which he carelessly misplaced. Meanwhile, Count Olaf and his troupe lurk around the grounds of the school, unable to enter the front doors due to an advanced computer system programmed by Nero to detect Olaf's presence. However, with Carmelita's help, Olaf finally gains entry and locks Larry in the cafeteria's walk-in refrigerator. He then dons his latest disguise: the school's new turban-wearing gym teacher.

10
2
"The Austere Academy: Part 2"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Joe Tracz
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

Olaf is able to convince Nero to put the Baudelaires under a grueling exercise program, making the siblings run endless laps at night to prevent them from scheming against him, while also causing them to perform poorly in class from lack of sleep. Due to their slumping grades, Nero threatens to expel the Baudelaires if they fail a comprehensive exam to be given in front of the entire school, but because they must still exercise under Olaf's program, they know they will likely fail. The Quagmires offer to help, and that night take their place during exercises; however, their identity is discovered, and while hiding in the library, they find the copy of the book on secret organizations and read up on the purpose of the spyglass before they are caught by the Hook-Handed Man. The next day, with Mr. Poe in attendance, the Baudelaires readily pass the exam, and through it reveal Olaf's identity. Olaf and his gang then escape with the Quagmires, who try to shout the initials "V.F.D." from the backseat of Olaf's car. Meanwhile, Larry is rescued from the refrigerator with the help of Lemony's brother, Jacques, while Olivia walks off with the book on secret organizations that the Quagmires left behind.

11
3
"The Ersatz Elevator: Part 1"
Bo Welch
Daniel Handler
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

While a citywide manhunt for Count Olaf is underway, Mr. Poe takes the Baudelaires to the penthouse of Jerome Squalor and his trendy financial advisor wife Esmé. While being introduced to the Squalors, they find Olaf has already arrived, posing as a foreign auctioneer named Gunther. The Baudelaires theorize that Olaf is trying to kill Jerome so that he can marry Esmé and become their legal guardian again. They search the penthouse for the Quagmires to no avail, but Klaus becomes suspicious of an extra elevator that only seems to serve the penthouse. Meanwhile, Olivia tries to convince Mr. Poe about Olaf's scheme, which leads Jacquelyn to contact Jacques, who enlists her into their society. Esmé suggests they go out for lunch at a fashionable salmon-themed restaurant Cafe Salmonella, where Larry works to prolong their visit, giving Jacques and Olivia time to search the Squalor's building for the Quagmires. When the Baudelaires manage to sneak away and examine the second elevator, they learn that it is merely an empty shaft. With a makeshift parachute, they descend it to find the Quagmires locked in a cage at its bottom.

12
4
"The Ersatz Elevator: Part 2"
Bo Welch
Daniel Handler
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

The Baudelaires do not have the tools to free the Quagmires, so they ascend the shaft by turning the parachute into a hot-air balloon. They try to warn Esmé of Olaf's scheme, but learn too late that she is in cahoots with him and that they are planning to smuggle the Quagmires out of the city. Esmé pushes them down the elevator shaft, where they are caught in a net midway down. Sunny helps them to escape safely, and afterwards they find a secret passage that leads to the ashen ruins of their home. At the auction in Veblen Hall, the Baudelaires start a bidding war on a box labeled "V.F.D.", which they believe contains the Quagmires. Though they win the item, they find the box contains only doilies. In the aftermath, Olaf and his troupe escape with the Quagmires, who are hidden inside a red herring statue. The Baudelaires ask Jerome to help track down Olaf, but he is far too timid to do so, and gives up his guardianship of them. Mr. Poe tells the children that a village with the initials "V.F.D." is willing to raise them.

13
5
"The Vile Village: Part 1"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Sigrid Gilmer
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

Mr. Poe drops the Baudelaires off at the Village of Fowl Devotees, where the whole community will care for them collectively. The Baudelaires take up residence with Hector, a kindly handyman prone to fainting spells who is secretly building a self-sustaining hot-air mobile home, and soon begin finding clues written by the Quagmires themselves. Olaf, Esmé, and the troupe also arrive at the village, with Esmé disguising herself as the town's new chief of police. Jacques and Olivia also arrive and detain Olaf at the local jailhouse; the next day, the villagers learn of Olaf's capture and hold a town hall meeting, where Olaf appears in the disguise of Detective Dupin, tricking everyone into believing Jacques is Olaf. Jacques is sentenced to death, but Olivia convinces Esmé to free her and Jacques in exchange for the location of the Sugar Bowl, an object with ties to Esmé's past. Jacques stays behind to confront Olaf; however, the villain is unfazed by Jacques' offer of a truce, and he and Esmé incapacitate and kill him. The next morning, as the Baudelaires try to break into the jail to rescue Jacques, they are informed that "Olaf" has been murdered.

14
6
"The Vile Village: Part 2"
Barry Sonnenfeld
Sigrid Gilmer
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

The disguised Olaf and Esmé quickly convince Mr. Poe and the town that the Baudelaires murdered Jacques/"Olaf," and they are promptly condemned to be burned at the stake. While in jail, the children instruct Hector to prepare his hot-air mobile home to help them escape. While Violet creates a battering ram to weaken the jail wall, Klaus deduces from their clues that the Quagmires are hidden inside a crow fountain in the village square. Larry and Jacquelyn arrive on the scene to distract the villagers long enough for the children to escape via a fire truck and follow Hector. The Baudelaires cover for the Quagmires as they use the truck's ladder to climb aboard the mobile home. As they do so, Olaf, Esmé, and the villagers arrive, and Esmé begins damaging Hector's home with a harpoon gun. Realizing their danger, the Baudelaires tell Hector to escape with the Quagmires. In thanks, the Quagmires try to throw their friends their notes about the secrets of V.F.D., but Esmé shoots them with a harpoon, scattering the pages and harming a crow. While the villagers accost the disguised villains over the injured bird, the Baudelaires collect as many of the ruined pages as they can and make their escape.

15
7
"The Hostile Hospital: Part 1"
Alan Arkush
Joshua Conkel
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

The Baudelaires hitch a ride with volunteer singing candy stripers heading to Heimlich Hospital. They learn that there is a Library of Records that collects and stores esoterica. After sneaking past the hospital's administrator Babs, they meet Hal, the man who runs the library. He welcomes their help, but forbids them to read material in storage. While Hal shows them the ropes, a film reel labeled "Snicket" arrives and catches the children's attention. Meanwhile, believing the Sugar Bowl to be in the hospital, Olaf and his troupe infiltrate the building. Desperate for answers, the children are forced to steal Hal's keys to access the library, where they find the film. It contains a debriefing of Jacques by a V.F.D. volunteer, with Jacques informing the interviewer that someone has survived a fire, which may or may not be the one that killed the Baudelaire's parents. However, before they can watch any further, they are interrupted by Esmé; as they try to escape, the library is ruined. Violet is captured by Olaf while Klaus and Sunny hide in a chute, in possession of the film.

16
8
"The Hostile Hospital: Part 2"
Alan Arkush
Joshua Conkel
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

Olaf and Esmé hide Violet under a false name; to find her, Klaus disguises himself as "Dr. Faustus," with Sunny hidden in a sling underneath his coat. They eventually deduce which room Violet is in, but this is a trap laid by Olaf, who forces Klaus to operate on Violet inside an operating theater. Esmé promises to call off the scheme if Klaus can give her what he stole from the Library of Records, and he does so—only, it's not the Sugar Bowl that she has been searching for. Olaf, however, is interested in the Snicket film, and dashes off to watch it to learn its secret. Furious at its revelations, he burns the film, which also starts a fire in the hospital. The Baudelaires successfully evacuate the hospital and realize that their only chance to escape safely is in the trunk of Olaf's car. Hal is left depressed over the loss of the Library of Records. Elsewhere, an unknown person recovers the Sugar Bowl from the burning hospital.

17
9
"Carnivorous Carnival: Part 1"[c]
Loni Peristere
Joe Tracz
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

A flashback to a masked ball at the V.F.D. headquarters shows Lemony trying to warn Beatrice about Olaf. In the present, Olaf and his troupe arrive at the Caligari Carnival to speak with its fortune-teller, Madame Lulu, about the fire's survivor. Lulu, who is really Olivia in disguise, tells them to wait for the answer in the morning. The Baudelaires overhear this, and hoping to speak to Lulu as well, assume the identities of circus freaks, with Violet and Klaus as a two-headed person and Sunny as a wolf child. After calling V.F.D., Olivia is able to tell Olaf the next day that one of the Baudelaire parents did indeed survive the fire. Olaf then presents a freak show that proves disastrous, so he sets off to find a pack of roaming lions to help attract a larger crowd. This gives an opportunity for the children to sneak into Lulu's tent, where they discover films, books, and disguises belonging to the Volunteer Fire Department—the secret organization their parents and guardians belonged to. Olivia then appears and reveals her true identity to them.

18
10
"Carnivorous Carnival: Part 2"[c]
Loni Peristere
Joe Tracz
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)

Olivia explains to the Baudelaires that "Madame Lulu" is an alias used by V.F.D. agents to gather information. While Olivia admits she had to lie to Olaf about one of the children's parents surviving the fire, Jacques had asserted that there was a survivor, and they should head to the V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains to find them. Meanwhile, Olaf plans to throw one of the freaks into a pit filled with the hungry lions he has corralled, while Esmé connives to have Lulu killed. The next day, Olaf selects Violet and Klaus for the pit. When Olivia is told to push the children to the lions, she instead pushes them to safety, and is sent tumbling into the pit by Olaf for her troubles. As the children try to collect the V.F.D. materials from Lulu's tent, Olaf arrives and forces them to burn the tent down. Then, after placing Violet and Klaus in a towed caravan and taking Sunny in his car, Olaf has the other freaks cut the towing rope on a steep mountain path. At the same time, the last operative to pose as Madame Lulu arrives at the burning carnival as Lemony Snicket claims that she is someone he knows.

text: Season 3[edit]

text: The third season will adapt the final four books of the novel series[32] in seven episodes: The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto and The Penultimate Peril will be adapted into two episodes each, and The End will conclude the series with a longer single episode.[35] Barry Sonnenfeld will direct the episodes for The Penultimate Peril.[35] Liza Johnson and Jonathan Teplitzky will also direct episodes in the season.[36][37][38]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: The thirteen A Series of Unfortunate Events novels, written by Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket from 1999 to 2006, achieved success in young adult fiction around the same time as the Harry Potter novels. As such, the Snicket books had been optioned to be filmed before they were published.[39] This led to the development of a 2004 feature film, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which covered the narratives of the first three novels in the series. Barry Sonnenfeld, who has expressed his love for the series, was originally slated to direct the feature film, and had hired Handler to write the screenplay.[40] About 10 months into production, shortly after the casting of Jim Carrey as Olaf, there was a "big crisis", according to Handler, which caused producer Scott Rudin to walk away and Sonnenfeld left the production under unclear terms.[39] With the film's completion in flux, its producing studios Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks fired Handler. While the film was eventually completed and released, sequels which would adapt the other novels in the series became unlikely due to "corporate shakeups" within DreamWorks, according to Handler, and the child actors that portrayed the Baudelaire children grew too old to star in a sequel.[40]

text: In November 2014, Netflix, in association with Paramount Television, announced its plans to adapt the novels into an original television series, with the author of the series, Daniel Handler, serving as executive producer.[41]

text: In September 2015, it was announced that Barry Sonnenfeld and Mark Hudis had agreed to helm the series. Hudis would serve as showrunner, Sonnenfeld as director, and both as executive producers,[42] with Handler writing some of the scripts along with working with the series' writing team.[32] However, in January 2016, Netflix announced that Hudis had left the project, with a replacement showrunner not named at the time.[4]

text: The first season consists of eight episodes,[5] with two episodes adapting each of the first four books of the series.[29] Handler considered this more in line with how he had written the books in the manner of a serialized melodrama, citing The Perils of Pauline as one of his influences in writing the book series.[43] In January 2017, Handler revealed that he was writing the series' second season, to consist of ten episodes adapting the fifth through ninth books of the series. A third season would adapt the remaining novels of the series, which Handler hoped "to get the go-ahead to do" since "given how quickly young actors age and change, we're trying to film everything as quickly as possible."[32] In March 2017, Netflix revealed the series had been renewed for a second season by releasing a video on their social media pointing to a viral marketing website, where a letter written by Snicket revealed the decision.[44] A month later, the series was "quietly" renewed for a third season,[45] which Harris confirmed would be the final one for the series.[46]

text: Casting[edit]

text: On December 3, 2015, an open casting call was announced for the roles of Violet and Klaus Baudelaire.[47] In January 2016, Netflix announced that Neil Patrick Harris had been cast as Count Olaf and Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes were cast as Violet and Klaus.[4][6] Handler had first considered Harris for the role of Olaf after seeing him perform the opening number "It's Not Just for Gays Anymore", at the 65th Tony Awards in 2011, noting "I just immediately saw someone who could pull off a million things at once" as was necessary for the character of Olaf, who utilizes various disguises and accents in his quest to steal the Baudelaire fortune.[48]

text: In March 2016, K. Todd Freeman was cast as Mr. Poe,[7] followed shortly after by the casting of Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket,[5] and Aasif Mandvi as Uncle Monty.[19] In September 2016, it was revealed that Dylan Kingwell and Avi Lake were cast as the Quagmire siblings, Duncan and Isadora, respectively.[11] In November 2016, Handler revealed Catherine O'Hara, Don Johnson, and Alfre Woodard had been cast as Dr. Georgina Orwell,[22] Sir,[21] and Aunt Josephine, respectively;[20] O'Hara had previously portrayed Justice Strauss in the 2004 film adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events.[22] It was also revealed that Presley Smith would play Sunny Baudelaire,[8] whose quasi-nonsensical lines are voiced by Tara Strong,[9] and Rhys Darby would play Charles, Sir's partner.[12]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Production began in May 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia,[49][50] and in August 2016 several cast members expressed through social media that filming had finished.[51] Filming for the second season began in April 2017.[52] The third season began filming on January 5, 2018.[53]

text: One aspect of the series of books that the production team wanted to be captured in the series was the notion of a lack of specific time period or geography for the settings; Handler stated that he wrote enough for establishing set pieces, but purposely left more specific details vague "in order for young readers to fill in the blanks themselves." Sonnenfeld wanted to capture that same sense of ambiguous time and place, and he and his team worked to try to define a set of subjective rules of what elements could be included. Sonnenfeld brought on Bo Welch, production designer for Edward Scissorhands, which Handler considered to capture the same sense of a "familiar but completely imaginary" suburban setting he had in mind for his books. While the production team used computer-generated imagery where needed, they attempted to avoid this use where possible, such as by using large painted backdrops, by key scenic artist John E. Wilcox, rather than employing green screen filming.[43]

text: Music[edit]

text: In April 2016, Nick Urata was initially reported to be composing music for the series.[54] Once the first season was released, it was revealed that Urata collaborated with Daniel Handler to compose the main title theme, "Look Away", as well as various original songs that appear throughout the series, with Handler contributing the lyrics. The first season's original score was composed by James Newton Howard, with his frequent collaborators Sven Faulconer and Chris Bacon filling in to score certain episodes.[55] In the second season, Jim Dooley joined the production as composer and subsequently wrote the music for all ten episodes.[56]

text: "Look Away", the theme song for the opening titles of the series, is performed by Neil Patrick Harris.[55] In keeping with the tone of the book series, the song warns the viewer against continuing to watch the unpleasant story any further.[57] The lyrics of one verse of the song change for each pair of episodes, comprising a brief synopsis of those episodes' premise. [58]

text: Visual effects[edit]

text: Zoic Studios created visual effects for the series, including the effects for many of Sunny Baudelaire's actions.[59] Tippett Studio also did work on the series, including the effects for the destruction of Josephine's house, landscape shots of Lake Lachrymose and some of the more movement heavy Sunny Baudelaire shots.[60]

text: Release[edit]

text: All eight episodes of the first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events were released worldwide on Netflix on January 13, 2017,[18] in Ultra HD 4K.[61] The second season was released on March 30, 2018.[62]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: On July 5, 2015 a video titled "An Unfortunate Teaser" was uploaded to YouTube by a user named "Eleanora Poe". Netflix quickly released a statement saying "This was not released from Netflix." Media outlets were almost unanimous in agreement that the trailer was fan-made.[63][64][65][66] However, Caitlin Petrakovitz of CNET argued that the trailer may be real and that Netflix's carefully worded denial was a marketing campaign, noting the user name "Eleanora Poe" being the same as a character from the series, and that a vinyl record seen in the trailer was of The Gothic Archies, a band who provided the theme music for the audio books of A Series of Unfortunate Events.[67] The trailer was later revealed to be a spec promo, similar to a spec script, by an independent commercial director, whom Netflix contracted to make a title sequence for the series after the video's popularity, though they did not go ahead with the concept.[68]

text: In October 2016, Netflix released the first teaser trailer for A Series of Unfortunate Events, where Warburton narrates the events of the series as Lemony Snicket.[18] A trailer, featuring footage from the series and Neil Patrick Harris's character, Count Olaf, was released by Netflix in November 2016,[69] followed shortly by the first full trailer.[8] The second trailer was released in December 2016,[70] followed by a "holiday-themed" trailer from Count Olaf leading fans to a viral marketing website for the fictional Valorous Farms Dairy, which featured four holiday e-cards for download.[71]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Audience viewership[edit]

text: As Netflix does not reveal subscriber viewership numbers for any of their original series, Symphony Technology Group compiled data for the first season based on people using software on their devices that measure television viewing by detecting a program's sound. According to Symphony, 3.755 million viewers age 18-49 were watching an episode of A Series of Unfortunate Events over the average minute in its first weekend of release.[72]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Season 1[edit]

text: The first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the season an approval rating of 94% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Enjoyably dark, A Series of Unfortunate Events matches the source material's narrative as well as its tone, leaving viewers with a wonderfully weird, dry, gothic comedy."[73] On Metacritic the season has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[74]

text: Erik Adams of The A.V. Club awarded the season a B and praised it for treating "mature themes like grief, loss, and disappointment with sardonic honesty." Adams compared the program positively to the Adam West Batman series, calling it "kids stuff with adult sophistication, driven by two-part stories, outrageous visuals, and the scenery-chewing of big-name guest stars".[75] Ben Travers of Indiewire gave the series an A-, saying that it "proves as inspirational and endearing as it claims to be forlorn and heartbreaking". Brian Lowry of CNN praised the showrunners for "infusing the show with a lemony-fresh feel, conjuring a series similar to the fantastical tone of Pushing Daisies". Lowry wrote that "the show proves a good deal of fun" and that "Harris dives into his over-the-top character with considerable gusto." He also argued that the series improved upon the 2004 film.[76]

text: Several critics praised the television series as a better adaptation of the books than the 2004 feature film, which starred Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. Kelly Lawler of USA Today felt the television format gave the stories more room to develop, the addition of Warburton as the fourth wall-breaking Snicket helped to convey some of the wordplay humor used in the books, and Harris's portrayal of Olaf was "much more dynamic, and creepier" than Carrey's version.[77] The Verge's Chaim Gartenburg said that the show follows the books much more faithfully than the film, and "nails down the tone that made the stories so special".[78] Los Angeles Times writer Robert Lloyd felt that the backgrounds of Sonnenfeld and Welch made them "the right people for this job, set in a milieu that is hard to fix in time, except to say it is not now", in capturing the tones of the book compared to the feature film.[79]

text: Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com, on the other hand, gave the series a negative review, calling it "an unfunny parody of sadness" that is "never as clever as it wants to be" and would only appeal to fans of the books.[80] Caroline Framke of Vox Media praised the series for its unique and weird visuals, but found the show's tone, pacing and performances to be haphazard and considered the show to be "literally, a series of unfortunate events".[81]

text: Season 2[edit]

text: As with the first season, the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the second season an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.[82] Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent praised the show as one that "essentially deals with thoughtful, intelligent young people battling to speak up against an illogical world." While observing that the "show may revel in the miserable", she opined "that the purpose of its own morbidity is to offer the assurance that hope lives in even the darkest of places." Loughrey also credited the show's expanded storyline for the Baudelaires' adult allies for "plumping up" the episodes' narrative arcs and deepening the show's emotional impact.[83]

text: Tristram Fane Saunders of The Telegraph awarded the second season four out of five stars. He described the show as a "gothic treat [that] also offers a wicked line in absurdist humour, and the most gorgeously toybox-like set designs you’ll find anywhere outside a Wes Anderson film."[84] Radio Times reviewer Huw Fullerton praised the series for its faithfulness to the original novels. While praising the improved CGI used to make Presley Smith's character Sunny Baudelaire react better to situations, he criticized the addition of supporting "good" characters such as Nathan Fillion's Jacques Snicket and Sara Canning's Jacquelyn for "undercutting the bleakness and loneliness that characterized the novels."[85]

text: Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times described A Series of Unfortunate Events as "one of the most lavish originals in Netflix's bottomless catalogue, created by fans, for fans." He also praised Neil Patrick Harris' performance as Count Olaf.[86] The Den of Geek reviewer Michael Ahr praised tortoise-shell 'amphibiophones' and stone marimbas score for giving the television series its primal sound.[87] IGN reviewer Jonathon Dornbush criticized the second season's formulaic plot structure and lack of the insightful observations compared to the first season. He also praised several of the second season's episodes particularly "The Ersatz Elevator", "The Hostile Hospital", and "The Carnivorous Carnival" for smartly twisting the story formula and deepening the novel series' mythology. Dornbush also praised the performance of guest stars such as Lucy Punch and Patrick Warburton and awarded the second season 7.2 stars.[88]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
Ref

2017
Leo Awards
Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series
Luis Alejandro Guevara, Bob Habros, Cale Jacox, Ron Simonson, Jeffrey De Guzman
Nominated
[89]

Best Make-Up in a Dramatic Series
Rita Ciccozzi, Krista Seller, Tanya Hudson, Gitte Axen
Won

Best Hairstyling in a Dramatic Series
Julie Mchaffie, Dianne Holme, Jenine Lehfeldt
Won

Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Sara Canning
Nominated

Saturn Awards
Best New Media Television Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Nominated
[90]

Creative Arts Emmy Awards
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
James Newton Howard
Nominated
[91]

Gold Derby TV Awards
Comedy Actor
Neil Patrick Harris
Nominated
[92]

Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Main Title Theme – TV Show/Limited Series
Nick Urata and Daniel Handler
Won
[93]

Peabody Awards
Children's & Youth Programming
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Won
[94]

2018
Satellite Awards
Best Actor in a Series - Comedy or Musical
Neil Patrick Harris
Nominated
[95]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
^ Jump up to: a b Netflix and critics name the first two episodes as "The Bad Beginning", following the title of the book, while the episode itself displays the name of "A Bad Beginning" after the opening credits.[30][31]
Jump up ^ Netflix names the episodes of the second season as Part 1 and Part 2, while the episodes themselves display the names as Part One and Part Two after the opening credits, following the format of the first season.
^ Jump up to: a b Netflix names the ninth and tenth episodes as "Carnivorous Carnival", while the episodes themselves display the name of "The Carnivorous Carnival" after the opening credits, following the title of the book.[33][34]

tag: ol