The Past
Beatrice is singing at the opera, and Kit and Esme watch from above. Lemony is busy watching Beatrice with a spyglass, and Beatrice finishes her aria. Lemony applauds, and Olaf wakes up. He complains that Lemony brings his typewriter with him, and Lemon reminds him that he's a theater critic. The Fire Chief speaks during the intermission about fire safety. Jacques is driving his taxi, and Beatrice comes in to ask how she was. Lemony assures her that she was radiant. The Fire Chief says that he loves his son Olaf and tells them to go back to the tragedy they were watching.
The Present
The crows hover over the Hotel Denouement, and Olaf watches them. Elsewhere, Carmelita fires a rock at the crow with the sugar bowl. It hits the bird paper, drops the sugar bowl, and the sugar bowl falls into the laundry room vent.
Lemony introduces himself to the Baudelaires, and the guests yell that they saw the Baudelaires shoot Dewey. Interrupting, Lemony suggests that they get into the taxi and explains that they need to get away. Strauss comes out with two friendly police officers, and Lemony explains that he's on the lam. Violet says that they have to stay and clear their names. The Baudelaires go to Strauss and say that Dewey's shooting was an accident. Lemony drives off, and Strauss takes the Baudelaires inside.
In the lobby, Poe arrives with Ernest Denouement. The guests say that they recognize the Baudelaires and they killed Dewey. Strauss says that they don't have all of the effects and they'll have Olaf's trial in the morning. As the guests go back, the Baudelaires point out that it's two days until Thursday and all of the VFD Volunteers won't be there. Strauss assures them that the trial will be held in the lobby because it's easier to get people there. Frank comes in with Olaf and Strauss tells the Count that he's going to prison. The Baudelaires say that VFD is there, and Olaf tells them that VFD isn't noble. He offers to share the secrets he knows about the Baudelaire parents and the sugar bowl, and he's their last chance to learn what really happened.
Frank locks Olaf in a closet, and Strauss takes the Baudelaires upstairs. She assures them that there are two other high judges in the court and they've been interested in the Baudelaires' case, and assures them that they can trust the law. Strauss locks the Baudelaires up in a room, and Klaus worries that Olaf will fool the high court. There's a book on criminal law in the dresser, and Klaus has to read it before the trial.
In the kitchen, Esme and Carmelita make sausage and Esme promises that no one gets up with Esme and gets away it.
Come morning, everyone prepares for the trial in the lobby. Strauss leaves clothing for the Baudelaires, and Poe comes in to escort them to the trial and provides blindfolds that they have to wear. All of the blindfolded guests head to the lobby, and Jerome removes his blindfold and realizes that it's his wife Esme. He says that he's there in the name of justice, and Carmelita says that they're going to make the Baudelaires pay.
In the hallway, Poe puts on his blindfold. The Baudelaires come out and they stumble to the elevator. Once everyone arrives, Strauss calls the court to order. Once everyone sits down, Strauss says that they'll remove the blindfold until the verdict. The other two high court judges arrive on a high balcony.
Olaf comes in and Strauss shows submits the court the Complete History of Injustice. She also submits the harpoon gun into evidence, and Olaf invites everyone to the party after the trial. Esme talks about her cocktail party, and the two of them argue about whose party is better.
Strauss calls the Baudelaires to the stand and says that they're safe among friends and co-workers. Everyone there is prepared to speak on behalf of the Baudelaires, but the Baudelaires have to tell everyone their story. Violet and Klaus tell their story about how no one would listen to them. They insist that no one will be safe until Olaf is behind bars. The guests applaud the orphans.
Strauss has the orphans sit down and says that she's going to consult with her fellow judges and if they agree, they can declare the unfortunate events at an end. Klaus wonders why Olaf is acting so calmly, but Strauss tells the Baudelaires that their word is all that they need. Despite that, Klaus tells Violet that they have to call a witness. Strauss asks if they'd like to see the story over once and for all, and they agree and figure that they need the witness to close their case.
The Baudelaires call Olaf to the stand and he says that he's always been honest about his desires and that's more than the gusts can say. Olaf points out all of their flaws of the guests, and says that Strauss is so blind that she let him marry Violet. He states all of the despicable acts that Baudelaires did, ending with them shooting Dewey. Klaus says that it's not the whole truth, and Olaf declares that they've lied, stolen, and relied on treachery like everyone else. He says that there are no noble people parents in the world. Violet tells him that their parents were noble, and Klaus realizes that their parents never told them about the night at the opera and the poisonous darts.
Olaf calls Esme to the stand and she testifies that she's single, rich, and attractive. Carmelita hands out sausages and insists that they're not poisoned, and Olaf invites the Baudelaires to question Esme. Violet asks her why she's obsessed with the sugar bowl, and Esme explains.
Beatrice says that something so valuable shouldn't be in the hands of one person, but Esme says that she can trust it. While they talk, Olaf sets a curtain on fire with light focused through his spyglass. Meanwhile, Beatrice insists that the sugar bowl is their only hope of saving the world. Esme goes over to her seat with the sugar bowl, and Lemony tells Beatrice that they have to do a wicked thing for a noble reason. He gives Esme his spyglass and then slips out with Beatrice. Esme realizes that her tea is unsugared and the sugar bowl is gone. She runs out and throws a poison dart at Beatrice and Lemony as they walk away. Beatrice threatens to throw a dart of her own. Kit and Olaf come out, and the Fire Chief steps out between them and takes the dart that comes from Beatrice and Lemony's side. The Fire Chief stares at Olaf and dies, and Olaf glares at Lemony.
Strauss interrupts, saying that the murder isn't relevant to the Baudelaires' case. Olaf says that the theft led to a murder which led to a schism, and friends became enemies and children became orphans. Everyone starts choking on the sausages, and Olaf stares at Esme in horror as she stands up and says that the poisoned sausages are her revenge.
Olaf wonders how Esme got the Mycelium, and Carmelita announces that the guests are coughing because of the pepper. She explains that the sausage meat came from crows so they made them literally eat crow. Strauss has water handed out and orders Esme and Olaf to sit down. Olaf insists that he's innocent and sings. The high court judges send Strauss a note, and Strauss tells the Baudelaires that they want to know how they plead. They point out that they're not on trial, and Strauss says that she doesn't have a choice. Klaus and Violet say that they're innocent... enough.
Strauss tells everyone to put their blindfolds on and goes to consult with the other judges. Olaf grabs Strauss and points the harpoon gun at her head. The judges say that Strauss is fine, and the Baudelaires recognize the voices. They take off the blindfolds and see the Man and Woman, who say that the Baudelaires are in court. Olaf flees with Strauss, and the guests disagree about whether the Baudelaires are innocent or guilty. The man warns that anyone who removes their blindfolds will be in contempt.
Klaus and Violet get into the elevator with Olaf and Strauss, who says that he's going to the laundry room to get the sugar bowl, then up to the roof to get the Mycelium, then down to the lobby to poison everyone, then back to the roof to escape. Olaf figures that he can get past the lock with Strauss' help. Strauss says that the Baudelaires should help her, and Olaf tells her that the Man and Woman are on his side of the schism and the trial was rigged from the start. He recites the clues that he got from Larry's body. Klaus helps Olaf, figuring that there's no reason to protect VFD when they won't protect them. He enters in the three clues and the laundry room door opens. However, Klaus says that the sugar bowl isn't there. He explains that the key is a decoy and the secret died with Dewey.
Olaf promises to unleash the Mycelium and kill everyone in the hotel, getting his revenge on everyone. Violet offers to help Olaf escape in the Carmelita II so he'll be far away and everyone else will be safe. Sunny says to burn down the hotel, and Olaf pours flammable chemicals on the sheets. The baby tells her orphans to flee, and Klaus and Violet realize that people will flee from a fire. Olaf grabs the book from Strauss, and a photo of the Baudelaires falls out. Strauss picks it up, and Olaf starts the fire and says that it's time to unleash a deadly fungus.
When the group gets into the elevator, Klaus and Violet hit all the buttons. Strauss realizes that they can warn everyone. When the elevator stops at the lobby, Klaus yells that there's a fire. Olaf says that the Baudelaires are lying. The Man and Woman are disappointed in Olaf. The elevator goes up and Klaus continues warning people, but no one believes them. When they find Esme and Carmelita, Olaf says that the sugar bowl isn't in the laundry room. Esme figures that he's lying and goes there with Carmelita.
The group reaches the roof and Olaf gets the Mycelium from a beach ball. The Hotel starts to collapse from the fire, and Violet makes a drag chute. Strauss tells them that running is a bad idea, and says that the Baudelaires can't run from the scene of a crime. Klaus and Violet say that the authorities might not believe them, but Strauss insists that she can give them a home and keep them safe. Sunny bites her hand as she pulls the ship over, and Olaf shoves the ship to the edge of the pool and off the roof. It falls and the drag chute deploys, dropping them safely into the ocean below. They look back at the fire and Olaf says that the Volunteers will know that he's won and he has the Baudelaires.
The package with the sugar bowl drops into the subbasement via the vent disguised as a laundry room vent.
Kit is on the Queequeg, and something slams into it.
The guests run out of the Hotel. Lemony pulls up and realizes that not giving the Baudelaires a ride brought down the hotel. He asks Strauss if she's seen the Baudelaires, and she says that they're gone. The only record she has left is a photo of the Baudelaires, and Lemony asks to keep it. Strauss agrees and Lemony drives off in the taxi.
Lemony and Beatrice go to the stage door after the police arrive. Beatrice insists that she has to tell everyone that she threw the dart that killed the Fire Chief, but Lemony insists that it was his idea to steal the sugar bowl. He assures Beatrice that he loves her and always will. They kiss and Lemony gets into the taxi as the police close in. Olaf and Esme watch them go, and Olaf promises that Beatrice will burn for what she's done.
In his apartment, Lemony puts the photo of the Baudelaires on his wall and types out his story about investigating the lives of the Baudelaire orphans.
The Baudelaires sail off into the sunset with Olaf.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 9, 2019