Lemony tells the viewer that some people like to hear bad news.
The bad news that "Olaf" was murdered spreads through VFD. The Baudelaires tell Poe that "Olaf" is really Jacques Snickett. The disguised Olaf says that the Baudelaires are suspects, and the village elders call an emergency town meeting. The disguised Esme says that it's her duty to lock up prisoners, and calls "Olaf" Jacques. She insists that he was locked up, and Olaf says that he has already cracked the case. The Baudelaires accuses Olaf and Esme of being Olaf and Esme, and Olaf denies it. He says that the Baudelaires are the murderers, and Esme asks for his evidence. Olaf takes the blueprints from Olaf's jacket, and says that they used it to bring in Viola's mechanical wall-hammering device to break into the jail. He says that the Baudelaires are accomplices, and says that there are tooth marks on "Olaf"'s body that belong to Sunny.
The Elders ask the Baudelaires where they were, and the Baudelaires ask hector to confirm that they were at his house. Hector tries not to faint, and says that the children were with him. The Elders ask if he provided the children with illegal goods, and declare that they can't serve as guardians. Esme suggests that they burn the Baudelaires at the stake, and the townspeople agree. The Elders agree to do it after supper, and Olaf has Esme lock them up.
Poe calls Jacquelyn and a newsboy drops off a newspaper about Olaf's death... and a photo of Jacques. The two Agents head to VFD.
Once the Baudelaires are locked up, they tell Poe that they're innocent. He doesn't believe their denials, and says that he can't use their fortune for criminal matters like hiring them a lawyer. Poe says goodbye and leaves. Olaf is in the next room putting mustaches on his wanted posters, and Esme brings in Eleanora, who wants to do an interview. She tells Poe that she's there on business, and Olaf takes bread and water to the Baudelaires.
Olaf tells the Baudelaires that his scheme will work again, and says that one orphan may escape so he can get their fortune, but the other two will die. Hector comes in to visit the Baudelaires, and once Olaf leaves Hector tells the orphans that he's leaving town and if they escape, they can go with him. He insists that they're innocent but the Elders overpowered him just like they overpowered his mother and forced her to leave VFD. Hector gives them a note that he found under Nevermore Tree and leaves. The note says that Isadora told them that the Agents are nearby. Viola suggests that they break out, and Klaus remembers it's his birthday. They remember their parents a year ago promising Klaus that he'd have the best birthday ever. Viola sees the stale bread and dusty water that Olaf left for them and gets a work.
Eleanora takes photos of Olaf and Esme.
Viola uses the stale bread as a battering ram to hammer at the wall, putting it on a bench and using the noose to swing it. They sing Happy Birthday to cover the noise, and Olaf tells them to keep it down. He quickly ends Eleanora's interview and she goes to interview the townspeople for some mob mentality.
Hector prepares his floating mobile home.
Klaus puts Isadora's poetry notes up on the wall using water to make them stick, and realizes that the first letter of each line spells out a word: "fountain". They realize that the Quagmires are in the fountain outside of the wall, and Viola goes back to smashing.
Hector waits for the Baudelaires to arrive.
Olaf and his troupe prepare the pyre, and Olaf tells Esme that his plan is going exactly as planned, even though parts of the plan were unplanned. Esme wants to go after the sugar bowl, and Olaf says that they will once they take care of the Baudelaires.
Hector figures the Baudelaires aren't coming and takes off from the barn.
Olaf tries to figure out where to stay children until they come of age and he can take their fortune. Hector's mobile hoime flies over, and Olaf figures that it's big enough to store orphans.
The Baudelaires smash through the jail wall and go to the Fowl Fountain. They lift Sunny up to the beak and she peers in, and Klaus and Viola slip, letting go of their sister. Her weight triggers the switch in the beak, and the Fountain opens to reveal Duncan and Isadora.
Jacquelkyn and Larry drive to VFD, and Larry spots the mobile home
Esme suggests to Olaf that they don't need the orphans because she has plenty of money. The Elders discover that the Baudelaires have escaped and yell for the chief of police. Olaf and Esme arrive, and Esme tells the townspeople that the Baudelaires are getting away, literally. The troupe hands out pitchforks.
The Quagmires explain how they smuggled out couplets, and figured that the Baudelaires would find them. They hear the mob coming and hide. and the Baudelaires tell the Quagmires about Hector's mobile home. Eleanora finds them and ask them what their thoughts are about their daring escape. The orphans run and the townspeople see them. Olaf realizes that the Quagmires have escaped, and tells the mob that the Quagmire are accomplices. Viola throws a carrot to have a donkey run in the opposite directions, and the townspeople all "ahh" while the orphans run to another hiding place.
Jacquelyn and Larry arrive via motorcycle, and Poe wonders whi his secretary is there. She says that the town should be ashamed of themselves, and Larry greets the townspeople he knows who retired there. Larry says that it was a good town once and can be again, and Jacquelyn tells them to ask themselves what they really want. The townspeople finally figure that they want to burn children, and the troupe ties the Agents up.
Hector's mobilehome passes overhead, and the orphans leap on an abandoned firetruck that Sunny is driving to the mobile. Olaf and his troupe follow them. The firetruck catches up to the mobile, and Hector is glad to take on extra passengers. Klaus raises the extension ladder, and the Quagmires go up first. The mob arrives and Viola threatens the mob with a firehose, even though there's no water in the tank.
Esme arrives with a harpoon gun and shoots at the mobile home's balloons just as Isadora reaches the ladder. She hangs on, and Duncan manages to grab the mobile home's rope ladder. Esme fires again and hits Hector's supply of cranberry juice. Klaus climbs up with Sunny, and Esme destroys another balloon. realizing that the mobile home can't take another hit, the Baudelaires tell Hector to leave with the Quagmires.Esme fires and hits another balloon, and Viola points out that Esme is using a mechanical device. The Elders take advance, and while they argue, the Quagmires toss down books with all the information about the organization.
Esne fires and hits the book, scattering the pages. The harpoon hits a crow and it drops to the ground injured. The Quagmires and the Baudeliares say goodbye as the mobile home drifts away. The Elders tell Esme that she broke Rule #1 and harmed a crow. The townspeople advance on Esme and Olaf, ready to burn them. The Baudelaires drive off, and Olaf collapses to his knees, sobbing that he's lost everything. Esme tells him that she has the location of the sugar bowl, and the Elders tell them that they will pay for their crimes. The troupe drive up in the getaway car, and Olaf and Esme get in and drive off. Poe tells the townspeople that they need to get the crow to a vet.
Larry and Jacquelyn see the Quagmires escaping. The Baudelaires watch and wonder how to feel: sad or relieved. They drive after the mobile home, and Klaus tries to sort the pages. They find one of Duncan's poems, saying that the world is quiet where they take Volunteers.
Written by Gadfly on May 20, 2018