Quigley tells Violet and Klaus that he survived the fire.
Lemony explains that he was in the kitchen when his siblings were sleeping, he smelled smoke, and his mother sent him into the tunnels. Quigley followed the tunnels to the reptile house and survived on canned peaches, and found the Incomplete History of Secret Organizations, and the schism that tore the VFD apart. He took a trolley to the various locations that the Baudelaires visited, and then joined the Snow Scouts as cover while he searched for the secret VFD HQ.
Violet tell him that his siblings are safe, and Quigley asks him to let him help Sunny.
Olaf boasts of capturing Sunny, telling the Man and Woman that he's not a total disappointment. The Man says that fire can solve any problem, and they made sure there were no survivors at the VFD HQ because no one was there. They did run into Kit but she got away, and they figure she won't get far.
Kit is carving bark off of a tree when Poe arrives with poisonous berries. She points out that they're poisonous and explains that she's going to ski down the mountain on bark skis. Poe offers her a desk job since his secretary left for Winnipeg, and assures Kit that there will be plenty of excitement. Snow gnats come toward them, and Kit lights the bark and backs into a cave with Poe.
Olaf tells Hook-Handed Man that the Man and Woman are berating him, and lights one of the green cigarettes. He figures that he should put a show on to impress them, and yells at Sunny to prepare a hot breakfast. Olaf gives her a cigarette to start a fire, and Sunny uses it as a smoke signal.
Quigley and the Baudelaires see the smoke at the top of Mount Fraught and figure that Sunny is there. Violet suggests that they go up the frozen waterfall.
Sunny smokes the salmon, while Esme tells the Man and Woman how she dealt with the Baudelaires. Olaf begins his show and relates the story of his adventures committing terrible deeds . The Man and Woman are not impressed and tell Olaf to stop his musical number. They tell him that they recruited him to spread fire and destruction. When they notice the smoke, the Man realizes what she's doing and stamps out the cigarette. The Woman explains that the cigarette is a signaling device and wonders if Sunny is a spy. Olaf figures that Sunny is acting like a helpless baby and mentions the Baudelaire fortune. The Man and Woman tell him that the fortune is insignificant and he could have all of the fortunes. They take Olaf to show him while they're really on the mountain, and Esme follows them while the troupe play their instruments.
Violet uses relics from the burned-out HQ to make climbing boots.
Lemony talks about how people in the past took in those who were lost. The Man and Woman approach a young Olaf and say that his friends in the VFD betrayed him and he needs guidance. Olaf says that he'd rather be alone, and they say that they have a lot to teach him.
The troupe watch the tent where Olaf, Esme, and the couple are holed up.
Klaus finds a book of codes and suggests that a coded message might be hidden somewhere. He tells Violet and Quigley to go up the mountain while he searches for the coded message. Quigley and Violet go up the waterfall. They reach a ledge and take a break.
The troupe lock Sunny in a bird cage and Sunny asks Hook-Handed Man why he's helping Olaf. Hook-Handed Man says that Sunny will understand when she's older.
Violet and Quigley rest and Violet admires the view. Quigley looks at her and says that it's a lovely view. She drops her glove and it lands on the waterfall before and freezes.
Klaus goes through the remaining books and checks a refrigerator.
Violet and Quigley reach the top and see Hook-Handed Man standing guard and talking to Sunny. Sunny sees them and asks for something fizzy, and Hook-Handed Man gives in and goes to get the sarsaparilla bottle that Olaf discarded. Violet picks the lock on the bird cage but they hear Olaf coming and she's forced to hide with Quigley. Olaf and Esme tell Sunny to prepare dinner for them, and the Man and Woman order them to go to the camp in the woods and bring back a tarp to cover over the wood. They explain that they're going to make more orphans. Once they leave, Violet returns to the cage and Sunny explains that the Man and Woman burned down VFD HQ. The baby insists on staying as a spy and closes the door. When Violet wonders how she'll get out, Sunny ties her own hair back and says that she'll invent something. Violet reluctantly closes the lock and gives Sunny her lock pick, and then leaves with Quigley. Hook-Handed Man returns with parsley soda.
Back at the burned-out HQ, Quigley and Violet tell Klaus what they discovered. Violet says that Sunny volunteered on staying, and the Baudelaires figure that they have to trust her. Klaus explains that the refrigerator was the safest place to hide something on short notice if there was a fire, and he found Verbal Fridge Dialogue inside. It's an emergency code indicating that the name of the person sending the message is in the darkest jar of jam. Jacques' name is on one lid, and the number of olives indicate that Jacques called a meeting on the coming Thursday. The ingredients on a jar of mustard include "The last safe place", and they use the telescope to keep an eye on Sunny.
Hook-Handed Man serves False Spring rolls and Olaf, on the edge of the cliff, sees a glint of light from a spyglass. When the Man and Woman figure that the apparent volunteer has the sugar bowl, Esme is eager to go. The Man and Woman order Hook-Handed Man to cover the cage so Sunny doesn't see too much.
Esme skis down the waterfall and the trio spot her coming down. She reaches the bottom and skates into the burned-out building, and crashes. The teenagers hide, but Esme sees the discarded climbing gear and says that she's dressed to kill. Quigley puts on the mask just before Esme finds him, and he crawls away. She continues searching and falls into a surprisingly deep hot tub. The teenagers come over to check on her, and Quigley wants to use her as a hostage and trade her for Sunny. Esme realizes who they are and Klaus offers to get her out if they help her get Sunny back. She points out that they won't do anything to her and says that she read Anna Karenina as a child and threw it in the fire. Esme mentions the Snow Scouts climbing up the mountain to celebrate False Spring, and the Baudelaires realize that the villains are going to kidnap the kids and kill their parents, making orphans.
The Snow Scouts head up the mountain and Carmelita insists that they make her the False Spring Queen. The Snow Scouts agrees with Carmelita to ignore Brucie and go up without her, and Brucie runs off.
The teenagers climb up the waterfall pulling a tied-up Esme.
The Man and Woman tell Olaf and his troupe that they'll capture the Snow Scouts and let them join them. If they refuse, then they'll burn down their parents' homes with the parents inside. The Man and Woman tell Olaf that his obsession with the Baudelaires has led to his disgrace. They tell him to throw Sunny off the cliff and show them that he deserves their respect. Olaf tells the troupe to toss Sunny, and the white-faced women refuse. They lost their parents and sister in a fire and figure that it's not a coincidence, and walk off with the others. Olaf tells the Man and Woman that he doesn't need them, but Hook-Handed Man says that Olaf still has him and throws the bird cage off the cliff.
The teenagers arrive with Esme and Klaus says that they're there to trade Esme as a hostage. Esme cuts herself free and the Man tells the group that Sunny is dead. Olaf says that it's all his now because he had to choose and still got everything. Sunny sneaks up and the Baudelaires see her. The Man and Woman say that they're disappointed in Olaf and they'll do better with the next orphans.
Carmelita and the Scouts arrive, and the Woman says that they're there to help them celebrate False Spring. Taking the Spring Pole, Carmelita crowns herself False Spring Queen. The Woman summons the eagles, which fly down and sweep up the Scouts in the giant tarp they're standing on. The Man and Woman take the car keys from Olaf, tell Esme that they're impressed with her and will be in contact, and drive off.
Esme admires Carmelita and offers her a place at their side, and Olaf prepares to kill Violet so he has Klaus to get the fortune. Sunny pushes a toboggan over and the teenagers escape on it, sledding down the waterfall. They reach the bottom and head down the stream, and a branch knocks Quigley off. The sled brake doesn't work and the sled continues on. Quigley yells that he'll find Violet at the last safe place.
The troupe wonder what they will do as they come to the crossroads.
The toboggan reaches the ocean as the ice on the stream behind them cracks apart.
Quigley makes his way through the woods.
Olaf and his group leave the mountain.
The toboggan finally stops out to sea, but cracks form in the ice all around them. A submarine periscope emerges from the ice and then a submarine emerges, and the Baudelaires realize that the VFD insignia is on the periscope.
Kit drives Poe into the city in Jacques' taxi, and Poe gets a call from his manager, Mr. Tamerlane. Tamerlane says that the whole city is on fire.
The Man and Woman stand on a balcony and watch the city burn as the eagles fly past with the Scouts.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 3, 2019