Olaf and Esme drag the Baudelaires through the Carmelita to the brig, with Sunny infected by the Medusoid Mycelium. Mycelium works on a schedule meaning that Sunny has less than an hour to live. The villains got lost and Olaf figures that it's fine if Sunny dies. The orphans make a break for it but Olaf easily recaptures them and says that he's throwing them in the brig rather than killing them.
The Snow Scouts are in the rowing room, and Phil is with them. Phil is happy that he has two new jobs. Carmelita performs her dance recital and insists that Olaf stay and watch. Olaf says that he has to torture the Baudelaires, and throws them in the brig. Violet and Klause try to work a way out, and Hook-Handed Man comes in and says that he's going to torture them for the sugar bowl's location. They tell him that they don't know where it is, and explain that Sunny is sick. Hook-Handed Man wants to take off the helmet, but then realizes that Sunny is infected. Violet and Klause ask him to help them escape, and Sunny pleads with Hook-Handed Man as well. After a moment he picks up Sunny, says that it's going to be okay, and carries her out.
Hook-Handed Man gives Klause and Violet directions to the Queequeg and complains that Olaf yells at him when his schemes to get the Baudelaire fortune free. He gives Sunny to her siblings to check ahead, and bumps into Olaf. Olaf admits that he's lost and asks for directions to the wine room, and Hook-Handed Man says that he was going to sharpen his hooks so he could torture the Baudelaires. They go to the wine room and the Baudelaires follow.
The orphans pass next to the rowing room, as Carmelita performs her third number. Violet puts on her ribbon and comes up with a way to create a sea monster and rescue the Snow Scouts. She creates a noise maker by putting a piece of paper over a steam vent, and when Esme says not to abandon ship, Violet not-so-helpfully adds that she said to abandon ship. The Snow Scouts panic and the Baudelaires slip past and go to the Queequeg.
The Baudelaires find Fiona and tell her that Sunny is infected. They explain that Quigley took the sugar bowl and Hook-Handed Man distracted Olaf. They find a book about Mycelium, and figures that they need to send a VFD to VFD. While Fiona and Violet repair the VFD sender, Klause finds a poem in the book referring to "a small dose of root of horse". Violet remembers the smell of horseradish as they drove down Lousy Lance, and look through the food supplies. They find a birthday cake for Violet and realize it was the surprise Sunny and Phil were cooking up.
Sunny tells her siblings to use wasabi as a substitute for horseradish. The trio put on improvised masks, remove the helmet, and give Sunny the wasabi. It kills the Mycelium, and the repaired VFD machine prints out a VFD from VFD.
In the wine room, Hook-Handed Man finds a hook-sharpening tool. Olaf wants to go with them and see the Baudelaires suffer, but first he wants a sandwich. As Hook-Handed Man makes a sandwich, Olaf says that he wants to win his mentors' favor by doing something big and dramatic against VFD. Once Hook-Handed Man makes the sandwich, Olaf tells him to disengage from the Queequeg even though it will destroy it. Hook-Handed Man suggests that they don't know, and Olaf wonders if there's something he's not telling him. The lackey quickly agrees to disengage.
The Baudelaires thank Fiona for her help and give her the sealed helmet. Klause says that they saved it for her so she'd have a specimen, and Fiona gives them the VFD signed "JS" telling all volunteers to come to the Last Safe Place: The Hotel Denouement. It's a seaside hotel so they can take the sub there. Klause charts a course and Fiona says that they have to wait per her orders. Violet realizes that she's hiding something, just as Hook-Handed Man comes in. Fiona goes over and hugs him.
At the Orphan Affairs office of the bank, Kit turns off the lights and leaves.
Hook-Handed Man realizes that his stepfather Captain Widdershins is dead, and the Baudelaires realize that Hook-Handed Man is Fiona's brother. Fiona points out that Hook-Handed Man helped save Sunny and asks him to come with them to the Last Safe Place. She refuses to abandon her brother, and Violet notes that they read in a VFD that Hook-Handed Man--Fernald-- burned down the center, and the VFD puts out fires while Olaf and his people start them. Hook-Handed Man explains that he discovered that Gregor was cultivating a fungus so powerful that it could destroy VFD. To keep the fungus from getting out, Fernald set the center on fire and lost his hands in an explosion. They kicked him out of VFD, and Widdershins was furious with them. Olaf took him in when no one else would, and Fernald says that people are neither good nor bed. Fernald points out that the Baudelaires have played with fire, and says that Olaf has his good parts even though he can't think of any.
The group hear Olaf laugh and the Baudelaires run out. Olaf, Esme, and Carmelita come in and say that they're ready to leave, and wonder who Fiona is. Carmelita looks around and finds the Baudelaires, and Olaf realizes that Fernald released them. Fiona tells Olaf that Fernald is her brother, and Olaf says that she gets to watch Fernald die. She says that Fernald let the Baudelaires escape so that he could get the Mycelium sample. Olaf takes it and congratulates Fernald and Fiona, and then tells the Baudelaires that he will use the Mycelium on them. Fiona speaks up, saying that he shouldn't waste it on the orphans. Olaf figures that he can use the Mycelium to cause mass destruction, and invites Fiona to join his crew. He points out that the Baudelaires only care about himself, and Fiona throws in with him. As they go, Olaf tells them that they lost the moment they lost their family. They insist that their family is right there, and Olaf says that they will soon lose everything.
Fernald goes with Olaf, and Fiona tells the Baudelaires that she's letting them escape before Olaf notices. Fiona refuses to abandon her brother Fernald, and Violet asks her to help the captive Snow Scouts. Klause tells Fiona not to go with Olaf because she's not wicked, and she echoes Fernald's words that people are neither wicked nor good. She kisses Klause on the cheek, and Violet says that they need to hurry before Olaf notices that they've escaped.
On the Carmelita, Olaf tells Fernald that he figures Fernald was going to escape and threatens to strangle Fiona. To keep Fiona safe, Fernald offers to give him the Last Safe Place's location. Fiona goes to the brig and fakes taking the Baudelaires there, and locks the door. Olaf tells her to make him a pizza and disengage from the Queequeg.
Fiona has completed the repairs, but the Great Unknown heads for the Queequeg. Violet puts the submarine into overdrive and they speed away from the monster.
Olaf prepares to go to the Last Safe Place and release the Mycelium on VFD at the Hotel Denouement. Esme complains that they haven't found the sugar bowl, but Olaf figures that it will fall out of the sky and gives a real laugh for the first time. Fiona realizes that she shouldn't have given Olaf the Mycelium, and Fernald assures her that she did a terrible thing to save her life. Olaf and Esme go to the brig to laugh at the Baudelaires.
The Queequeg outruns the Great Unknown, but the engine overheats and Klause tries to find the Hotel Denouement.
At the burned-out center, Quigley stares out to sea while holding the sugar bowl. Crows fly past him, and Quigley holds up the sugar bowl so one of them can take it.
Klause finds the closest beach to the Hotel Denouement and the Queequeg arrives... at Briny Beach. Poe comes up and wonders why the Baudelaires are there. Kit arrives and reminds Poe that she doesn't work for him, and offers to drive the Baudelaires to the Last Safe Place. Poe says that the Baudelaires should come with him to sort out things at the police station. He suggests that he be their parent figure and should break the cycle. The Baudelaires say that they're breaking the cycle by not going with him. Kit recognizes the picture of Herman Melville on their uniforms, and warns that their lives may be more difficult if they come with her. However, she promises to take them to VFD. The Baudelaires say goodbye to Poe and go with Kit, who says that Fiona sent a VFD letting her know where they were. Quigley tracked their location but got a lead on his siblings and went to find them.
Once Olaf discovers that the Baudelaires are gone, he tosses Fiona and Fernald into the brig. Fiona wonders if they have to warn VFD about the Mycelium and save the Snow Scouts. Fernald goes to the door and picks the lock with his hook.
Kit tells the Baudelaires that the VFD agents are converging on the Hotel. She gives them her name and continues driving.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 9, 2019