The Beaudelaires and Count Olaf are marooned on a desert island, but will the residents believe the beleaguered siblings or be taken in by the silver-tongued criminal?

In a break from the previous twelve novels in the series, Lemony Snicket’s Book the Thirteenth is adapted into a single 52-minute episode, and while this inevitably leads to a slimming down of the narrative, it does mean that this final adventure whizzes along at a fair old pace. What is refreshing… and at last!… is the fact that no-one falls for the Count’s unconvincing disguises, and indeed he’s the first to be placed in jeopardy.

Neil Patrick Harris meets his match in Peter MacNicol’s (Dragonslayer) leader Ishmael, keeping his followers under tight control until a deadly virus is unleashed. This allows the story to then focus on a life and death rush to find a cure, and if you’re not familiar with this book you might be surprised by who does and doesn’t make it to the end credits. Thankfully we don’t get a volte face from our villain who still manages to be evil until the very end.

Verdict: It’s the end… but the moment has been prepared for. What a treat that an entire series of 13 books has been committed to film, each given a healthy running time, with fantastic guest stars and wildly inventive production design. The three juvenile leads have grown up in from our eyes and their wonderful, consistently engaging performances have been the heart of the series. 8/10

Nick Joy