I’ve never been a pessimistic person. I’ve been lucky enough to spend many of my formative years in an environment that cultivated positivity. Romance novels. Disney movies. My world had warm and motherly hands shaping it, infusing it with life and light since my earliest memories.

This upbringing resulted in a preference for the positive.

Which is why it was such a shock that I not only made the initial click on A Series of Unfortunate Events but kept coming back. Now, the third and final series has arrived and I’m still morbidly hooked.

With the last season ending on a literal cliffhanger, this season was poised to start off just like its predecessors, with a heart racing, near-death experience. As the first episode unfolded, multiple new faces were introduced, and the story that had begun to unfold two series ago finally seemed to move toward a climactic point. Ironic seeing as the setting for the beginning of season three was an actual mountain top.

Continuing the theme of A Series of Unfortunate Events, the third season is full of “tragedy” and “despair.” I say those words half-heartedly due to the fact that although many horrible things do befall the Baudelaire Orphans (around whom the series revolves), the show has a dark, dry humor which undermines the despair that should, logically, dominate.

After three seasons of comical misfortune, both change and continuity have presented themselves in the personalities of the Baudelaire orphans. The Baudelaire’s strong problem-solving skills shine as bright as they did in the first season, growing and developing even. However, there has been definite character development in all three of the children. The youngest, Sunny (Presley Smith), who is only a toddler, began to exhibit more bravery, determination, and other qualities her older siblings, Klaus and Violet (Louis Hynes and Malina Weissman), have modeled for her. In this season both Klaus and Violet have people that catch their eye; because of this, a new element to the story emerges.

Due to the many elements and twists and turns in this story, I’m not entirely sure what to classify it as. However, the constant misfortune tangled into the drama and humor is what makes it so unique.

Beyond just the story and plotline itself, A Series of Unfortunate Events excels due to the quality of the shooting, music, setting, and the other little (and not so little) things that have to come together perfectly to make a good show. The constantly changing locales kept me entertained and thinking and the story fresh and moving. There were times when I was almost sad when the Baudelaires moved onto their next location.

Sometimes, with the constant change of scenery throughout the entirety of this show, it felt random, as if nothing actually connected. So it was immensely satisfying in the end when everything, even things I didn’t realize were a piece in the puzzle, fell into place.

However satisfying the end of A Series of Unfortunate Events may have been, I’m saddened that the story of the Baudelaire orphans is over. Yet, I will forever be grateful to them for reminding me of the vast world of entertainment options outside of what regularly fills my Netflix queue.