Top 10 Easter Eggs from Season 3 of A Series of Unfortunate Events

Throughout both the books and the television adaptation, the words that Sunny says and what they’re translated to often have a fun correlation. In “The Slippery Slope: Part Two,” she declares “Rosebud” as she saves Violet and Klaus from Olaf’s clutches by scooping them up on a sled. This is a clear reference to “Citizen Kane,” in which Charles Foster Kane’s enigmatic final word, “Rosebud” turns out to be his childhood sled. In the face of trial, Sunny later says “Scalia,” a reference to Antonin Scalia, who was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and notorious for his originalist interpretation of laws.

Without Barry Sonnenfeld, we likely wouldn’t have this gloriously melancholy adaptation on our streaming services. Sonnenfeld was supposed to direct the 2004 film adaptation of the books, but left the project, and later became the co-developer for Netflix’s version. He makes at least three cameos this season: the first is vocal, as he appears as Mr. Poe’s boss, Mr. Tamerlane, over the phone. Later, he appears to be the model for the portrait of Captain Widdershins. Finally, he makes one final appearance in “The End,” as another portrait behind Lemony in the diner where he’s having a root beer float.

When the first season debuted on Netflix, book fans were curious as to the identity of Jacquelyn Scieszka, a V.F.D. agent who watched over the Baudelaires - and a new addition to the series. Season three finally provided us with a hilariously surprising answer to her book identity, as a throwaway line from Mr. Poe indicates that she had become the Duchess of Winnipeg, a character often mentioned, but never seen in the novels. It’s appropriate that this occurred in one of “The Slippery Slope” episodes, since the books also hint that one of the Snow Scouts on the mountain is related to the character.

Jacquelyn’s identity wasn’t the only first season mystery solved by a single line this season. Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders portrayed a couple on the run in the first season, who turned out to be the parents of the Quagmire triplets. The debut of the menacing Man with a Beard but No Hair and the Woman with Hair but No Beard reveals that these villains were the unseen captors of the Quagmire parents. It’s a connection that makes a lot of sense, since the two seem to be in a leadership position on Count Olaf’s side of the V.F.D. schism, and it does a lot to bring the world of the series together.

Herman Melville, the author of “Moby-Dick,” gets quite a few shout-outs in this series. He appears on the uniforms Fiona provides the Baudelaires, and he can count Fiona, Klaus and Kit as fans of his work. While this seems like more of a reference, fans of the book will know that it builds up to the introduction of Ishmael in “The End.” The character repeatedly affirms “Call me Ish,” a reference to the first line of “Moby-Dick,” which is “Call me Ishmael.” Eagle-eyed and keen-eared viewers may have even noticed that this was foreshadowed way back in “The Wide Window,” when the taxi driver discusses the author with the Baudelaires on their way to Aunt Josephine’s.

You have to take this one with a grain of salt, since it’s mostly speculation on our part, but Esmé’s nautical outfit bears a suspicious resemblance to Ursula from “The Little Mermaid.” With tentacles protruding from her waist, she resembles a cecaelia, the creature Ursula was designed after. The purple coloration, coiffed white hair and green eye shadow are all also similar to everyone’s favourite aquatic villainess. Considering that both are stylish and ruthless, it’s not much of a stretch to think she’s the inspiration. Oh, and that goes without saying that Ursula’s big song is “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Need we say more?

Netflix deserves credit for how much it diversified its cast for the adaptation, and it went even further with this scene in “The Penultimate Peril.” When Babs of “The Hostile Hospital” and Jerome of “The Ersatz Elevator” make their return, they both acknowledge that they’re in same-sex relationships. Jerome’s new partner is clearly hinted to be Charles from “The Miserable Mill,” who was heavily hinted to be in a toxic relationship with Sir. Babs, meanwhile, is in a relationship with a woman who’s in prison for bank robbery, almost definitely referring to Mrs. Bass from “The Austere Academy.”

As the series comes to a close, this season features many callbacks to the very first episode. Lemony’s opening narration of the season premiere echoes his opening of the first episode. When the Baudelaires return to Briny Beach, Lemony’s outfit is the same as it was in the very first Briny Beach scene. The shot of Violet dropping the stone is also repeated, symbolizing their decision to break the cycle and growth from first hearing the news of their parents’ deaths. That same stone is used by Carmelita Spats to slingshot down a crow. Finally, in “The End,” Olaf greets Kit the same way he did the Baudelaires. He also parallels Violet’s “What’s that thing?” line from the Briny Beach scene. In addition to being fun references, they all show how far the show has come.

If you haven’t noticed by now, the final season makes a lot of loving references to the seasons that came before it. When the Baudelaires discover the other side of Ishmael’s island where the washed up items are stored, it’s a treasure hunt of Easter eggs from episodes past. These include the red herring statue from “The Ersatz Elevator,” submarine pieces from “The Grim Grotto,” a trash receptacle from “The Carnivorous Carnival,” a fuel dispenser from “The Hostile Hospital,” the Quagmire parents’ plane from “The Wide Window,” and the crow fountain from “The Vile Village,” just to name a few. How many can you spot?

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Kit Uses Beatrice’s Wings
“The Slippery Slope: Part One”

Oh, Shiitake!
“The Grim Grotto: Part One”

Littlest Elf Land
“The Penultimate Peril: Part One”

As the second episode of the season comes to a close, Lemony recites a stanza of a poem that applies quite specifically to the Baudelaires’ current situation. He hints that the poem was a favourite of either Beatrice or Kit, and it seems like just another literary reference, but it’s much more than that. The poem, “The Garden of Proserpine” (or Persephone, as the Greeks called her) by Algernon Charles Swinburne opens with this line: “Here, where the world is quiet.” Sound familiar? That’s right, that line was slightly altered to become V.F.D.’s motto: “The world is quiet here.”