The Baudelaire children wait for an old relative to arrive following a tragic fire.

Mr. Poe's secretary puts in some overtime; Count Olaf casts Violet and Klaus in his theater project titled "The Marvelous Marriage."

The Baudelaires move in with their new guardian, Dr. Montgomery, who is a renowned expert in reptile behavior; his assistant, however, is alarmingly familiar.

When a dead body is discovered in the reptile room, Klaus and Violet immediately suspect Count Olaf and his evil cohorts; Sunny sees the inside of a suitcase.

The children arrive at Lake Lachrymose, where they meet their strict grammarian Aunt Josephine, a woman who's haunted by the past.

Klaus and Violet look for clues when a suspicious note passes custody to Captain Sham, whose ties to Count Olaf are obvious.