How could you even make it this far?
The Baudelaires are taken to Lake Lachrymose to meet their next guardian, the supposedly "fierce and formidable" Aunt Josephine Anwhistle. However, she turns out to be a paranoid scaredy-cat who is obsessed with the English language and refuses to speak about her days with the Baudelaire parents. Violet and Klaus do some digging in Josephine's library,
Olaf and his troupe have followed them there, and Olaf poses as the wizened Captain Sham and starts romancing Josephine, at least until the latter seemingly jumps out the wide window overlooking Lake Lachrymose...
Tropes:
- Added Alliterative Appeal: Aunt Josephine lives out by Lake Lachrymose, where one can catch the Fickle Ferry from Damocles Dock to go all the way to the Lonely Lighthouse, and as the story begins Hurricane Herman is moving in. Aunt Josephine herself was once fierce and formidable.
- Bilingual Bonus: A shop on the shore of Lack Lachrymose is "Memento Moris Souvenirs". Memento Moris is a Latin phrase with the meaning "remember you will die", and not entirely fitting for the purposes of a souvenir store.
- …But He Sounds Handsome: Nearly said verbatim when "Captain Sham" states that Count Olaf sounds handsome.
- Foreshadowing: Larry Your-Waiter name drops a "Snicket", of whom Count Olaf is concerned about, and is apparently the VFD's best agent. He also claims that "Snicket" is dead, foreshadowing that Lemony Snicket not only faked his death, but was also once closely associated with Count Olaf.
- Impact Silhouette: Josephine seemingly jumps out the window, leaving a person-shaped hole behind.
- Large Ham: Count Olaf as Captain Sham, helped by the fake Scottish accent.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": The siblings easily guess that the password to the safe is "Ike" in numbers: 9-11-5.
- Seadog Peg Leg: Invoked by Olaf, who dons a wooden peg leg as "Captain Sham".
- Visual Pun: There are crackers inside Josephine's safe — safe crackers.
