And there is forward movement in the story at last! The destination of the elevator passage is genuinely shocking, and suddenly you get the sense that there is a wider conspiracy going on here, and that finally the books are tapping into it. Honestly, this needed to have come several volumes ago, before the reliance on formulaic repetition made the series seem a bit same old, same old, but better late than never. The ridiculousness is still a little too over the top when it comes to Sunny - granted, biting her way up an elevator shaft doesn't quite sink to the stupidity depth of the sword fight in The Miserable Mill but it's a close thing. I'd much prefer that Snicket stuck to her cryptic, snarky utterances than tried to make her Action Baby, but I have the feeling that particular irritation is going to keep on giving.