Never Be Bored
28 September 2021
A Touch of Whimsy
The Mysterious Benedict Society books by Trenton Lee Stewart and tv show. Los Espookys tv show; Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency tv show; A Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket.
Okay, this one's based off ~vibes~. Think pastel sweater vests, over-the-top grandiose plans, and whimsical turns of phrase, with a hint of magic realism. First up we have The Mysterious Benedict Society, a book series I adored in middle school. A peculiar ad in the newspaper, a trio of puzzling tests, and a maze in the dark. Four bright, resourceful, curious children team up to go on a dangerous mission to Save the World! Follow along with Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance on their adventures as they learn to work together and trust each other.
The first book in this series was just adapted into season one of a new Disney+ tv show, and recently got renewed for season two! Although there were a few changes from the books, I think they were mostly good choices, as a few characters got more fleshed out backstories and some extra plot lines. Plus, with fun and colorful costume and set design, it's a very cute show to binge.
Next up, Los Espookys tv show! Tragically, there's only six half hour episodes so far, but they're all streaming on HBO, and what a wonderful six episodes they are. Need a little horror in your life? Hire Los Espookys to create a sea monster for your town's tourist attraction, run a haunted house, or play at being aliens. Special shoutout to my fav, Julio Torres, who is both a writer for this show and one of the brilliant cast's co-stars, playing the eccentric heir to a chocolate empire.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency tv show was also mentioned in This Might as Well Happen but I feel like it fits so well here, too. I just know Kate Wetherall from The Mysterious Benedict Society would immediately want to be friends with Dirk, and I think he'd love that she carries around a red bucket everywhere she goes. Anyway, check out this sci-fi comedy mystery show on Hulu for a wild time.
Another children's book series to round off this list—if you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society, then you might like A Series of Unfortunate Events—I think the Benedict Society and this series's main characters, the Baudelaire siblings, would get along famously. Over the course of thirteen books, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny get in and out of some sticky situations, as narrated by Lemony Snicket, both a character in the story and the pen name of the author, Daniel Handler.