All through the night, the boat rocks and tips as well as seemingly disintegrate all around the Baudelaires who clung to each other to avoid separation. Count Olaf and the figurehead with the deadly fungus helmet are both swept away. However, I’m sure the idea of how far they strayed from their moral compass isn’t far from their heads. After all, they considered throwing their biggest enemy overboard. Yet, as they’ve found themselves in a world where good people can do villainous things, the children start to question their own notions on morality. Despite that all the bad things to do were to know about family secrets (like stealing Hal’s keys), just to survive or make their lives less miserable (like escaping with Count Olaf and stealing stuff from Prufrock Prep), or due to an overall lack of agency (like the Caligari Carnival fire). And while they consider killing or kidnapping anyone, they usually don’t follow through. Any reasonable person would think they’re being a little too hard on themselves. But the Baudelaires don’t see it that way.

The song I chose for the storm is Billy Joel’s “Shades of Grey” which is mainly about recognizing the moral ambiguity of life in a war zone. There isn’t a doubt the Vietnam era was influential on this number. In this version, Klaus evaluates the morality of his and his sisters’ actions and how far they have fallen off the moral path. Not to mention, how the world for them has become grayer and grayer as the learn more about V.F.D., their parents, and the schism.

“Shades of Grey” (ASOUE Version)

Sung by Klaus Baudelaire

Some things were perfectly clear, seen with the vision of youth
No doubts and nothing to fear, I claimed the corner on truth
These days it’s harder to say I know what I’m fighting for
My faith is falling away
I’m not that sure anymore

Shades of grey wherever I go
The more I find out the less that I know
Black and white is how it should be
But shades of grey are the colors I see

Once there was Olaf and troupe and one point of every view
Get him and ruin his plan
Get him before he gets you
These days the edges are blurred, I’m not sure where we’d fall on
We helped Count Olaf burn
I’m not that sure anymore

Shades of grey are all that I find
When I look to the V.F.D. line
Black and white was so easy for me
But shades of grey are the colors I see

Now with the wisdom of years I try to reason things out
And the only people I fear are those who never have doubts
Save us all from arrogant men, and all the causes they’re for
I won’t be righteous again
I’m not that sure anymore

Shades of grey wherever I go
The more I find out the less that I know
Ain’t no rainbows shining on me
Shades of grey are the colors I see