Charles

Charles
Biographical Information
Died	Hotel Denouement fire (possibly)
Alias	Partner (by Sir and Jerome Squalor)
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	Very tall (books)
Hair	Gray Brown (TV series)
Skin	Light (TV series)
Relationships
Love Interests	Sir (Most likely, confirmed in TV series) Jerome Squalor (TV series)
Affiliation
Profession	Sir's partner Volunteer
Loyalty	Sir Lucky Smells Lumbermill (formerly) V.F.D.
Behind the Scenes
Appearances	The Miserable Mill The Penultimate Peril
Adaptation Appearances	Netflix Adaptation: The Miserable Mill: Part One and The Miserable Mill: Part Two
Portrayed by	Rhys Darby

“	Some day you will learn that some things aren't always black and white.	”
	— Charles to the Baudelaires

Charles is the "partner" and employee of Sir at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill in Paltryville.

Personality

Although he is kind-hearted and tries to give the Baudelaires decent food like peaches and raisins at the lumbermill, Charles is a rather passive man with a penchant for being indecisive, and although he became friends with the Baudelaire children in The Miserable Mill, his lack of help left the three siblings in perilous situations at the lumber mill, in which they were forced to fend for themselves.

He is the submissive one in his relationship with Sir, and he displays qualities similar to how Jerome Squalor has extreme difficulty standing up to Esmé Squalor.

Background

His duties involve ironing Sir's shirts, cooking him omelettes, and making him milkshakes.

Prior to The Miserable Mill, he was the one who insisted that the lumbermill have a library. This is one of the few things Charles has suggested which Sir agreed to do, even though this said library only has three books available.

The Miserable Mill

Sir Talking with Charles

When the Baudelaire children were hired after arriving at the lumbermill, Charles couldn't believe Sir was willing to bring in child labor, but he caves into his partner's argument that it will teach them responsibility, the value of hard work, and how to make flat wooden boards out of trees.

When Klaus Baudelaire had his glasses broken twice, Charles insists that he visit Georgina Orwell to pick up a new pair, but at the cost of him being hypnotized.

In the TV series, it is revealed Charles was also hypnotized by Georgina Orwell to dislike the Baudelaires and get rid of them, although it is unknown how successful this hypnotism was, and if other methods were used to brainwash him.

Hoping to get Charles out of the way and blame this "accident" on the Baudelaire orphans so that they wind up in the care of "Shirley", Charles is tied to a log and is almost sawed to death by Orwell, having been grabbed by Foreman Flacutono in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Charles is rescued by the Baudelaire children at the last second, saving his life with only a small cut on his foot.

When Sir demands the Baudelaires leave the lumbermill, Charles attempts to defend them by stating that this mess wasn't their fault, but Sir firmly states that his word is final and Charles agrees as usual. He tells the Baudelaire children that he is sorry that he won't be able to see them anymore.

Between The Miserable Mill and The Penultimate Peril

After the Baudelaires had departed from the mill, Charles, like Justice Strauss, began to conduct research about them in addition to their family. His efforts eventually led to him becoming a member of V.F.D. in the process. In The Penultimate Peril, soon after she meets the Baudelaires, Kit Snicket explains, "I've scarcely looked at these maps, poems, and blueprints that Charles sent me." This is evidence that Charles is a volunteer and later on, he confirms it himself.

The Penultimate Peril

Charles was seen as a guest at the Hotel Denouement along with Sir. Klaus, disguised as a concierge, takes him and Charles to the sauna in the hopes of finding out the identity of the person that bears the initials, J.S. While Charles tells Sir that he wants to apologize to the Baudelaire children for what happened at the mill, they both talk about a cocktail party held by the person with these mysterious initials. Frank Denouement or Ernest Denouement comes in to inform the two of them that they have to clear the sauna. When Sir stated his love for burning wood, Frank or Ernest asks a passing chemist (who was actually Colette in disguise) to take them to Room 547 where the Organic Chemistry is.

Following the death of Dewey Denouement, when Sir claimed that the Baudelaires have caused numerous accidents at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, Charles told Sir that Count Olaf was the true culprit just as Mrs. Morrow incorrectly stated that Count Olaf was "murdered" by the Baudelaire children at the Village of Fowl Devotees.

Charles submitted his environmental studies as evidence during the trial.

When the Hotel Denouement Fire started, Sir and Charles were holding hands in order to not lose each other as they argue on if fires are good for the lumber business or not. It is unknown if Sir and/or Charles survived or if they died together as partners until the end.

Charles and Sir's relationship

Due to the events that transpired throughout the series listed below, it has been theorized for many years that Charles is in a relationship with his boss and partner, Sir:

• Some moments in The Miserable Mill in combination with their chat in The Penultimate Peril have implications of romantic attachment.
• In The Penultimate Peril, they share a room when they travel together to the Hotel Denouement, share a relaxing sauna together there, and when the hotel is set on fire, they are holding hands as they attempt to escape.
• In The Beatrice Letters, Lemony Snicket tells Beatrice Baudelaire that he will love her until "C realizes that S is not worthy of his love". Though it is unconfirmed, the implication is that C and S stand for "Charles" and "Sir".
• They are mentioned multiple times as being "partners", which is initially dismissed as an implication of them owning a business together—but if one reads between the lines carefully, they'd notice that the lack of the word "business" in front of "partners" is unusual, and suggests they may be partners romantically as well as professionally.

The TV series adaptation made this relationship more explicit.

Klaus: Doesn't "partner" mean "equal"?

Lemony Snicket: Well, in fact, "partners" can mean several things. It could mean "two people who own a lumbermill together, or a cupcakery." Now, with the advent of more progressive cultural mores, not to mention certain High Court rulings, it could also mean...

Sir: I do all the work. He irons my clothes.

Charles: I also cook your omelette.

Lemony Snicket: The definitions are not mutually exclusive.

It refers to their partnership as one made possible by a more progressive culture and high court decisions, a reference to real-life cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges, or perhaps Lawrence v. Texas.

At one point, while Violet is snooping around the library, she eavesdrops on Sir and Charles. Charles attempts to kiss Sir, but the latter does not notice the gesture.

At the end of Episode 8, Violet asks what Charles plans on doing next. He responds that he plans on searching for Sir, even though he's not a good person. He tells the Baudelaire children, "Someday you will learn that some things aren't always black and white."

When asked about LGBT characters in his novels, Daniel Handler specifically mentioned Sir and Charles despite there being no prior mention:

“	I grew up in an environment of queerness of every stripe, and I'd like to believe my work reflects such a world, even if the romantic and sexual lives and preferences of many of my characters are not explicit, as they aren't in life. (After all, we don't know what Sir and Charles do when we're not around, as we don't know, and thank goodness, with many friends; my new forthcoming YA novel has already ruffled the feathers of both queer and straight readers for scenes portraying certain flexibilities.)	”
	— Daniel Handler[1]

In another interview, when Daniel was asked about who is LGBT in A Series of Unfortunate Events, he replied that he wanted to leave it up to speculation, but said, "More than you probably think, as in real life."(25:00)

Behind the scenes

He is portrayed by Rhys Darby in the TV series.

Quotes

Books

• "You must be Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. Why, you're covered in pieces of bark. I hope you haven't been hanging around the lumbermill. That can be very dangerous for small children."
• "Well, I don't understand how three people as young as yourselves were put to work in the lumbermill, but please accept my humblest apologies, and let me tell you that it will not happen again. Why, you're children, for goodness' sake! You will be treated as members of the family!"
• "No. I can't do any of those things. Sir would get mad at me, and we can't have that. But tomorrow, I will try and sneak you some raisins at lunchtime, okay?"
• "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I won't be seeing you anymore. But I guess Sir knows best. It wasn't your fault."

TV series

• Charles: "I know Sir can be pricky, but you have to understand he had a very terrible childhood."
  Klaus: "I understand. I'm having a very terrible childhood right now."
  Charles: "...Okay." (shuts door)

Trivia

• Many years before the TV series came out, there was a lot of speculation on Sir's and Charles' relationship. Many people did not believe they were a couple, thinking that Daniel Handler would not insert gay characters into his stories, especially those which young readers would read.[2]
• Charles is not Chas. Snicket (Chas. is an abbreviation for Charles) because Charles (of TMM) and Kit Snicket exist in the same time, and Chas. Snicket is supposed to be the grandfather of Kit. It is probably merely a naming coincidence.
• The creators of the TV series were excited to reveal Charles as Jerome's new partner and depict an explicit and healthy same-sex relationship, but due to Rhys Darby being stuck in Fiji due to a typhoon and unable to make production, Charles could not appear. He was replaced with Babs, forcing a rewrite to occur. The original version of the script can be found near the end of The Penultimate Peril: Part One article.
  • In the final version, Jerome Squalor mentions he met his current partner at a group for people who had escaped bad relationships, but he was unable to make it to the Hotel Denouement as he was busy with his lumber mill. Although Charles is not name-dropped, it was intended to be him, meaning Charles had struck up the courage to leave Sir and began a relationship with Jerome, all while continuing to run Lucky Smells Lumbermill, probably in a more humane and ethical manner.

Appearances

Books
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Books)
1. The Bad Beginning (1999):	Absent	7. The Vile Village (2001):	Absent
2. The Reptile Room (1999):	Absent	8. The Hostile Hospital (2001):	Absent
3. The Wide Window (2000):	Absent	9. The Carnivorous Carnival (2002):	Absent
4. The Miserable Mill (2000):	Debut	10. The Slippery Slope (2003):	Absent
5. The Austere Academy (2000):	Absent	11. The Grim Grotto (2004):	Absent
6. The Ersatz Elevator (2001):	Absent	12. The Penultimate Peril (2005):	Appears
13. The End (2006):		Absent
All the Wrong Questions
Who Could That Be at This Hour? (2012):	Absent	Shouldn't You Be in School? (2014):	Absent
When Did You See Her Last? (2013):	Absent	Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? (2015):	Absent
File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents (2014):		Absent
Snicketverse
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (2002):		Absent
The Dismal Dinner (2004):		Absent
The Beatrice Letters (2006):		Mentioned
29 Myths on the Swinster Pharmacy (2014):		Absent
The Hero of the Story (2017):		Absent
Poison for Breakfast (2021):		Absent
Other Snicket Books
The Baby in the Manger (2002):		Absent
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming (2007):		Absent
The Lump of Coal (2008):		Absent
The Composer Is Dead (2009):		Absent
13 Words (2010):		Absent
The Dark (2013):		Absent
Goldfish Ghost (2017):		Absent

• The Miserable Mill
• The Penultimate Peril
• A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)
  • "The Miserable Mill: Part One"
  • "The Miserable Mill: Part Two"

Gallery

Books

Charles about to be sawed alive.

Charles on the cover of Russian edition of The Miserable Mill.

Charles on the cover of Russian edition of The Miserable Mill.

Netflix

Charles and his "partner" Sir.

Charles driving Orwell, Shirley and Sir.

Charles tied to a log.