| “ | I could never be a noble person. I have a hump on my back. | ” |
— Hugo, The Penultimate Peril
|
Hugo was one of the carnival freaks at Caligari Carnival. He had a hunched back which made him look slightly awkward. He is grouped with Colette, a "freak" for being a contortionist, and Kevin, a "freak" for being ambidextrous.
Biography
The Carnivorous Carnival
He lived with the Baudelaire children for a small period of time in The Carnivorous Carnival and appears to bond with Sunny Baudelaire when they make soup and hot chocolate together.
Esmé Squalor promises to Hugo and the other freaks that if they push Madame Lulu into the lion pit, then they can become Count Olaf's henchmen. Esmé gave him a gift to persuade him: the large coat the hook-handed man wore when he was the doorman in The Ersatz Elevator which completely disguises his hunchback.
During the lion pit scene, when Count Olaf offered a "special reward" if someone shoved someone into the pit, Hugo attempts to push Madame Lulu, meaning Hugo is mentally unbalanced as it shows his desperation for acceptance in the world.
He then joins Count Olaf and becomes one of his henchmen.
The Slippery Slope
In The Slippery Slope, Hugo is at the Mortmain Mountains with the rest of the troupe. After discovering that the Baudelaires were not actually freaks, he appears specially bitter towards them.
The Penultimate Peril
In The Penultimate Peril, which marks his final appearance in the series, he is disguised as a Hotel Denouement worker on the roof. He has green sunglasses and a long baggy robe to cover his hunchback. He has a giant spatula to flip sunbathers over. Hugo, Colette and Kevin eventually reveal their identities to the Baudelaires.
When Dewey Denouement is killed, Hugo agrees with Mrs. Bass' claim that the Baudelaires should be punished, and he deems that they are too freakish to be allowed to move freely.
During the trial of the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf, Hugo submitted some carnival posters as evidence. When the Hotel Denouement Fire is started, Hugo, Colette, and Kevin were last seen on one of the floors holding the bird paper that Klaus hung on the outside of the sauna. Hugo asked if the plan for the horderves is still in operation. It is left uncertain if Hugo survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement.
Behind the scenes
He is portrayed by Kevin Cahoon in the Netflix adaptation.
Etymology
His name is a reference to Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
Appearances
- The Carnivorous Carnival
- The Slippery Slope
- The Penultimate Peril
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)
Gallery
Books
TV series
