The second episode benefits simply because it comes after the first. The tone is established, we've already spent an hour with the characters and the plot can finally start to really move forward.
The Baudelaire children are much more grounded in this episode, with their skill sets coming into play (as they will throughout the rest of the series). Count Olaf is less out of place, and he gains control of the world that he'll stalk the children through for the remaining episodes to come.
All the tropes are set up, the running gags. The "death" of the Baudelaire's parents is explored a little more heavily, and, with it, the main goal of the series. We as an audience now have something hopeful (though Lemony Snicket will tell you it's not so) to look forward to.
Though Olaf's house is a disgustingly gorgeous set piece, it will be nice to move on. It took a couple of hours, but I'm now fully interested to see the rest of this world. I'm sure with the next episodes that the story will find its pace, and I'll suddenly find myself racing through these episodes at a break-neck speed.
