The series Kaleidoscope, which premiered on Netflix on Jan 1, 2023, follows the journey of an elite team of criminals planning and completing the seven billion dollar heist of a lifetime. This is an action-packed show with a unique set of eight episodes that can be watched in any order with the exception of the final episode.
As someone who loved the movie Ocean’s Eight and heavily enjoys true crime, I was very excited to begin this series. I first heard of it on social media and was intrigued by the idea that it could be watched in various orders. Every episode is labeled with a color that represents the time it is set in relation to the main event. Each one tells a section of the larger story.
The acting in this series is expressive and compelling. While watching I really believed each character was devoted to their specific motives and interacting with others to reflect that. The plot was fascinating and thrilling to view and I felt immersed in the story as I watched each episode.
I began by watching the episode “Yellow (Six Weeks Before the Heist).” At first, I was very confused as I had just jumped into the middle of the timeline without the characters being properly introduced or any backstory whatsoever. This was very unusual and I almost stopped watching halfway through, but as I continued I quickly became acclimated to the complex chronology. I really enjoyed this quality of the series because it gives each viewer the same understanding of the overall picture but a different perception of individual parts of the story.
My preferred order of the episodes would be “Green (Seven Years Before the Heist),” “Orange (Three Weeks Before the Heist),” Yellow (Six Weeks Before the Heist),” “Red (The Morning After),” “Blue (Five Days Before the Heist),” “Pink (Six Months After),” “Violet (Twenty-Four Years Before the Heist),” “White (The Heist).” This is my ideal order as it starts out with a good foundation and introduction to characters seven years before, making the story somewhat understandable from the start. It ends with 24 years before revealing connections that have been planted throughout the timeline, along with the last episode which finally puts all the puzzle pieces together.The series Kaleidoscope is unconventional and not for viewers looking for a simple story, but is so incredibly satisfying to watch as each section slides perfectly into place until finally, the larger picture appears. I recommend this series to anyone who loves mystery, action, and especially those who want to be involved in every moment of a story.
