Netflix is helping to change the game once again by way of how we consume our entertainment. The streaming service, which has already produced a number of interactive series and movies, kicked off the new year with Kaleidoscope, a unique heist drama starring Giancarlo Esposito of Better Call Saul and The Mandalorian fame. Inspired by the real-world case in which billions of dollars were lost in the floods of Hurricane Sandy, creator Eric Garcia delivered eight color-titled episodes that can be viewed in any order — save for "White," which serves as the finale. The gimmick seems to be working, and fans have taken to Twitter with some fun feedback and a variety of recommended viewing orders.
With the freedom to watch all eight episodes of Kaleidoscope in whatever sequence the viewer pleases, of course people are starting to pop up with opinions on the best way to go about it, or simply their reasons for making specific choices. Mikaela Miyamoto, who apparently had a small part in the series, encouraged those with a Netflix subscription to start with the episode she’s in:
So,,, yesterday the Netflix show I had a lil part in came out!!! Pls go check it out it’s a really cool story and is already number 1 in the US !! It’s called Kaleidoscope and I’m in The Yellow Episode you can watch them in any order which is super cool! So maybe start w/mine lol pic.twitter.com/T2fhDt4UN4January 2, 2023
Kaleidoscope centers around master thief Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito) and his crew attempting an epic heist with a $7 billion payday. With so much money at stake, however, factors including betrayal and greed work to thwart their plot. In addition to Esposito, the series stars Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Rosaline Elbay, Jai Courtney, Tati Gabrielle and Peter Mark Kendall.
Other Netflix subscribers weighed in with their own recommendations for what order to view the series, with one person tweeting that while “Yellow” would be a great place to start, they recommended going “Green”:
Soooo #KALEIDOSCOPE is really good. Immediate binge. I recommend GREEN, YELLOW, VIOLET, ORANGE, BLUE, RED, PINK, WHITE. But starting with YELLOW would be great, too. pic.twitter.com/7RFI9X3bliJanuary 1, 2023
Every episode of Kaleidoscope reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle of corruption, greed, vengeance, scheming, loyalties and betrayals, as Eric Garcia has said, so the viewing order will inform how the audience thinks about the different characters and situations, even without them realizing it. Which, presumably, helps to provide a different experience for the majority of viewers. Here was another preference:
kaleidoscope was so good. i watched in this order: yellow, pink, blue, green, red, orange, violet, white. cried in the violet and white episode. 🥹January 2, 2023
While “White” is intended to be the final episode, many people had other ideas, with this Twitter user giving different recommendations based on what kind of story you’re looking for:
If you plan on watching the order less #KALEIDOSCOPE on Netflix I hope this helps you! But also it was fun to see how the Netflix gods wanted me to see it pic.twitter.com/jY85OYWRU8January 2, 2023
Many on Twitter helpfully posted the chronological order of the episodes, though it's important to note that there are some whose events take place after what goes down in the episode intended to be saved as the finale. So keep that in mind when deciding how rebellious you're feeling. Here's how the episodes play out in relation to the heist:
#KALEIDOSCOPE chronological order. pic.twitter.com/vFzeYx7IaAJanuary 1, 2023
The concept of being able to watch the episodes in any order is unique, but it’s not totally new. The then-titled CBS All Access tried it back in 2020 with the true crime series Interrogation, which can now be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. You can also check out what other series will hit Netflix this year, and see what premieres are headed our way with the 2023 TV schedule.
