Netflix kicked off the new year with “Kaleidoscope,” a fun American heist drama bound to have you on the edge of your seats. Released Jan. 1, 2023, the series doesn’t follow your average step-by-step robbery plot. Instead, creator Eric Garcia has crafted the show in such a way that the first seven episodes can be watched in any order your heart desires, with the final eighth episode serving as the climax: the heist. The episodes, named after colors, take viewers through various stages of a billion-dollar heist, ranging from as far as 24 years before the heist to six months after. The episodes, chronologically, are: “Violet” (24 years before the heist), “Green” (7 years before), “Yellow” (6 weeks before), “Orange” (3 weeks before), “Blue” (5 days before), “White” (the heist), “Red” (the morning after), and “Pink” (6 months after). Netflix gives each user a different random order of the episodes with “White” (the heist) always being last to create suspense and uncertainty while watching the show. Netflix has also provided on Twitter a few recommended watching orders for an optimal experience.
Despite its unique structure, “Kaleidoscope” is like any other heist thriller in many ways. Giancarlo Esposito plays the mastermind and ringleader Leo Pap, a fugitive planning a $7 billion heist in order to settle an old score. Now, a heist cannot be a heist without a team. Leo assembles his crew of misfits consisting of Paz Vega as Ava Mercer, the weapons specialist, Rosaline Elbay as Judy Goodwin, the explosives specialist, Jai Courtney as Bob Goodwin, the safe cracker, Peter Mark Kendall as Stan Loomis, the smuggler, and Jordan Mendoza as RJ Acosta Jr., the driver. A heist story is also not complete without a villain, and that role is executed by Rufus Sewell as Roger Salas, a wealthy corporate owner with a connection to Leo. Heists are no easy feat—there are bound to be obstacles holding you back. In this case, Niousha Noor and Bubba Weiler play Agent Abbasi and Agent Toby, two FBI agents determined to take Leo down.
The non-linear structure idea of the show seems fun at first but is later revealed to be a bit of a flop. Despite how much they try to deny it, “Kaleidoscope” is a linear story, just like every other show. Imagine starting with “Pink” (six months after the main event) and spoiling the show for yourself by seeing all the characters’ fates, just to have to go back and watch the seven episodes leading up to it. There is no doubt that watching in chronological order will give you the best viewing experience. The show also frequently repeats character beats. While this makes sense as the writers are unsure what you know yet, it gets boring and tedious. Similarly, there is no room for character development as each episode introduces each character from square one again. You are only able to see snippets of their personalities and not much overall growth.
“Kaleidoscope” had so much potential. If it followed a linear progression and small changes were made, it would be clear that there is much to enjoy from the show. The heist crew has great chemistry and banter so, while they may not all like each other, it is fun to watch them work together. The backstory of the main protagonist and antagonist, revealed in “Violet, ”is quite interesting and probably the best part of the non-linear plot: you can find out Leo’s motive for the heist only after hearing his plan and seeing the aftermath of it. Having “White” as the last episode successfully creates suspense and keeps viewers upright as big plot twists are revealed. What’s also interesting is that the show is based on a true story: Garcia took inspiration from a real-life story of $70 billion in bonds going missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
This is not Netflix’s first show with an untraditional structure—Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) followed a choose-your-own-adventure storyline where viewers could make decisions for the characters—and it probably will not be their last. Who knows what other crazy TV show ideas Netflix may be hiding? We can only wait and see!
Article written by Sahana Thyrajan of Walt Whitman High School
Photo courtesy of Netflix