Anish Vij
A film writer has shared the best way to watch a non-linear Netflix series that can be seen in any order.
The eight-episode Netflix show spans 25 years and follows a group of experienced thieves who attempt to break into a vault for a $7 billion payday.
And in 2023, the streaming service shared the Eric Garcia-led anthology series on the platform, starring the likes of Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell and Tati Gabrielle.
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Titled Kaleidoscope, the beauty is that you can watch each episode in no particular order.
So, if you watch an episode and aren't a fan, that has no baring on the rest of the series.
In theory, sounds pretty decent right?
The director said the plot is based on a sort-of true story, explaining: “After Hurricane Sandy, $70 billion worth of bonds got flooded in the basement of the DTCC, which is a large clearing effort that’s owned by a bunch of the big banks.
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"To my mind, I was like, ‘Well, that’s a perfect coverup for a heist!’”
Garcia added: “Being able to move around and watch different orders gives you a different viewpoint on the characters. There are questions that are going to be asked in one episode that are answered in another episode.
“Similarly, there'll be answers in an episode that you're watching that you don't even know are answers to something until you see the question when you watch another episode.”
Executive producer Russell Fine said: “When you watch Kaleidoscope, all the information is there to be able to connect the dots and know the story.”
If you're interested, here's the trailer:
Now, if you want to go against the grain and would like to know what the 'best order' to watch it in would be, film critic Keith Phipps (@kphipps3000) has got you.
Writing for Vulture, Phipps suggested that the order he wished he watched it in would be: “'Yellow', 'Violet', 'Orange', 'Green', 'Blue', 'Red', 'Pink', 'White'.”
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Keith explained: "Here’s how I wish I’d watched Kaleidoscope: 'Yellow,' in which Leo assembles his ragtag team of misfits (which includes Paz Vega, Rosaline Elbay, Peter Mark Kendall, and Jordan Mendoza), is absolutely the best place to begin the story.
"The episode introduces all the major characters while leaving some details of their past and why they’re on the team in the first place in the shadows. It’s brisk and intriguing.
"Start there, then alternate “Violet” and “Green,” the two flashback episodes, with “Orange” and “Blue,” episodes that move the story toward the heist chronologically.
"Then watch “Red” and “Pink,” two episodes set in the aftermath of the heist. They’ll be a bit confusing but just the right amount of confusing.
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"Then let “White” fill in the blanks and, ta-da, you’re ready to watch whatever’s next in your Netflix queue."