Kaleidoscope Revolutionizes Television.

Pop Culture | Chloe Loy | January 18th, 2023.

Kaleidoscope is the beginning of individualized viewing experiences for TV shows worldwide. The current number one series on Netflix, Kaleidoscope dropped on January 1st and has an enticing new twist to how viewers watch the narrative unfold. This fast-paced, heist story is told in a different order to each viewer. Each 45-minute episode is assigned to a different color and without numbering: Black, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, Violet, Red, Pink, and White. These episode titles illustrate the complex facets of looking into a Kaleidoscope. 

Netflix’s unique algorithm allows viewers to have an entirely randomized experience, as each episode is a puzzle piece leading to the final episode of a $7 billion heist. By switching between timelines, dating back to 24 years before the heist, the viewer learns more about each character and their origin stories as the series unravels. 

The heist crew of misfits is played by a cast of Rosaline Elbay, Tati Gabrielle, Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega, Niousha Noor, and Peter Mark Kendall. An online debate has transpired over which order one should watch the series in, and some websites even provide a “cheat sheet” if viewers would rather ignore their given sequence and watch in chronological order. There are allegedly 40,320 potential combinations according to Netflix, and 5,040 combinations if choosing to listen to the fans that instruct to watch the White episode last. Kaleidoscope’s intense plot structure and unique way to watch have viewers in a frenzy, already begging Netflix for a Season 2 release.