'Kaleidoscope' — Not So Non-Linear
This review is based on the viewing order “Violet-Green-Yellow-Orange-Blue-White-Red-Pink.”
Giancarlo Esposito in episode “Blue” of Kaleidoscope. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
An original limited series from Netflix, Kaleidoscope is a new anthology heist series that spans over 25 years, revolving around a seven billion-dollar heist. Loosely based on the real-life event where 70 billion dollars worth of bonds went missing during Hurricane Sandy, the series follows Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito) as he assembles his crew and plans one of the biggest heists ever. His crew contains weapons specialist Ava Mercer (Paz Vega), explosives expert Judy Goodwin (Rosaline Elbay), safe cracker Bob Goodwin (Jai Courtney), smuggler Stan Loomis (Peter Mark Kendall), and getaway driver RJ Acosta Jr. (Jordan Mendoza). The season builds up to a vault heist against a corporate security team with an unbeatable vault made up of corporate security titan Roger Salas (Rufus Sewell), his protégé Hannah Kim (Tati Gabrielle), her younger sister Liz (Soojeong Son), and henchman Carlos Sujo (Hemky Madera). This is all occurring while two FBI agents, Nazan Abbasi (Niousha Noor) and Samuel Toby (Bubba Weiler), are on their tails.
(L-R) Paz Vega, Giancarlo Esposito, Jai Courtney, & Peter Mark Kendall in episode "White" of Kaleidoscope. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Though the show has been marketed as a non-linear series, it doesn't work as one. While the series may have been designed with different entry points, the only logical — and best — way to view it is in chronological order. Having watched the full season in different orders, if you pick up after the heist episode (White), you’ll find yourself less inclined to watch the remaining episodes than if you’d started at the beginning. Additionally, by picking up the story at the wrong time, you won’t experience the emotional ties for each crew member related to the heist and the well-thought-out motivations driving their plans. When you look at the series as a linear heist show, it’s phenomenal. The first episode instantly draws you into the story and continues to build momentum until its big moment, where it doesn't fail to meet the task. After reaching the big payoff, the show nicely wraps itself up and ties all loose ends, so viewers aren’t left with questions regarding the characters’ fates. This is exactly how you execute a limited series.
(L-R) Jai Courtney & Peter Mark Kendall in episode “White” of Kaleidoscope. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Without any surprise at this point, Giancarlo Esposito adds another fantastic performance to his extensive resumé, being a strong lead throughout each episode. Esposito appears comfortable being the cool, calm, and collected team leader but is not afraid of upping his intensity and bringing the fiery emotion that we’ve seen from him before. Paz Vega also does a great job as the expertly prepared, equally witty Ava Mercer. The rest of the supporting cast also does a great job, playing their parts to a "T."
The show's sound design is one of the most impressive and surprising qualities, as even the most minute sounds are mapped and placed in the best auditory locations. If you can, view the series with surround sound or high-quality headphones. This level of detail, coupled with great audio tracks, original and pre-existing, along with in-camera background sounds, enhances the viewing experience past the quality of mobile-viewed streamers.
(L-R) Peter Mark Kendall & Giancarlo Esposito in episode “Red” of Kaleidoscope. Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2023
As I said earlier, the show works best in chronological order. While it’s not unwatchable when reordered, the episodic structure and build-up fail to reach their potential, resulting in a sub-par finale. The show is paced phenomenally, making it clear that this story works best in longer form TV content, as opposed to shortened out and structured as a film. The episodes are most enjoyable when the script leans into exploring the dynamics between the heist crew but more so by moving quickly and intelligently. Although the main selling point of Kaleidoscope doesn’t really work, the show is nonetheless entertaining and a great watch for all ages.
Kaleidoscope is now streaming on Netflix.
