A new Netflix original limited series was released on the first day of 2023 and it is sweeping the stage of shows on the streaming platform. Kaleidoscope is a mini-series that shows the story of a heist in which Leo Pap’s crew attempts to steal $7 billion in bonds from three extremely rich triplets. The crew contains Ava Mercer, Bob and Judy Goodwin, and a few other members.  

Kaleidoscope stands out from other series because every viewer has their own unique experience with the show. There are eight episodes, “Red,” “Orange,” “Yellow,” “Green,” “Blue,” “Violet,” and lastly “White.” These episodes can viewed in any order, as long as “White” comes last. Netflix shuffles the first seven episodes so you may have a different experience watching the show than your friend who also watched the show. There are a total of 5,040 different combinations of episodes that can be generated.  

Before watching Kaleidoscope, I thought that the story and timeline of events would change depending on the order you watch the episodes, but this was not the case. Each episode gives the time that it takes place relative to the heist at the beginning. Every episode has a set point in time when it takes place, so it is simply the order that the story unfolds that is different for each viewer.  

Kaleidoscope stars Giancarlo Esposito, known for his roles in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Boys, and The Mandalorian. I likely would not have watched Kaleidoscope if Giancarlo was not the starring actor. The series also features Paz Vega, Rosaline Elbay, Tati Gabrielle, Niousha Noor, and Jai Courtney. 

In conclusion, a show with randomized episodes is an interesting concept, but it was executed poorly. In my opinion, this show was rushed, and the producers were too focused on the kaleidoscope theme rather than the actual plot of the show. The part of this series that I enjoyed the most was the funny conversations between the two bargoers that Bob Goodwin picked up to hunt his former crew. The acting in this series is not good, and it is hard to take any of it seriously with the exception of the “Violet” episode. This series displayed a new, fun concept, however, because of the storyline and acting, I give Kaleidoscope 2.5 out of 5 shields.