Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Kaleidoscope fans warn prospective viewers to remember one thing before starting peculiar Netflix series

Heist thriller is Netflix’s first non-linear series

Annabel Nugent
Wednesday 04 January 2023 10:23 GMT
Comments
Netflix releases first-ever non-linear series

Fans of Netflix’s new series Kaleidoscope are warning prospective viewers of one thing before they begin watching the series.

Netflix released the heist thriller series on New Year’s Day (1 January), with some fans already bingeing all eight episodes.

The series is created by Matchstick Men author Eric Garcia and follows a team of thieves who work together to pull off an elaborate heist worth $7bn (£5.8m).

The team of thieves is led by Leop Pap (played by Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito), and the action takes place over a period of 25 years.

What makes Kaleidoscope so unique is that the series has been designed so that seven of the eight episodes can be watched in any order and still make narrative sense. This allows viewers a “build your own adventure” viewing experience.

In line with the show’s title, each of the eight instalments are named after different colours: “Green”, “Yellow”, “Orange”, “Blue”, “Violet”, “Red”, “Pink”, and “White”.

Your views on certain characters and key moments will be dictated by the sequence that you choose to watch the episodes in.

There are 5,040 possible combinations to experience the series, leaving viewers with a “bad” dilemma on what order to watch them in.

Netflix subscribers have been assigned Kaleidoscope episodes in different orders, except for the finale, which is always “White”.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Those who have already watched the series are reminding others interested in beginning Kaleidoscope that “White” should always come last, which is how the show creators intended the show to be watched.

One person wrote: “Netflix should give a little warning that White is the finale for Kaleidoscope still lol. It’s great that it can be watched in any order but that’s still the ending.”

Another added: “I suggest choosing any order to watch but leave White episode for last.”

Kaleidoscope on Netflix is an incredible watch if anyone is looking for something to watch! You can watch the episodes in any order, just save white for the end…” said a third person.

Someone else commented: “If you’re watching Kaleidoscope on Netflix remember to watch White last.”

“Whatever order you choose, I recommend saving the White episode for last,” said one fan, who called the show “clever fun”.

“If you’re gonna watch that Kaleidoscope series on Netflix IDC what order you watch it but watch White last!!!!!” urged another.

(COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Someone else wrote: “If you watch Kaleidoscope on Netflix, you have to watch White last.”

If viewers choose to go against the recommendation, however, and include “White” in their random sequences, there will be a bewildering 40,320 ways to watch the series.

In addition to Esposito, the ensemble cast includes Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, Tati Gabrielle, Rosaline Elbay, Jordan Mendoza, Jai Courtney, Niousha Noor, Soojeong Son.

Kaleidoscope is now available to watch on Netflix.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in