ORIG SP Kaleidoscope: the big heist with Giancarlo Esposito in a 'shuffleable' series
Netflix started 2023 by releasing a revolutionary new experience for their viewers - a 'watch in any order' series called 'Kaleidoscope.' Giancarlo Esposito leads a crew of clever (and not so clever) criminals to make the heist of the century.
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How is the series doing? Read on to find out what critics have thought of the show.
And you... have you seen it? We want to know your opinion the most! Tell us in the comments below what you thought of this new Netflix series!
If you aren't familiar with the show, let us catch you up. The heist drama is loosely based on real events from the historic Hurricane Sandy. At the time of the disaster, "an underground vault, owned by the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp, was flooded," Rolling Stone recalls. Millions of dollars were threatened by the water.
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"The problem?" Rolling Stone continues; well, "the vault wasn’t filled with cash, but with paper bearer bonds and stock certificates potentially worth billions of dollars." It's exactly this kind of wealth the thieves in 'Kaleidoscope' want to get their hands on.
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'Kaleidoscope' is pioneering for the platform in that you can watch the episodes in any order. You won't lose the thread in whichever order you watch it.
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The episodes have colors, not numbers, and can be watched in whatever order the viewed chooses, giving each person a unique experience and different story outcome.
The show offers a return of some notable actors from some of our beloved shows, with some lesser-exposed actors that are making a splash on the streaming platform.
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Our favorite villain from 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul,' Giancarlo Esposito, makes his return to the small screen to play the main character in the series.
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Tati Gabrielle, coming from series like 'You' and the movie 'Unchartered,' also joins the cast.
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Rosaline Elbay also rounds out the top characters on the show, coming from roles in 'Qabeel' and the series 'Ramy.'
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TheVerge's Andrew Webster states that: "Kaleidoscope does work as a proof of concept. And it’s especially interesting as Netflix continues to experiment with nonlinear and interactive storytelling."
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Angie Han of HollywoodReporter: "It really is possible to follow what happens no matter how it unfolds. Whether it actually enhances the narrative, however, is another question entirely."
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Steve Greene at IndieWire.com says: "Part of the fun of 'Kaleidoscope' is watching the 'assembling the team' montage spread out over a handful of episodes.
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"There is a distinction to be made, though, between whether the structural gambit of 'Kaleidoscope' works (it does) and whether some of the more straightforward pieces here are successful (less so)," Green concludes.
RottenTomatoes, a fan favorite for online TV and movie ratings, has given the series a 'Tomatometer' of 48%, with a 'Critic Rating' of 29. The 'Audience Score' is 26% with 502 submitted reviews. Not very high so far.
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It seems from the reviews that there is a clear interest in the idea but perhaps a lack of love for the content. Still, you never know; some series don't hook their audience until their second or even third seasons. So, have you seen the show? Would you be interested in a second season? Tell us in the comments!
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