frandoligm@lopers.unk.edu
“Kaleidoscope,” a heist drama miniseries, made its way to Netflix on Jan. 1. The Netflix original series is the first of its kind, promising the viewers that they can watch the show in any order and the story will still make sense.
All eight episodes can be watched in any order, making 40,320 possible ways in which the episodes can be watched. This is because each episode is its own separate story which ranges from 24 years before the heist to six months after.
The episodes, all an hour or so in length, follow the six characters in different time periods or in the same. They all have different tasks as a stereotypical heist team you’ve probably seen before, like the hacker, the lockmaster, the inside person, the demolition crew member and the leader.
The show captures the complexity of the characters’ inner lives and their struggles as they set up for what seems like an impossible heist.
One thing that made me especially excited while watching this was seeing actor Giancarlo Esposito, who is mainly known for playing Gus in the hit AMC show Breaking Bad, play the somewhat good guy. I’d say my personal favorite episode was “Violet” which precedes the heist by 24 years. It tells the backstory of Leo Pap (Esposito) and his friend Roger Salas (Rufus Sewell) who rob an upscale country club during a jewelry catalog fashion show.
This episode shows the adventures of an average family man who has a dark background hidden from his friends and family. At the end of the episode, one friend ends up betraying the other. It shows the friendship between the two, years before they become bitter enemies later in the show.
“Kaleidoscope” reminded me a lot of the 2001 remake of “Ocean’s Eleven.” I saw the similarity in some of the characters and the show’s elements.
I give “Kaleidoscope” a four out of five Lopers. The show was interesting at times, but I felt there were filler scenes that weren’t necessary. I think my favorite part of the show was the connection I felt to some of the lives the characters lived.
The show was average in some senses due to the fact that you could easily guess some of the plot lines. It had all the classic heist story elements, such as the love triangle between multiple characters and the crew falling apart at the seams due to greed.
I think the best part was the Robin Hood-esque message that the main character, Leo Pap, brought to the show. For him it was never about the money, it was a revenge scheme all along.
The storyline is well-written and keeps you engaged from start to finish. The series offers an action-packed thought-provoking viewing experience and is a must-watch for action fans.
