Netflix has released a new heist series, Kaleidoscope, which is unique as audiences can watch the episodes in any order they choose. Taking inspiration from a kaleidoscope, the eight episodes are named after a color: black, green, yellow, blue, violet, orange, red, pink, and white, with "Black" being a short overview of how Kaleidoscope as a show works. Kaleidoscope revolves around a heist, which takes place in episode "White," and each other episode takes place at a point in time around that. For example, audiences can go back 24 years in "Violet" to six months after the heist in "Pink."
Starring Giancarlo Esposito, known for his villain roles as mastermind Leo pap, Kaleidoscope's episodes leave different questions for the audience depending on what order they watch it in. This also allows the audience to view Kaleidoscope in different styles, such as a classic detective story or Quentin Tarantino's style. Esposito is joined by Paz Vega as Ava Mercer, Rosaline Elbay as Judy Goodwin, Peter Mark Kendall as Stan Loomis, Jai Courtney as Bob Goodwin, Tati Gabrielle as Hannah Kim, Jordan Mendoza as RJ Acosta, and Rufus Sewell as Roger Salas. Kaleidoscope explores the characters' history and their links, as well as the detectives chasing them and Roger Salas' company.
Kaleidoscope In Netflix's Order
Although Kaleidoscope can be viewed in any order, Netflix has uploaded them in a certain way for audiences who do not want to choose their own. Similar to Ocean's heist-style movies, this order of Kaleidoscope starts with Leo Pap assembling his heist crew, so the audience meets the team without knowing much about them, but it is obvious they all have some history together. Netflix's Kaleidoscope order takes the audience back and forth on the timeline, with no natural order, and leads up to the heist. There is no set finale, but Netflix recommends that "White," the heist episode, is watched last as it is the skeleton key of the series, answering all the questions.
Netflix's Kaleidoscope Order:
- Episode Yellow
- Episode Green
- Episode Blue
- Episode Orange
- Episode Violet
- Episode Red
- Episode Pink
- Episode White
Kaleidoscope In Chronological Order
Since Kaleidoscope spans so many years, another suggestion is to watch Netflix's second original heist series, Kaleidoscope, in chronological order. This would mean the audience finds out the motives for the heist and the relationships between the crew in the lead-up to the heist. This order means there are two episodes after the heist episode, which would give the aftermath of the heist's problems and what happened to the characters. Chronological order means the big mystery of the robbery is not left until the end, but there are still questions about what happened to the crew.
Kaleidoscope in Chronological Order:
- Episode Violet
- Episode Green
- Episode Yellow
- Episode Orange
- Episode Blue
- Episode White
- Episode Red
- Episode Pink
Kaleidoscope In Rainbow Order
As Kaleidoscope uses colors for its episodes, another order to watch would be in Rainbow order. This way would also mean that the heist episode "White" is the final episode, as Netflix, who ended 2022 with a range of great shows, intended, while still moving back and forth in the story's timeline. However, for the most part, watching it this way will mean the viewer will follow the plot backward, with a few episodes showing the aftermath of the heist to split up the backward order.
Kaleidoscope in Rainbow Order:
- Episode Red
- Episode Orange
- Episode Yellow
- Episode Green
- Episode Blue
- Episode Violet
- Episode Pink
- Episode White
Netflix's Other Kaleidoscope Order Suggestions
If audiences are still struggling to find their own order for Kaleidoscope, then Netflix has offered a range of different ways to watch Kaleidoscope, which changes the style of the story. One of these is watching Kaleidoscope as a classic detective story, following Niousha Noor as her FBI Agent Nazan Abassi as she tries to track down the crew of the heist, which is loosely based on a true story unlike Quantum Leap's heist story, and their motives for the crime.
Kaleidoscope as a Classic Detective Story:
- Episode Orange
- Episode Green
- Episode Violet
- Episode Red
- Episode Yellow
- Episode Blue
- Episode White
- Episode Pink
Another is in the style of a Tarantino film which moves back and forth, similar to how the Netflix recommendation goes. The non-linear order emulates Tarantino's unique style, especially as this order starts with the episode 5 days before the heist. Unfortunately, this order makes it quite confusing for audiences and slowly answers their questions. Netflix's other viewing recommendations can be found on Twitter.
Kaleidoscope as a TarantinoStyle Film:
- Episode Blue
- Episode Green
- Episode Yellow
- Episode Orange
- Episode Violet
- Episode Pink
- Episode White
- Episode Red
The Best Order To Watch Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope has plenty of different ways to watch, and viewers do not have to stick to the recommended but go entirely on their own. For example, viewers can go off their favorite colors or start with the heist and figure out how the characters got to that position. However, with Netflix's recommendation of ending with episode "White," it is advisable that the audience first viewing ends with White, so the big mysteries are not spoiled along the way.
Therefore, the best way to watch Giancarlo Esposito's questionable villain Leo Pap and his crew, for the first time at least, is by Netflix's original recommendation. This means that the first episode is the introduction to the team, and the ending is the heist, so audiences are kept with questions until the end of Netflix's non-linear show. Following this, audiences can re-watch the series to view it in different styles, as spoilers will not matter as much. Plus, since Kaleidoscope has so many orders to be watched in, it can be re-watched in different orders, which will still provide some surprise to audiences.