Mild spoilers for Kaleidoscope . Following the success of Black Mirror and Bandersnatch , Netflix is launching another interactive experience during the holidays. But Kaleidoscope (previously titled Jigsaw ) isn't a choose-your-own adventure, but a non-linear story that randomizes the order in which episodes are played. Audiences enter the play at different times, thereby changing their perceptions of the characters and the great heist.
The show is inspired by the true story of the $70 billion in bonds that went missing during Hurricane Sandy. The film tells the story of Leo Pap, played by Giancarlo Esposito, a criminal mastermind determined to take down Roger, the head of a corporate security firm. ·Salas (Roger Salas) (Rufus Sewell). Leo formed a team to break into Roger's carefully designed safe: weapons expert Ava (played by Paz Vega), explosives expert Judy (played by Rosalyn Elbe), safecracker Bob Bob (Jai Courtney), smuggler Stan (Peter Mark Kendall) and driver RJ (Jordan Mendoza)). At the same time, he tries to win back his daughter Hannah (Tati Gabrielle) and hides from FBI agent Nazan (Niusha Madeira).
Kaleidoscope consists of eight episodes, taking place over a period of 25 years. Each episode is named after a color. "Black", which explains the storytelling format, always comes first, while "White: The Heist" always comes last, ultimately revealing how the heist was carried out. The rest of the episodes are scrambled, but only a little: the sequence always starts with "yellow" or "green", then "blue", "purple" or "orange", and finally "red" or "pink" White.”
How to View Kaleidoscope in Chronological Order
You can always follow the random order given. But if you prefer a more linear story, here's how to watch Kaleidoscope in chronological order:
- 'Violet': 24 years before the robbery
- "Green": 7 years before the robbery
- 'Yellow': 6 weeks before the robbery
- 'Orange': Three weeks before the robbery
- "Blue": 5 days before the robbery
- "White": Robbery
- 'Red': The morning after the robbery
- "Pink": 6 months after the robbery
Keep in mind that if you choose to watch episode six, "White," you'll be watching the series finale two episodes early. (Note: To choose your own order, you'll need to return to the series home page after each episode and select the next episode you want to play; if you let the series play automatically, it will shuffle.)
The best way to see a kaleidoscope
Alternatively, you can watch the series in an order that feels more natural to the story. There's certainly no right way to watch Kaleidoscope , but in my humble opinion, this is the ideal episode order:
"green"
The episode partially explains why Leo wants to take down Roger—even though "Violet" tells the full truth about Leo and Roger's past—and shows how Leo got to know some of the crew. You also meet FBI agent Nazan in "Grimm," who is very important throughout the film.
"yellow"
This episode introduces you to the rest of the crew and explains the heist plan and how to secure the vault. After meeting Hannah briefly in Grimm, you also get to see where she is now.
"Purple"
This is a difficult plot to place because it jumps so far back in time. I watched episode five, but it's more useful to know Roger and Leo's full past sooner rather than later.
"orange"
At this point, it makes more sense to tell the story chronologically, and Orange brings us three weeks before the heist. Here we get more information about Nazan and learn how the team went on to plan the heist.
"blue"
Set five days before the heist, "Blue" shows how the crew decided to exploit Hurricane Sandy to their advantage.
"Red"
“Red” jumps to the morning after the robbery, when we find out things went awry — but it’s unclear how or why.
"white"
You then get to the final episode, which shows what exactly happened and delivers an impressive reveal.
Which leads me to my final recommendation: I would skip "Pink" entirely, or wait until a potential Kaleidoscope season 2 is announced before watching it. Without going into major spoilers, this is a frustrating episode no matter where you place it, and the information revealed is not necessary to enjoy the first season. If you're a big fan of Jai Courtney and Kaleidoscope 's main love triangle, you might enjoy watching "Pink" before or after "White." But this episode left me and my family feeling pretty conflicted about the series as a whole - so continue at your own risk!
