Netflix’s newest heist drama has a fun, technologically-assisted twist to it — one that leads to over 5,000 different possible experiences for the viewer watching. Kaleidoscope, starring Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Jai Courtney, Paz Vega, Tati Gabrielle, and more, tells the story of daring thieves attempting to steal billions from one of the world’s most advanced safes. But the story is not told chronologically — instead, the show’s eight episodes are designed to be watched in any order, capturing specific time periods in relation to the heist, from 24 years beforehand to six months afterward.
It’s a complicated concept, but creator Eric Garcia tells Consequence that “I think there’s a lot of fun in mixing it up,” especially when married to a well-loved genre.
“People love heist stuff. I love heist stuff. Heist and crime is probably my favorite of all the genres,” he says. “For whatever reason, I think we’re drawn to that.” Launching on New Year’s Day, Garcia hopes that audiences enjoy it as their first binge of 2023: “We’ve got big action sequences, we’ve got good times. But it’s about revenge and people who are obsessed and people who can’t get out of their own way.”
As mentioned, it’s a complicated concept, which is why below we break down the biggest questions surrounding the series, from what originally inspired the concept to the opening title cards for each episode to why there’s a secret Spin Doctors reference in the mix.
[Editor’s note: The following contains mild spoilers for Kaleidoscope.]
