Kaleidoscope: How to watch the genius out-of-order crime thriller series starring Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito

Kaleidoscope will soon be launched on Netflix, and in a truly genius move, each Netflix user will watch the series in a different sequence, for a truly unique perspective on the events.

Kaleidoscope is the new highly anticipated original Netflix series set to delight fans. The show will kick off the new year with a bang on January 1st, 2023 at 8:00 AM. But be warned, before you try and watch this film with a New Year's Eve hangover, this one is a little bit complex and will require some clever critical thinking skills. Here's what you need to know about the brand-new series.

How to watch Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope will launch on Netflix in the new year in the US and UK. But, the creators have decided to tell this story in a pretty unique way. 

Rather than watching the series in sequence with the rest of the viewers, each Netflix viewer will be presented with a unique sequence of episodes in which to watch the series. Each episode is named after a color, and while everyone who watches the series will watch the episode titled White as the finale, there is no telling which episodes they will watch before this. Kaleidoscope consists of eight episodes that span from 24 years before the heist to 6 months after.

Netflix explains that some members may start with episode colors such as Yellow or Green, then move deeper into their own personal viewing order with varying episodes such as Blue or Violet or Orange, which will then be followed by Red or Pink, until the finale.

The non-linear approach to this crime anthology is not only to build a unique sense of intrigue and surprise but to also allow each individual user to create their own viewpoint and perspective about these characters. Although all viewers will eventually see all of the episodes, their experiences will differ and mean that they have 'experienced the colors of Kaleidoscope' differently.

What is Kaleidoscope about?

The show Kaleidoscope will span 25 years and focus on a crew of thieves as they attempt to crack an unbreakable vault for the 'biggest payday in history.'

Netflix states about the series, "Guarded by the world’s most powerful corporate security team, and with law enforcement on the case, every episode reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle of corruption, greed, vengeance, scheming, loyalties and betrayals. How did the crew of thieves plan it? Who gets away with it? Who can be trusted?"

The trailer reveals that the show is set to have an all-star cast with Giancarlo Esposito - who played Gus Fring In Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul - playing the titular role Leo Pap. 

The show will also star, Paz Vega (Spanglish) as Ava Mercer, Rufus Sewell (The Holiday, A Knight's Tale) as Roger Salas, Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Hannah Kim, Rosaline Elbay (Ramy) as Judy Goodwin, Peter Mark Kendall (The Americans) as Stan Loomis, Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad) as Bob Goodwin, Niousha Noor (Here and Now) as Nazan Abassi, Patch Darragh as Andrew Covington, and Max Casella (The Sopranos) as Taco.

Is Kaleidoscope based on a true story?

Although this story is fictional, Netflix revealed that the story is loosely inspired by real-life events. The synopsis of the series revealed the show is, "loosely inspired by the real-life story where seventy billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy."

So although the characters and events in this show may not be based on 100% truth, there is an element of reality to this shocking show.