Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s new heist series, randomly changes the order of episodes for each viewer. That means you can start the story long after the gang of thieves she’s following has finished their heist, or at any other point in their journey. But while the show technically works in any order, not every episode order offers the same level of narrative satisfaction or even coherence.
But just in case you don’t want to leave your viewing time to fate or Netflix’s algorithm, we’ve rounded up a few viewing order options that should make the show as engaging as possible.
Chronological order
Kaleidoscope’s intention may be to offer each viewer a semi-unique experience, but the story itself doesn’t quite live up to the ambitions of its creators – which means stories are sometimes best told from start to finish, and that’s exactly what it is what this order should give the viewers. Despite the series’ otherwise random order, the heist episode “White” always comes last except on our list. Instead, according to the rules of the time, we moved it to its proper place in the story.
observe order
- “Violet”
- “Green”
- “Yellow”
- “Orange”
- “Blue”
- “White”
- “Red”
- “Pink”
Image: Netflix
Order Reservoir Dogs
This one starts with the aftermath of the heist to draw you into what went wrong, then gives you the ins and outs of the crew. We learn how they came together, what the job is, why it matters who’s chasing them, and a few long-hidden secrets along the way before we deal with the heist itself. Of course, if you’re looking for the full Reservoir Dogs experience, you can always end the series without even watching the heist.
observe order
- “Red”
- “Yellow”
- “Violet”
- “Orange”
- “Green”
- “Pink”
- “Blue”
- “White”
The best order
In many ways, this version could also be called Ocean’s Order, but to be honest, it’s still not quite snappy enough to live up to such a name. Instead, it will simply be the best option available. This order starts with the crew getting together and then gives us a few details about each member before we throw them together with some odd jobs to create the big plan – and all the complications those odd jobs create. Unfortunately we have to break the regular rules of the show again to place the heist before its aftermath, but this just works a little cleaner.
observe order
- “Yellow”
- “Violet”
- “Orange”
- “Green”
- “Blue”
- “White”
- “Red”
- “Pink”