How to watch Netflix’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ episodes in chronological order

Loathe the idea of a novelty interactive TV shows and just want the story in a boring ol’ linear projectile? Well, maybe you should examine that, and also you’ll hate both Knives Out films, but also we’re here to help, we guess.

Netflix’s Kaleidoscope is a heist series with a twist: the series is not only out of chronological order but the streaming service itself is claiming to serve viewers “randomly” ordered episodes — except the finale. It’s not exactly as choose-your-own-adventure as Netflix’s truly interactive Black Mirror: Bandersnatch or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend but the playfulness here lies in what order you watch the series.

Written by Eric Garcia, Kaleidoscope hinges around one major heist by master thief Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito) and his team of criminals, but it spans 25 years — from 24 years before the heist to six months after it. What are we robbing? Only the most secure vault in the East Coast of the U.S., requiring not one but a flurry of jobs to pull off. And of course, the motive isn’t just about getting rich, it’s about getting even. The series, Netflix says, is “loosely inspired” by the curious case of the stock and bond certificates sitting in an underground Wall Street vault that were reportedly damaged by flooding in Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Each episode is named a different colour (“Yellow”, “Green”, “Violet”, “Blue”, “Orange”, “Red”, “Pink”, and the finale, “White”, which the creators hope you’ll watch last no matter what) and opens up an avenue of the story — either a character’s backstory, a tiny offhand reference, or the planning of the heist itself. All episodes are available, it’s just the order you choose to watch them (or are served by Netflix) will vary.

I personally didn’t watch Kaleidoscope in chronological order, but if you truly must, here’s the timeline (without ruining any of the plot):

1. “Violet” (24 Years before the heist)

2. “Green” (Seven years before the heist)

3. “Yellow” (Six weeks before the heist)

4. “Orange” (Three weeks before the heist)

5. “Blue” (Five days before the heist)

6. “White” (The heist)

7. “Red” (The morning after the heist)

8. “Pink” (Six months after the heist)

So, there you go. That’s the chronological order, but it’s not the point of the exercise, really.

Kaleidoscope is now streaming on Netflix.(opens in a new tab)