New Netflix heist drama Kaleidoscope takes a sledgehammer to everything you thought you once knew about storytelling.
Instead of viewing the episodes in order like, well, every other TV series , you instead have a staggering 40,320 different ways of watching it.
That's right. You can enjoy the eight instalments in any order you like.
The intriguing Kaleodoscope dropped on the platform earlier this month, and since then has become the number one show on Netflix.
And you're almost certainly going to want to watch it - so we won't give too much away.
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The series involves Giancarlo Esposito as Ray Vernon (aka Leo Pap), the ringleader of a group plotting an ambitious multibillion-dollar job while settling an old score. So far, so humdrum.
But each episode tells a unique part of the story, whether it be zeroing in on Vernon's motivations or the meticulous planning of the heist.
In keeping with the show's name, every episode is named after a different colour, making it easy to track what order you're watching it in and to compare your viewing choices with friends.
Each instalment comes in whichever random order Netflix opts to deliver them to you (with the exception of the actual heist serving as the final episode). But you can choose to watch them in whatever sequence you want.
This new, more interactive way of storytelling had a kind of trial run in 2018 with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, where the action paused for you to choose what happens next.
In 2019, viewers could also make decisions for adventurer Bear Grylls in You vs. Wild.
It all sounds a bit complicated. Is it?
Not at all. Kaleidoscope's premise is explained really well. If you hit play, you'll see a quick explanation on how it works, before it launches straight into the episodes.
These can arrive in any order, with the exception of the finale 'White' episode. But there's nothing stopping you watching that one first if you like.
How do I watch it in order?
If you want to simply watch Kaleidoscope chronologically, it goes like this:
- Violet (24 years before the heist).
- Green (7 years before).
- Yellow (6 weeks before).
- Orange (3 weeks before).
- Blue (5 days before).
- White (the heist).
- Red (the morning after).
- Pink (6 months after).
A word of warning. If you opt to go down the above route, any big finale twists are unveiled in the designated 'White' finale.
What are some suggested viewing orders?
The internet is awash with suggestions of the best order to watch Kaleidoscope in.
You could ape Quentin Tarantino's exceedingly non-linear 1994 masterpiece Pulp Fiction by going Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Violet, Pink, White, Red.
Or perhaps you could try it like a classic detective tale, such as Orange, Green, Violet, Red, Yellow, Blue, White, Pink.
If you're feeling particularly rogue, you could even start with the heist - 'White' - and work your way backwards through the rainbow.
If you've already seen Kaleidoscope, why not share your favoured viewing order below?
