It's the start of a new year and Netflix's recently released series, Kaleidoscope, is its latest addition to its true crime titles.
The show was released on January 1 and boasts an all-star cast. But more interesting is the fact that Kaleidoscope is a series that was based on a real-life heist that happened in New York. Here's what we know about the real event that inspired the show, Kaleidoscope.
Kaleidoscope: How Many Episodes Are There?
Kaleidoscope has a total of eight episodes. But unlike the traditional chronological order, Netflix has given a twist on how the episodes of the show become available to viewers.
In order to build "intrigue and suspense," the streaming giant has given members access to various episodes at contrasting times. This means that there are some viewers who start watching an episode titled Yellow or Green before moving on to their preferred viewing order of the other episodes.
The last episode, however, is entitled White: The Heist: story finale.
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What Is Kaleidoscope Story About?
The show follows a group of thieves as they plot a heist 25 years in the making. The thieves come up with an elaborate plan to break into a vault and steal $7 billion in bonds.
The show lets you in on the lives of the crew with characters being portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega, Rosaline Elbay, Jai Courtney, Jordan Mendoza, and Peter Mark Kendall.
The show also introduces us to the corporate security team played by Rufus Sewell, Tati Gabrielle, Soojeong Son, and Hemky Madera. And finally, we also get a glimpse of the lives of the agents on the case, which are played by Niousha Noor and Bubba Weiler.
Is Kaleidoscope Based on Real Events?
Yes, Kaleidoscope is loosely inspired by real events where a team of thieves managed to steal bonds in downtown Manhattan while Hurricane Sandy was causing havoc to the Caribbean and the US East Coast.
The hurricane was estimated to have caused damages amounting to $81.9 billion. Aside from the physical destruction that the storm caused, Wall Street was also victimized by the storm. And this turn of events was what inspired showrunner Eric Garcia to make Kaleidoscope. But Garcia told Tudum:
“It’s loosely based on something that might have happened. After Hurricane Sandy, $70 billion worth of bonds got flooded in the basement of the DTCC, which is a large clearing effort that’s owned by a bunch of the big banks. To my mind, I was like, ‘Well, that’s a perfect coverup for a heist!’”
How Did Hurricane Sandy Destroy the Bearer Bonds in Kaleidoscope?
According to reports, Hurricane Sandy caused floodwaters to damage a large depository situated below downtown New York. This depository is operated by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and has been linked to some of the biggest firms on Wall Street.
At the time, the vault was said to have housed over 1.7 million bond and stock certificates that were found soaking soaked by water. This was also where $70 billion worth of bearer bonds were reportedly discovered.
What Is a Bearer Bond?
Bearer bonds are different from registered bonds since they do not include the holder's name and contact details. They simply come with a physical certificate with coupons that can be used to redeem an interest payment. Since these bonds aren't registered to someone as their owner, they're more at risk for theft.
Thankfully, 99.9% of the bonds were eventually recovered within a six-month period. Recovery teams started collecting over 1.7 million certificates two weeks after the hurricane hit. The certificates were packed into boxes and placed in a freezer truck so they could be transported to Texas where they were freeze-dried to prevent their paper from further deteriorating. After that, these certificates were dried and sterilized before being cleaned and vacuumed.
Where to Watch Kaleidoscope Trailer?
Shortly before the show's release, Netflix released the official trailer for Kaleidoscope with a series description that reads:
"There are 7 billion ways to solve a crime. Get your first look at KALEIDOSCOPE, new heist series starring Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega, and Tati Gabrielle."
You can watch the trailer here:
Kaleidoscope is now available to stream on Netflix.
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