If Netflix subscribers still haven’t checked out the streaming service’s latest original series, Kaleidoscope, they’re likely to still be familiar with its name given its current reign on the platform’s Top Ten TV Shows. Through the course of eight episodes created to be enjoyed in any order, each titled after a color capturing its theme, Kaleidoscope weaves together the story of an ambitious heist with a dark history.
For viewers that have finished the series and want to relive some of its most striking lines or those who just want a taste of what the show’s dialogue has to offer, here are Kaleidoscope’s nine best quotes.
9 “Jealousy Is Thin and Yellow”
Ava teases Leo with this phrase in Spanish when he displays some jealousy over her fence’s implied interest in her. This line is seemingly only there to poke some fun and segue into a slightly saucy scene between Ava and Leo; however, it actually holds a lot of weight in series: “Jealousy is thin and yellow because it bites but never eats.”
The phrase warns that jealousy and actions rooted in the bitter emotion may inflict the harm an individual is compelled to cause, but the individual themselves will never be satisfied.
The consequences of ignoring that warning can be seen vividly in the arcs of Leo and Bob. They are both determined to take what they feel they’re owed and, intentionally or not, leave destruction and death in their wake. And they never seem to reach the happiness they set out for.
8 “You’re An Appendix.”
Ava Mercer is a woman who takes nothing from nobody and she makes that clear as she cuts Bob down to size when he shows up at her home in an attempt to shake her down for a bigger cut. With only a handful of words, Ava eloquently and brutally captures exactly how the viewers and the rest of the team (with the exception of Judy) see Bob:
“You’re an appendix. You exist only to inflame, and the moment you’re taken out, everyone will feel a whole lot better.”
Sadly, Ava isn’t completely on the mark. By the time Bob’s finally taken out, both the audience and the characters are feeling a whole lot worse.
7 “Loyalty Is Worthless. Faith Is Dead.”
These cynical words are perhaps the perfect ones to behave as the slogan for a heist fueled by vengeance and betrayal, and brought to a bloody conclusion by those same igniters:
"Loyalty is worthless. Faith is dead. At the end of the day, it will always come down to you versus the people who want what you have. And the only thing that matters is, can you manipulate them better than they can manipulate you?"
As beautifully worded as this quote is, though, it acts as a sort of trick for the audience when Hannah repeats it after being revealed as Leo’s daughter. Depending on the order they watch the series, it lures viewers into believing they’re in for a satisfying revenge tale, when really they’re about to witness the consequences of obsession and resentment.
6 “It’s Easy To Fall Back Into Old Patterns.”
One of the show’s most poignant lines is delivered not by any member of the main cast, but rather by Nazan’s drug addiction counselor who wisely reminds the addict attendees and the audience that change can’t truly be achieved if the root of the problem hasn’t been addressed: “If we haven’t done the work, if we are still blaming someone else, it's easy to fall back into old patterns.”
This is a message that not only Nazan fails to grasp, but that Leo, Bob, and even Roger refuse to realize. Consequently, the people they love are hurt or lost, and their lives, whether literally or metaphorically, are forfeit.
5 “Cause There’s Two Sides To Every Story.”
Offering a slight twist on a well-known saying, this quote adds a pessimistic edge to what’s usually considered a magnanimous phrase. However, it’s one that rings painfully true in the case of Leo and Roger, two men who spend the majority of the series either refusing to take a good, hard look at themselves or at each other.
“'Cause there's two sides to every story. And neither one’s really the truth.”
Even for those not planning an elaborate heist on their ex-best friend’s vault or abandoning them in a fire, this quote serves as a prudent reminder to consider one’s own biases and sense of subjectivity.
4 “Show Me Where You’re Brave. Show Me Where You’re Strong.”
This mantra is uttered several times throughout the series by Leo and Hannah, the sentimental words accompanied by the father and daughter gesturing in unison to their heads and hearts. The line is impactful not only because it offers an empowering phrase that anyone can utilize when they’re feeling beat by the world, but it also verbalizes the bond between the pair.
The mantra of “Show me where you’re brave. Show me where you’re strong,” is a message they share. It’s how they communicate to one another that they will be okay, that things will be okay.
3 “You Got So Much Hate Inside Of You.”
It’s easy to dismiss this line from Leo as merely an attempt to avoid any more of Bob’s violent wrath, but given Leo’s own struggle to let go of anger and desperation for revenge, it’s not far-fetched to think that he is speaking from the heart when he says:
“You got so much hate inside of you. I mean, it ain't wrong. It just ain't a way to live.”
Leo’s sentiment is unfortunately too little and too late for both Bob and himself. However, it offers a moment of acknowledgment from the leading man that although he’s entitled to his pain, never moving on from it has ruined his chances at another life.
2 “I’m Your Excuse, Ray.”
Leo’s best friend turned nemesis makes a point here that even Leo, with all the hate he still holds for his former partner-in-crime, struggles to refute. No one could consider Roger a good person, nor deny that he committed deeds that are unforgivable. Yet in Leo’s quest for vengeance, he threw away his chances at rebuilding a life with his daughter and Ava in spite of their pleas and warnings. Roger points this out with:
“I'm your excuse, Ray. I’m the guy you can blame for doing exactly what you wanted to f**king do.”
Hannah herself reiterates a similar message, further emphasizing that this line isn’t simply a way for Roger to deflect rightful blame, but a genuine commentary on Leo’s inability to change even when his happiness depends on it.
1 “I’ve Had Time To Think About Who We Are”
This is just one piece of Hannah’s heartwrenching monologue to Leo, but it captures the essence of her speech. Unlike her father and many other characters in the series, Hannah sees the people around her for exactly who they are and accepts the bad things that have happened in her life as lessons to remember as she moves forward, rather than seeing them scores to settle. Despite her love for her father, Hannah accepts that he will not change and that she doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps:
“But I've had time to think about who we are and who I am, and I do know who I'm not.”
She provides a bitter contrast to Leo, who seemingly pays the ultimate price for his inability to let the past go in “Pink.” Yet, there’s some comfort to be had in knowing that the person Leo loved the most learned from his mistakes.