Due to being stuck inside for a longer amount of time than usual, many have a lot of time to discover new shows to binge on their streaming services of choice. That being said one show in particular has many online and throughout social media talking. 

After about fifteen seconds into the trailer I knew this was definitely something I wanted to invest my time in. “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” is a docuseries currently streaming on Netflix that follows the story of former zoo operater Joe Exotic. Not only did this series pull me in immediately but kept me drawn to it the entire time. 

There are several sides to this unbelievable story with a rollercoaster of plots and emotions that no doubt intrigue the audience from start to finish. For starters, the main character is no average Joe. A “gay, gun-carrying, redneck with a mullet,” as he describes himself. An exuberant and colorful Joe Exotic is a man of many hats. A zoo operator, a recording artist, a criminal in the eyes of some, and the mortal enemy of Carol Baskin. 

I found myself intrigued by just about every character introduced as the show went on. I can’t count the amount of times my friends and I looked at each other with confused looks and questioned what in the world we were watching. Though at the surface the show seems somewhat lighthearted and comical, there are other underlying, dark subjects such as potential murder, accidental suicide, polygamy and animal abuse. 

As I continued to watch I must admit I could not get enough of Joe Exotic and I too despised Carol Baskin for reasons I’ll leave out for the sake of spoilers. I also took a liking to Doc Antle and his story until things got…weird.  Just when you think the series couldn’t get any crazier, it does. After my friends and I finished it we had a long debate over everything that happened and if Joe Exotic really deserved everything that happened to him in the end. 

The twists and turns that come with watching this show are something that I thoroughly enjoyed. The end of every episode had me questioning “What could possibly happen now?” Though Joe Exotic did a number of questionable things, I somehow felt sympathy for him in the end. Sure, he deserved punishment for what he did (or did not do?) but in my opinion, there were many others that should have received punishment as well. 

Since the release of the series, a few of the cast members that took part in the interviews for the  series have since spoken out against it. Some have claimed they were lied to about the purpose and main point covered in the show. Nevertheless, people have still been drawn to the series and many have hopped on the “Free Joe Exotic” wagon. 

Ultimately, I recommend this show to anyone that has run out of things to do during this time of quarantining and social distancing or that simply want to have their minds blown with a ridiculously addicting series. Besides the intriguing characters and unbelievably entertaining story, the memes that have come with this are just as entertaining. Before you know it, you’ll have “I Saw a Tiger” stuck in your head for days on end.