Netflix’s new documentary, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness”, has reacently taken over pop culture and launched itself into the most-veiwed Netflix documenary of all time. According to the Business Insider, “Tiger King” had 34.3 million unique viewers in the US tune in to the series in its first 10 days of release. The TV series has spawned everything from memes to appeals to the federal government. But what exactly is this crazy series about? And is it worth the hype?

  “Tiger King” follows the story of Joe Exotic, the crazy, gay, gun-weilding owner of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma, where he houses over 200 big cats (primarily tigers). The documentary details the inner-working of the private zoo business in America, as well as Exotic’s famous rivalry with animal rights activist Carole Baskin. Over the course of the seven-hour series, there is never a dull moment. Exotic’s professional and personal life are so outlandish that it seems that they could easily fill several seasons of the show if they wanted to. 

  While the show focuses primarily on Joe Exotic and his life, it’s often the background characters who steal both the show and the audience’s hearts. The documentary is told through a series of interviews with the people involved, revealing a wide range of eccentric personalities. The people who came off the most sympathetic and honest were always Exotic’s employees. Even while tangled in the complex political conspiracies that surround the zoo, the employees seem to genuinely only care about keeping the animals safe. They give the sometimes too-crazy-to-believe series a real heart and soul.

  Another thing the documentary does well is the organization of the episodes. It was shot over a span of about five years, so there is a lot of information to cover. The series does a good job of separating every episode into a clear topic and/or period of time, which makes it very easy to follow. It does an immaculate job of taking what must have been thousands of hours of footage and sorting it into a clear and engaging narrative, with each episode drawing you further into the madness. 

  Overall, “Tiger King” is a great watch for all kinds of people, from fans of true crime to reality TV. While some aspects of the show seem biased or exaggerated for drama, the inherently incredible narrative is gripping, and offers a deep look into Exotic as a man, and also society as a whole. 

7/10