Peacock is tackling the wildest feud in big cat history with Joe vs Carole. Unless you were living under a rock, you have heard of Joe Exoctic and Carole Baskins. Back in 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the Netflix documentary Tiger King took our couches by storm. The documentary followed Joe Exotic, a man who owned G.W. Zoo and loved big cats, his husbands, and plotting Carole Baskin’s death.

Carole Baskins runs a rescue sanctuary for large cats called Big Cat Rescue. Part of her journey was to take down Joe Exotic and the G.W. Zoo because she felt the cats weren’t being taken care of properly.

During their feud, Joe accused Carole of killing her husband and feeding him to her cats. Carole accused him of putting a hit out on her. And eventually, that wildest feud in big cat history was born.

*Article Update/Edit: Fixing the name of Carole’s Big Cat Rescue. Big Cat Habitat has zero affiliation with either party.

JOE VS CAROLE

When it comes to Joe vs Carole, just like with Inventing Anna, The Dropout, Pam and Tommy, and Dr. Death Peacock is giving us a scripted dramatized version of the events. However, unlike the documentary which glorifies Joe and is very much his side of the story, this series gives a voice to Carole. We see Joe engulfed by his self-inflicted victimhood. 

While the series doesn’t have any mind-blowing revelations, I did enjoy seeing the story unfold vs being told what happened. Before watching, I thought the series would be a dark comedy. I mean, Joe is a walking punchline. However, that is not the case. Joe vs Carole is very much a drama.

Kate McKinnon (SNL) surprised me with her portrayal of Carole Baskin. I found her choices to be honest and grounded vs what you would typically see on SNL. John Cameron Mitchell (Shrill) is an absolute standout as the outlander Joe Exotic! Kyle MacLachlan is loveable as Carole’s husband Howard. Speaking of husbands, I wasn’t completely sold on the casting choice of Sam Keely as John Finlay. However, by the end of the series, his transformation was incredible and I understood exactly why he was chosen to play the role. 

IS THE SERIES WORTH A WATCH?

Honestly, this one is hit or miss with a mix of personal preferences. If you prefer watching your documentary and 2020 investigations I can understand why you’ll wanna skip this one. But, for someone like me, I love seeing a story I’m familiar with come to life. And this series does not disappoint! So, if you’re like me you’ll absolutely love this series.

Joe vs Carole premieres on Peacock on March 3, 2022! Comment below and let us know what you think! 

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