What To Know About Tiger King

While in quarantine, I have noticed the internet raving about the new Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. I decided to give this series a go, with its Rotten Tomatoes review of 88%. I soon realized that this show is like no other.

Tiger King is bold and unique. The plot line of the show follows the story of Joe Exotic, animal enthusiast who calls himself the nation's most creative tiger breeder. He owns Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in rural Wynnewood, Oklahoma. 

The co-directors of Tiger King, Eric Goode and Rebbecca Chaiklin, said the goal of the series was to “really understand what was going on with the private ownership of big cats in this country.” The show was intended to be a big cat version of Blackfish—which was the documentary that exposed the animal abuse at SeaWorld—and show the breeding of cat cubs occurring at roadside zoos. This began after Goode visited an animal dealer in South Florida and found a snow leopard in the back of a scalding hot van.

The seven-episode documentary follows Joe Exotic competing in the big cat breeding industry. It also introduces other key players in the big cat world: his sworn enemy Carole Baskin, zoo owner Doc Antle and many more crazy characters. The show follows an intriguing plot full of murders, violence, illegal deals and ambiguous pasts.

We might not all be intrigued by the world of big cats, but fortunately Tiger King has qualities to grab any watcher’s attention—crime, murder and drama—and it’s all true. The series quickly turns into a crime mystery when Carole Baskin is accused of murdering her millionaire husband, who went missing several years earlier.

As crazy as this show is, Tiger King is a must-watch during this hectic time. Let us know what you think of this show @theedgemag.