Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
True crime drama rehashes tired story with mature content.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Joe vs. Carole
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on the podcast Over My Dead Body, JOE VS. CAROLE is a dramatization of the feud made famous by Netflix series Tiger King. The true crime series tells the story of the intense rivalry between between Oklahoma-based cat zoo owner Joe Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic (John Cameron Mitchell) and Florida-based Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin (Kate McKinnon), which ultimately lead to a conviction for illegal animal trafficking and murder for hire.
Is It Any Good?
This tired and often over-the-top limited series once again rehashes the tale of the lengthy rivalry between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. The performances by John Cameron Mitchell and Kate McKinnon are strong, and live up to all the pop culture memes the two personages have inspired. But they don't make up for the lack of any new or interesting insight into who Exotic or Baskin are, or their continuing legal battles. It isn't particularly entertaining, but chances are Joe vs. Carole will succeed at making you wonder why the series was even produced, let alone stretched over eight episodes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges associated with adapting a story from one type of media to another. What changes to a story specifically need to be made when shifting the story from a podcast format to a TV format? What remains the same?
Given the rise and fall in popularity of the Tiger King franchise over the years, what do you think the producers hoped to achieve by creating Joe vs. Carole? Did you learn anything new about the story or the people involved?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 3, 2022
- Cast : Kate McKinnon , John Cameron Mitchell , Kyle MacLachlan
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Activism
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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