Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

This sensational docuseries tells a bizarre tale of a little-known world that highlights the animosity between private big cat park owners and animal activists. A murder for hire is at its heart, but much of Tiger King is dedicated to showcasing the extremely colorful lifestyles of big cat owners, including Joe Exotic, convicted drug kingpin Mario Tabraue, and Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, the mystical cult-like owner of Myrtle Beach Safari. Stories about Carole Baskin's multiple efforts to stop them, which include cyberstalking, are also combined with details about her former life as a private big cat breeder, and lurid rumors (fueled by Joe Exotic) about the fate of her first husband. This results in a distorted story that mixes in facts with anecdotes and gossip.

Overshadowed by all of this mayhem is the reality of the criminal world of the exotic cat trade in the United States, in which private parks function as financially lucrative cub breeders and animal petting operations. It's also a world in which both private parks and rescue sanctuaries use exotic species to exploit young people and other vulnerable populations looking to make connections with animals. But what's most problematic is that the scenes revealing a darker, angrier side to Joe Exotic, who is openly and unapologetically committed to destroying Carole Baskin by any means necessary, are scattered throughout the chaotic series in a way that makes his behavior seem kooky rather than worrisome. As a result, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Tiger King sets out to chronicle a violent story about a murder for hire, and that it takes forever to do it.