Joe vs. Carole
Joe vs. Carole is an American limited drama television series created by Etan Frankel that dramatizes the conflict between big cat sanctuary operator Carole Baskin and exotic animal park owner Joe Exotic.[1] Premiering on Peacock on March 3, 2022, the eight-episode series stars Kate McKinnon as Baskin and John Cameron Mitchell as Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage), portraying their decade-long rivalry that culminated in Exotic's 2019 federal conviction for hiring a hitman to murder Baskin.[2][3] Adapted from the second season of Wondery's investigative podcast Over My Dead Body, the narrative centers on Baskin's advocacy to end Exotic's roadside zoo operations at the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, which included public tiger cub petting sessions and breeding practices she deemed exploitative.[4] Exotic's retaliation escalated from legal battles and smear campaigns to death threats and the murder plot, for which he received a 22-year prison sentence in January 2020.[5][3] The series explores underlying personal tragedies, including Baskin's unresolved 1997 disappearance of her second husband Don Lewis and Exotic's chaotic personal life amid animal welfare disputes.[5] While drawing from documented events, the production faced criticism for sensationalism similar to Netflix's Tiger King documentary, with Baskin asserting that producers exaggerated the feud's intensity for dramatic effect despite limited direct interaction.[6] Critically, it holds a 33% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews, with detractors noting uneven pacing and caricatured portrayals overshadowed by the prior documentary's cultural impact.[7]Background and premise
Real-life origins of the feud
The feud between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin stemmed from fundamental disagreements over the treatment, breeding, and public interaction with big cats. Baskin founded her sanctuary, initially called Wildlife on Easy Street, on November 4, 1992, in Tampa, Florida, after rescuing a bobcat; it evolved into Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit opposing commercial breeding, private ownership, and cub-petting exhibits, which she argued fueled an exploitative trade in captive wildlife.[8] In contrast, Joseph Maldonado-Passage (Joe Exotic) established the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, in 1997 using insurance proceeds from his brother's fatal car accident, building it into a facility that bred tigers and other big cats while generating revenue through public cub petting and roadside shows.[9] Conflicts arose in 2009 when Big Cat Rescue volunteers initiated protests and email campaigns targeting shopping malls that hosted Exotic's traveling cub-petting events, pressuring venues to cancel to disrupt his business model, which relied on such interactions to promote breeding and sales.[10] Exotic perceived these actions as hypocritical attacks on his livelihood, given Baskin's sanctuary also charged admission fees and accepted donations for animal care, though it prohibited breeding.[9] In retaliation, Exotic formed an entity called Big Cat Rescue Entertainment and began using Baskin's organization's name and a similar logo to advertise his operations, prompting her to sue him for trademark infringement in federal court in January 2011; she won a $1 million judgment, though Exotic largely evaded payment.[11][9] This legal clash marked the escalation, with Exotic producing propaganda videos accusing Baskin of murdering her second husband, Don Lewis, who vanished on August 18, 1997, and feeding his remains to tigers—claims unsubstantiated but rooted in Lewis's prior threats to leave and donate their fortune to animal causes.[9] Baskin maintained the efforts targeted industry-wide practices like cub petting, not personal animosity, but Exotic's responses included threats and copyright violations using her image.[10]Adaptation from podcast to series
The Peacock miniseries Joe vs. Carole originated as a scripted adaptation of the Wondery podcast "Joe Exotic: Tiger King" (later retitled "Joe vs. Carole"), which formed the second season of the investigative anthology series Over My Dead Body and was hosted and reported by Robert Moor.[1] [12] Released in six episodes starting in late 2019, the podcast drew on extensive interviews, court records, and on-site reporting to detail the origins of the feud between Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, and Joe Schreibvogel (known as Joe Exotic), operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, highlighting their conflicting approaches to big cat conservation and breeding.[13] [14] Etan Frankel, tasked as showrunner, executive producer, and primary writer, converted the podcast's narrative-driven audio format into an eight-episode dramatic series, expanding on the investigative structure through fictionalized dialogue, reenacted events, and visual depictions of the subjects' early lives and motivations.[15] This process involved scripting scenes to portray the psychological and ideological clashes predating the 2017 murder-for-hire plot, including Baskin's animal rights activism and Exotic's roadside zoo operations, while incorporating podcast-sourced details like legal battles over animal welfare regulations.[5] The adaptation prioritized character interiors over the podcast's journalistic detachment, enabling portrayals by actors Kate McKinnon as Baskin and John Cameron Mitchell as Exotic, with production emphasizing period-accurate recreations of Oklahoma and Florida settings.[16] Development began prior to the 2020 Netflix documentary Tiger King, with the series initially titled Joe Exotic before rebranding to Joe vs. Carole to reflect the dual focus; Universal Content Productions handled scripting and production for Peacock, releasing all episodes simultaneously on March 3, 2022.[12] [17] Unlike the podcast's reliance on real audio clips and witness accounts, the series employed dramatic license for pacing and emotional depth, such as intensified personal vendettas, while adhering to core events verified in Moor's reporting, including USDA inspections and sanctuary accreditation disputes.[5] This shift from nonfiction audio to serialized fiction aimed to humanize the antagonists' backstories amid their shared obsession with exotic felines, though critics noted it sometimes amplified eccentricities for entertainment value.[18]Cast and characters
Main cast
Kate McKinnon portrays Carole Baskin, the founder of Big Cat Rescue and a prominent animal rights activist central to the feud with Joe Exotic.[1] John Cameron Mitchell plays Joe Exotic (born Joseph Maldonado-Passage), the flamboyant owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park whose escalating conflicts with Baskin drive the narrative.[1] Kyle MacLachlan depicts Howard Baskin, Carole's husband and operational partner in Big Cat Rescue, providing strategic support in their advocacy efforts.[1] Brian Van Holt stars as John Reinke, Exotic's longtime park manager who handles daily operations amid the chaos of animal care and legal troubles.[1] Sam Keeley embodies John Finlay, Exotic's former husband and early business associate whose personal struggles influence the park's dynamics.[1]| Actor | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kate McKinnon | Carole Baskin | Animal rights advocate and sanctuary operator opposing Exotic's roadside zoo practices.[1] |
| John Cameron Mitchell | Joe Exotic | Eccentric big cat breeder and entertainer locked in a bitter rivalry with Baskin.[1] |
| Kyle MacLachlan | Howard Baskin | Carole's spouse and Big Cat Rescue executive aiding in conservation and legal battles.[1] |
| Brian Van Holt | John Reinke | Exotic's dedicated operations manager navigating park management and personal hardships.[1] |
| Sam Keeley | John Finlay | Exotic's ex-husband and initial collaborator facing addiction and relational turmoil.[1] |
Recurring and guest cast
Dean Winters portrays Jeff Lowe, the opportunistic businessman who partners with Joe Exotic and later assumes control of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park amid financial troubles.[19][20] Nat Wolff plays Travis Maldonado, Exotic's impulsive young husband whose volatile behavior and untimely death in 2017 contribute to the zoo's chaos.[21][19] Brian Van Holt depicts John Reinke, Exotic's loyal but ailing zoo manager, who manages daily operations despite multiple sclerosis.[1] Sam Keeley embodies John Finlay, Exotic's first husband and early business partner, whose substance abuse issues strain their relationship.[1] Kyle MacLachlan appears as Howard Baskin, Carole Baskin's supportive second husband who aids in her advocacy efforts against animal exploitation.[1] Notable guest appearances include William Fichtner as Rick Kirkham, the TV producer whose failed documentary project exposes tensions within Exotic's operation.[19] Other supporting roles feature Marlo Kelly as Kelci Saff, a zookeeper at Exotic's facility, and various actors portraying legal and peripheral figures in the escalating feud.[22]Episodes
Episode list and summaries
The miniseries consists of eight episodes, with all installments released simultaneously on Peacock on March 3, 2022.[23]| No. | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unwanted Animals | A feud is born between a woman devoted to saving big cats and the owner of an exotic animal zoo.[24] |
| 2 | Sanctuary | Joe road-trips to Florida; Carole sets her sights on taking down another big cat owner.[24] |
| 3 | Don | Carole sues Joe, who goes on a media offensive; Joe hires an ally.[24] |
| 4 | A Gun-Toting, Animal-Loving, Mullet-Wearing Motherf**king Star | Joe campaigns for president; Carole deals with an escaped tiger.[24] |
| 5 | The Tiger King | Joe meets another love interest; Carole takes her message to Congress.[24] |
| 6 | A Fairy Tale | Joe and his new partner struggle to save the zoo; Carole attends a fundraiser.[24] |
| 7 | The Florida Problem | Joe finds a solution to his problems with Carole; Carole hires a security detail.[24] |
| 8 | Survival of the Fittest | Joe’s world implodes as federal agents raid his zoo.[24] |