Peacock Original Joe vs Carole Is The Podcast Gap Filler We Genuinely Needed

John Cameron Mitchell as Joe Exotic, a toxic enthusiast of both exotic animals and himself. All photos courtesy of IMDb.

We know the story. Almost all of us have listened to the podcast, stared slack-jawed at the sensationalized headlines, and laughed at the memes a dozen times over. The decade-long tug-of-war between two outliers of society is now a part of our collective pop culture, one that revolves around two people who have both built their businesses on the back of the exotic animal trade with Carole devoted to rescuing and rehabilitation and Joe devoted to a solid profit margin and a larger-than-life persona. In Joe vs Carole, we quickly learn it just isn’t that simple.

Joe and Carole had a lot in common, but it was how they were introduced to the exotic animal trade and how they chose to use the animals they were initially gifted with or purchased that set them on such incredibly different paths. Joe with his tiger cubs from a rehab friend who used animals for profit, Carole purchasing a bobcat with her abusive husband’s money to save its life from a taxidermist, they both saw themselves in the big cats they now owned and wanted to give their cats the best life possible and that’s where things went very wrong for one and very right for the other.

Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue, a naturally unique individual with a few toxic traits of her own to deal with.

Joe went full-on PT Barnum, creating a traveling zoo where animals would perform (regardless of their health) and sit for photos with countless people who were thrilled at the opportunity to hold a tiger cub. He also began breeding tigers for extra scratch selling them to the highest bidder without too much care or concern as to where they were going. Carole went full-on animal activist, creating a sanctuary for abused animals and making it her life’s work to educate the public on the dangers of owning something that could eat and or maim you, and working with law enforcement and government agencies to shut down roadside zoos and end private ownership of exotic animals. One of these is definitely not like the other, and one of these definitely doesn’t belong.

This is the most red-necked thruple I’ve ever seen. Maybe. Sam Keeley as John Finlay (left) John Cameron Mitchell as Joe Exotic (center) and Nat Wolff as Travis Moldonado.

Between the lawsuits, the threats, and the eventual murder for hire against Carole, Joe dug himself into a very deep personal pit, one he will not be able to crawl out of for at least 20 years. The Big Cat Public Safety Act that Carole helped create and bring before congress has passed the House and is now in the hands of the Senate. Big Cat Rescue is still going strong, Carole’s as devoted as ever to rescue work, and hopefully will never attempt another shot at dancing on TV again (her heart was in the right place, just not her feet or body.) Hopefully shows like Joe vs Carole will bring much-needed attention to the plight of exotic animals and help put an end to roadside zoos and private ownership of exotic pets.

The series as a whole was in-depth, very detailed, very moving, and showed a very human side to Joe, Carole, their families, and co-workers that often got lost in the drama and weirdness. The cast was solid, Kate and John were mesmerizing as Carole and Joe, and the FX was amazing. The series can be streamed right here and I highly recommend you give it a go.