‘Joe vs. Carole’ review: Fitfully entertaining and unabashedly queer
metroweekly.comTiger King. Like any set of bitter enemies, their feud is fueled as much by the things they have in common, as it is inflamed by their implacable differences.Memorably documented in Tiger King, and now gleefully depicted in Peacock’s appropriately strange new comedy series Joe vs.
Carole (★★★☆☆), Baskin and Mr. Exotic each established their own sprawling animal parks — hers a Florida sanctuary for rescuing wild beasts, his a carnival-style zoo and sideshow in rural Oklahoma.Both wily entrepreneurs, they share a bold, independent spirit, a passion for tigers, and a dedication to statement hairdos and animal-print attire.They’re both also rabidly spiteful, mean, and, hellbent on their opposing big-cat missions, potentially murderous.
Baskin veils her venomous side behind cheerful confidence and a plastered-on smile, warbling her catchphrase “Hey, all you cool cats and kittens” to her online followers.Joe Exotic doesn’t try to disguise any of his worst characteristics, but instead aims to compensate with petty largesse and cheap showmanship.John Cameron Mitchell’s vivid portrayal of Joe is a good deal cuddlier than the real deal.
Verbally bashing Baskin in one scene, seducing either of his two boyfriends the next, he’s hard to pin down as mere lowlife or villain.Delving into the early romantic partnership, with hunky bartender Brian (Nic English), that led Joe into the animal handling business, the series finds slivers of decency and vulnerability that viewers of the documentary might not have fathomed.Despite excellent hair and makeup, Mitchell doesn’t bear much physical resemblance to the actual Joe Exotic (né Schreibvogel), but he captures the guy’s backwoods Barnum persona.Sam Keeley, as Joe’s bisexual lover and right.
