Just got done watching Tiger King and I was disappointed with the ending. I won’t divulge what the ending was, but suffice to say that it did not include the lions and tigers eating the main characters. That would have been the only appropriate way to end the show since the only good guys were the animals. And besides, I’ve never seen a tiger eat someone.
The show revolves around the character Joe Exotic, who is a narcissist who owns a private zoo in Oklahoma. He owns over 200 tigers, plus lions, chimpanzees and other wild animals. His main antagonist is Carole Baskin, who is another narcissist, and portrays herself as a lover of animals. But she too owns many big cats and charges for people to see them. She characterizes her abode as an animal rescue operation, but it is really a zoo by any other name.
The tension in the series is between Joe Exotic trying to promote himself and Carole Baskin trying to close him down. Baskin claims that Exotic's zoo uses abusive practices and improperly charges customers to pet the big cat cubs. Exotic claims against Baskin are that the conditions at her animal rescue are sub-par. He also claims that she is responsible for the death of her first husband, who disappeared under very suspicious circumstances. Both of these fine citizens fight their war though extensive social medial campaigns with Exotic making frequent death threats and acting out killing her.
There are other characters like Exotics husband, who has more tattoos than teeth. There is Kevin Antle, also known as Doc Antle, who owns a wildlife preserve with big cats. He also appears to use his big cats to attract a wide array of young pretty girls. Then there is the array of hanger-ons and assorted sycophants who want to want to revel in the glow thrown off by Carole and Joe.
So this brings me to the lion, tigers and bears. Oh my! These are beautiful animals who are also deadly. Some of the tigers appear to weigh in excess of 500 pounds and have teeth big and sharp enough to crush whatever gets into their mouth.
The undercurrent in the series is what will happen to the animals. That we never find out is a downer, but I like to think that they got together and decided to eat all of the humans who are supposed to be the superior species. It would be poetic justice if in the end Carole and Joe both ended up as the waste products of the animals which they both have taken advantage of.
