A Heist with Markiplier debuts on YouTube Premium

Viewers get the chance to pull off the heist of the century.
Photo courtesy of YouTube

YouTube Premium released a new series written by, directed by, and starring Mark Fischbach, also known as the comedic gaming YouTuber Markiplier, on Oct. 30. His series, A Heist with Markiplier, stands apart from other, more straightforward YouTube originals in several ways, including the fact that it is YouTube’s first and only choose-your-own-adventure-style original. With 31 different endings to be uncovered, this series tangles its audience in a web of mystery, comedy, and creativity.

YouTube first appeared on the internet in 2005 and quickly gained popularity as a video streaming platform. Today, YouTube has millions of users and its own original content service, YouTube Premium, formerly known as YouTube Red, with 1.5 million subscribers as of 2016, according to The Verge. Other notable titles on the subscription service, according to Paste Magazine, include Cobra Kai, Impulse, and Step Up: High Water.

A Heist with Markiplier is one of dozens of originals created by YouTubers but is one of the most well made. The heist centers around the theft of a mysterious box, the contents of which can only be revealed as choices are made and the story continues. The heist takes a multitude of mind-boggling twists and turns into different times and dimensions, turning this museum escapade into an adventure on the high seas, a struggle to survive in a zombie apocalypse, and even a musical stint in prison.

One of the most unique aspects of this original makes itself known in the first video and persists through the entire series, which can be found on Markiplier’s personal channel. It starts off with the camera in first person point of view, where the viewer is one of the characters.

A Heist with Markiplier strives to transport the audience into the world of the story by using 14 different actors playing the part of the viewer’s hands and the use of they and them pronouns throughout the entire series. This story is not only fun to watch because of its plot and characters, but because everyone gets the chance to pull off the theft of the century, at least if all goes according to plan.

The characters are colorful and hilarious to watch, the plot is delightful, and at times the viewer seems to be the only competent banana in the bunch. The moment the audience attempts to guess the next step in the plan, their theories are flipped on their heads as the writing pulls them in another direction and another dimension. The imaginative and over-the-top plot never strays into the confusing or unwatchable, rather forming an entirely enjoyable experience for the audience.

A Heist with Markiplier sets an enigmatic yet comedic tone from the very beginning. The original soundtrack is reminiscent of a heist movie while the actions on screen incite laughter at all the right moments. The costumes and sets are fantastical and absurd, but well-crafted and interesting to watch.

Overall, Heist is a series like no other and is a project with love and thought built into its very creation. The audience is advised to dust off their sneaking shoes and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime full of choices just waiting to be made, each one unique and begging this question: How far down does this rabbit hole really go?