Needless to say, Plotcast team and I were a bit skeptical when we heard the plot summary of Kevin’s Cryptids. The word “Cryptozoologist” was enough to have my co-host, Gus, be hesitant right off the bat.
Luckily for us however, Ori and I prevailed and we gave season one a listen, and to our pleasant surprise, Kevin’s Cryptids was absolutely hilarious. Full of personality and led by the strong performances of Taylor Hunter as Kevin, Chris Luximana as Taylor and Kirk Fox as Master Loprete, Season One was full of memorable moments and set the foundation for greatness in the future, but was held back by a sluggish midsection and inconsistency in comedic timing. Nonetheless, Kevin’s Cryptids plot, memorable characters and neverending punchlines had us wanting more.
That’s where Season Two comes in to play, and right from the get go, everything that we loved about Season One was tightened up. Comedic timing was on point, long running jokes ran amok, characters were goofier, and most importantly, Cryptids were in full force.
And that development, the growth as both a podcast and a team creating it, has been an absolute blast to listen to.
Season Two starts off with the loveable, but douchebaggy Kevin Weathers and his partner-in-crime and de-facto best friend Taylor Hunt,
in hiding from the National Park Service and more importantly, Super Chupacabras that were released to find and kill them at the climax of Season One. Dodging the Super Chupas, Kevin and Taylor run into the nearby desert to escape certain death, when they are taken by a small gang of Australian women working for none other than Mexican Drug Lord, El Chapo.
From here, Kevin alongside Taylor, redeemed traitor Dangerous Danny, and the wise Master Loprete go on a journey throughout the United States in search of answers surrounding Kevin, Kevin’s Mom and the mysterious BLEEP – meeting allies, enemies and plenty of Cryptids along the way.
From spoofs of professional wrestling, to an incredibly serious, borderline torture scene to a melody of harmonies in the season’s musical number, the crew behind Kevin’s Cryptids pulls no punches. They tightened up the script, emphasized the greatness of Season One while simultaneously minimizing what could be replaced. Remember Guy Fieri? He returns! But in a lesser (much appreciated) quantity. Remember Randy Buckle? He returns! As a season mainstay and long term supporting character to our favorite team.
Every episode was memorable, and while I thought that maybe the late season Carnival cruise episode could have been consolidated into either the former or latter episode, ultimately this slight hiccup was not enough to dissuade me from continuing to follow the gang throughout the season.
I am hopeful for Season Three. If Season Two proved anything, it was that this team knows what’s funny. They know how to make compelling characters interweave with an incredibly colorful world of fantasy, pop culture and humor alike. The inclusion of Dangerous Danny into the gang with what seemed to be a season long redemption arc was amazing and added another like minded individual to play off the humor of the titular Kevin Weathers.
All and all, this season kicked ass, and I’m impatiently waiting for Season Three to finish and to hear that opening theme song play once more.
While you wait for more Kevin’s Cryptids, check out our exclusive interview with co-creators Taylor Hunter (Kevin) and Mat Edgar (Danny).