Season Review: America’s Next Top Cryptid Season One
OVERVIEW:
In a government-sanctioned conspiracy, seven cryptids are put together for observation under the guise of competing in the reality television show America’s Next Top Cryptid.
OUR TAKE:
No doubt, the names ExplosmEntertainment, Rob DenBleyker, Kris Wilson, Adam Nusrallah, and Connor Murphy will be the main thing driving viewers to this show. Although their conception of America’s Next Top Cryptid has attracted a wide audience, it is ironically the same thing that inhibits the show’s success.
It has hints of profanity, violence, and adult humor, but it doesn’t commit to the usual over-the-top darkness of Cyanide & Happiness, except for a handful of surprise deaths across the entire series. Similarly, the usual rapid-fire mood changes in Explosm’s other, drastically shorter titles don’t seem to work as well with each episode’s 11-minute runtime. Aside from exactly three meta-jokes on opposite ends of the show, there’s not much comedy that can get you to even crack a faint smirk.
Similarly, when fans would expect the usual rapid-fire storytelling format of most C&H comics or strips, it can be difficult for them to instead adjust their concentration to the larger plot. America’s Next Top Cryptid wastes little time emphasizing the government conspiracy subplot and the fakeness of the in-setting reality show. Even considering the Host putting in the absolute minimum amount of effort into the lie, the elements of a reality competition throughout the episodes are far too shallow.
Most of the “challenges” don’t have any actual eliminations beyond Balloon Boy. The Host only eliminates “contestants” three times series for as long as he and the other government agents maintain the facade. Crud even more or less puts the whole thing together before the show’s halfway point, making his efforts in “Pool Party” and “Talent Show” feel drawn out. With a larger cast and more suspicious eliminations, such as by folding in the contestants from the fake show’s Season 1, this reveal could’ve been more compelling.
There’s little reason to actually think so deeply about the show, but in the first place the government’s reason to kidnap and effectively enslave cryptids—all while gaslighting them into thinking they’re on reality TV, mind you—makes little sense when they could likely employ them. The fact that the Host’s brain-worm is actually collecting new bodies to conquer the planet only makes this motivation marginally better, given their first appearance in “Pool Party” could easily be dismissed until “A Plan Inaction.” At the same time, however, it comes out of nowhere without explaining whether they’re cryptids or something else entirely.
The show’s main characters play a part in this too. The first episode establishes certain dynamics, such as Reggie’s indifference towards Crud, Grayson’s arrogance and self-importance over the other Earthlings, Gwen’s friction towards Grayson, and Grayson planning to use Crud. Ultimately, the only noteworthy relationships are Reggie’s romance with Gwen and Grayson’s friendship with Meg, which remain consistent throughout the show. Aside from the “Prank War” episode, the other cryptids get along without issue effortlessly, except for Crud being the group’s punching bag.
The cryptids each come with their own unique charm, with Grayson and Jay being the most chaotic and fun to watch. But when even the two most volatile characters don’t incite much conflict with the others, this creates a lack of intrigue that makes the story easy to tune out. Ironically, the Host points out as early as Episode 2, saying, “The viewers at home don’t want friendship. They want drama! Backstabbing!” Yet the show ultimately delivers none of this. For the most part, the show about monsters doesn’t even use its main selling point as supernatural cryptids as much as you’d expect. They don’t have to be fully fleshed-out characters, but going even a little deeper into their backstories would have helped, like with Gwen in “Pool Party.”
America’s Next Top Cryptid isn’t the worst, but it isn’t up to speed with what ExplosmEntertainment fans would expect, either. You’re likely better off rewatching C&H sketches or the asdfmovie series for surreal dark humor, or Total Drama season for the reality TV show aspects. Still, given the large cultural impact Cyanide & Happiness has had for as long as it’s been around and the fans that will flock to it, the possibility of a Cryptid Island Season 1 releasing in the future may not be so far off.
America’s Next Top Cryptid is streaming now on Tubi.
