Cat and the Cryptid Summer wrap-up party

We’ve officially finished our first story with episode twenty of Cat and the Cryptid Summer by the amazing Raspberry! Today we’re celebrating with our favorite drinks and reminiscing about some of our favorite moments, characters, and behind the scenes moments from the series.

*Please note that this post will contain spoilers for the story Cat and the Cryptid Summer.

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1. First impressions of the story vs impressions now?

Pineapple:

Hm… my first impressions were so long ago that it’s hard to remember. I remember I really liked it upon first reading! It was such a fun concept. I loved the cryptids and the little mystery at the beginning. I’d gotten vibes like The Bailey School kids books, Gravity Falls, and the Disney show So Weird and they were all things that I really enjoyed, so I was super looking forward to how the story was going to unfold! It DEFINITELY unfolded in a way I didn’t expect, but in a way that is so Raspberry. It didn’t disappoint at all. It really became a story about family and choice and politics, all underneath a revenge story about cryptids. So good. I know she has some plans for season two, and I’m really looking forward to what kind of things we tackle there.

Raspberry:

I remember this story came out of a writing exercise I did with the JAAM fam. We would send each other topics and write about them, and I think my story for one of those prompts was a girl and her grandmother hunting a Bigfoot? I remember I liked the characters so much that I didn’t want to let go of them, so CatCS was born! And I still don’t want to say goodbye to them, so I might be writing a sequel season one of these days haha

Apple:

I was so excited about this story! I remember wondering: What cryptids will appear? What is Gran hiding? Will Cat get her hot girl summer? My brain was going a million miles a minute! The first episode promised spooky mystery in a small town vibes, and Raspberry absolutely delivered. But while I was totally into all the conspiracy theories, having finished the first season now, what has really stood out to me are the characters. The fact that we get to see over three generations of women in such fantastic roles—the way my mom can’t stop talking about Gran—this representation has meant so much to me. All of the characters have! I can’t wait to see them again in season two!

2. Who’s your favorite character?

Pineapple:

This is a tough one! I really like The Tennials, I think. They’re just a fun group. Particularly Jules, of course, but also Anne.

I can’t NOT talk about Cat, obviously. She really grew into her role, and I love that for her. I love her arc of being a teen who just wants to fit into her group of friends to feeling like she needs to protect her family and the people around her. And then she does! But she’s still a little girl around her mom. She’s just… great. Adorable. I love her.

Raspberry:

This is hard because I made them all. I love Cat because she’s the protagonist and really grew into a more confident hero than the unsure teen she started as, and I can see her continue to grow more. I loved Gran, but also she definitely has her problems, which I’ll have to delve into in the future. I loved writing Ms. Peregrine a lot, and I hope I get the chance to go into her journey more too. Also Anne and Bree are great, and I want to explore them later too. Ughhhh don’t make me choose a favorite!

Apple:

The second Ms. Peregrine showed up all classy and well dressed, I knew she would be my favorite. At that point, I didn’t even care if she ended up being the bad guy. Of course, she doesn’t end up being the bad guy. Instead, she’s one of the most loving, loyal, strategic, cutthroat characters, and I couldn’t adore her more.

3. Favorite moments or scenes?

Pineapple:

Some of the scenes that stood out to me the most and that I remember best are some that actually I had SO little to say about during the editing and critiquing process. Raspberry really did a great job with some of the tension. My first favorite scene is in Episode Four: Gran’s Late Night Party, when Cat follows Gran for the first time. The tension and mystery in the scene when Gran realizes something is wrong, right before Cat reveals herself is SO good!! I feel like I couldn’t stop raving about it even during the drafting process. In the very next episode, the buildup with the movie, the deja vu of hiding behind the tree? And it all culminates into seeing the big bad? OOF. Chef’s kiss.

Another really good one is in Episode Fifteen: Sending Signals, right at the end of the chapter. Jules wants to go with Gran to fight the faeries.

Just

“Well, then, we’ll stay at the perimeter,” Ms. Peregrine replied. “They’ll hardly know we’re there.”

“You really think they wouldn’t sense you from a mile away?” Gran retorted.

“Then we’ll stay two miles away,” Ms. Peregrine said.

“No.”

Gran straightened up and strode past the Tennials. Ms. Peregrine’s hand flew to Gran’s elbow.

“It’s too dangerous, Betty,” she said softly.

“Stand down.” Gran’s voice turned short and steely, sending a chill down Cat’s spine.

Like??? Please!!! The syntax! The tension! The DRAMA!!! It’s SO good, it gets me every time.

Raspberry:

This is hard, especially because I had to edit a lot of it so part of me is like “wait, is this scene still in the episode or did I cut it?” But I think one of the ones that I remember taking a lot of time on is one of the final scenes, when Cat sees her mom’s empty cup and realizes she chose a different path. IDK why, but it was a struggle making that scene and has stuck with me. Oh, also anytime Ms. Peregrine and Gran have a moment. I ship them so hard.

Apple:

I have a bunch of favorite moments, so I’m just going to rapid fire a few of them in no particular order. 1) The entire first episode—the tone is so well done! 2) Gran catching Cat trying to pick the locks and teaching her how to do it right. 3) Gran buying a bajillion steaks at the grocery store with no explanation. 4) Gran chatting at the grocery store while Cat’s stuck waiting for her. 5) Were-Mayor appearing behind Cat in the woods and scaring us all half to death. 6) Ms. Peregrine and the other Tennials hearing Gran tell them to stand down and not follow her—and them disregarding all of that because it’s some nonsense. 7) Vosseler telling Maria that he spoke to her while she was on the swings as a child—this part was so, so, so unsettling.

4. Are there any fun behind the scenes moments you’d like to share?

Pineapple:

Yes, actually, I would like everybody to know that I envision human!Voseller like this:

Other than that, I was the one who came up with the title for CatCS. I don’t really remember any of the other titles that were in the running anymore, though, ha ha. Doing the art for it was a blast, but it was definitely one of the ones that was the most work! It was, like 80+ layers. I didn’t know where the story was going at the time, so I worked with what I had, but I still really like the vibe it gives off.

Raspberry:

The amount of times I almost killed off characters and had Pineapple and Apple (and Apple’s mom) THREATENING me LOL. I’m really glad Gran didn’t die (yet), but I feel like so many comments when I was brainstorming were like “RASPBERRY DON’T YOU DARE!” Also, Pineapple saved the day with naming the story, because FUN FACT, I suck at naming things. If she didn’t come through, it wouldn’t been “Cat and Gran” or “Fantasy Story 1” (kidding, not kidding)

Apple:

The other day, during one of our video call meetings, Raspberry casually mentioned that the fairy court would have to be restructured now that the queen is dead. Makes sense, makes sense. They’re going to need a new leader. But then she said maybe Cart Boy. Cart Boy! So, I was aghast on my girl Cat’s behalf and yelled “Nooooo!” while slamming my notebook down so hard that it powered off my laptop. Yeah, I still don’t know if she was joking or not.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed the long summer spent with Cat!! Hopefully we’ll see her in the future, too! Do you have any favorite scenes or characters? Who do you think should take over as queen in the fairy court? Any hopes for next season?

Let us know in the comments or scream at us on Twitter @JaamWriting!