The missing link is still missing

"MonsterQuest" is a series originally aired at History Channel. It's devoted to cryptozoology, a subject both fringey and goofy. I admit that the series is too boring for my infotainment tastes - I mean, the MonsterQuest team never actually finds a monster! Still, the second season is often unintentionally funny. In the "Grassman" episode, a couple of Bigfoot enthusiasts try to lure the elusive ape-man into attacking a gigantic gorilla mask made out of plastic! They also attempt to establish contact with the creature by imitating its supposed mating calls. Needless to say, none of the methods are successful. Perhaps Bigfoot isn't aroused by Halloween costumes?

In another classic episode, the MQ team travels to Texas in search of Hogzilla, a hog supposedly four times the normal size. A regular hog runs off with the team's expensive camera, while a cranium of a supposed mega-hog turns out to be the skull of a Belgian Blue-type domestic pig. Apparently, the gigantic pig escaped from its owner (well, it was meant for slaughter, so who can blame it?) only to be killed by some crazy Texan cowboys on the look out for Hogzilla!

I admit that I laughed almost all evening after seeing *this* episode. I also liked the quirky "tough guy" act of the hunters: "It'll kill'ya. Then, it'll eat'ya". Well, I'm not so sure, LOL.

The most fascinating episode is about the Chupacabra, the legendary Goat-Sucker of Puerto Rico, who seems to have spread itself to the southern parts of the United States in the good old fashion of fire ants, killer bees and so-called illegal aliens. Here, the monster hunters actually manage to find some pretty bizarre animals killed by Texan ranchers. DNA tests and other analyses show that the "goat-suckers" are really feral dogs or dog-coyote hybrids, probably suffering from mange. I admit a certain disappointment...

Another fascinating episode dealt with the so-called Black Beast of Exmoor, one of the few cryptids taken seriously by the authorities. Apparently, a group of British marines were once ordered to find and catch the mystery feline supposedly lurking on the moor. Needless to say, they had to leave empty-handed. As the proverb goes, "the missing link is still missing".

Many other episodes were so ludicrous that I stopped watching, such as the claim that rats the size of cats live in New York City. Rats are surprisingly large (I was surprised the first time I saw a dead rat), so this is an obvious case of misjudging their size - perhaps from people who assume that the average rat is the size of a pet mouse.

I'm not sure how to rate the second season of "MonsterQuest", but since I was entertained by Hogzilla & The Grassman (sounds like a hip hop band), I give it three stars, but I suspect that's really a bit too much...