Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives.
Netflix’s latest comedy-horror,Dead Boy Detectives, follows two teenage ghosts, Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri) working alongside psychic Crystal (Kassius Nelson) to solve mysteries for their supernatural clientele until a visit to a Washington state town complicates their plans. The series shares the same universe as Netflix’sSandmanthrough guest appearances by Endless siblings Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) and Despair (Donna Preston). The season focuses on theghostly duo and Crystal in Port Townsend, Washington after saving a girl from the witch Esther Finch (Jenn Lyon) and a curse placed on Edwin by the Cat King (Lukas Gage) which binds him to the town. As the three of them are temporarily stuck in the United States, they become acquainted with thetown’s living and supernatural residents.
The series follows Edwin and Charles after freeing Crystal from a demonic possession, resulting in her memories being stolen by David the demon (David Iacono). As Crystal uses her psychic powers to help the ghosts in their mysteries, the three of them befriend next-door neighbor Niko (Yuyu Kitamura) who theyfree from dandelion spritesthat would have killed her. The four of them also frequent Tragic Mick’s (Michael Beach) shop, which has a variety of magical resources. Additionally, Edwin, Charles, Crystal, and Niko develop a trusted reputation among Townsend’s ghostly residents, leading to them sleuthing through cases, including a rescue from Hell and some mysterious deaths. A show focusing on ghosts, has a thematic correlation to thebizarre nature of life and deathas its characters confront the supernatural.
Dead Boy Detectives
A duo of phantom sleuths roam the boundary between the living and the dead, investigating eerie mysteries that elude the grasp of conventional detectives. Alongside a living accomplice with psychic abilities, they navigate a series of spooky adventures, learning about life and each other.
Encountering the Endless and Fighting an Immortal
Dead Boy Detectivescompliments its comic-book origins toSandmanwith a seamless integration of Death and Despair contributing to the Edwin and Charles' character arcs. Considering the literal and figurative use of the boys running from Death,Despair’s appearance when Edwinwas at his lowest point expands to a larger theme of finding forgiveness in oneself and others. As Edwin was about to berate his former friend in hell for unknowingly sacrificing him to a demon,Edwin’s encounter with Despairhelped him realize that he is not the only one who has been torturing himself. As Edwin leaves hell with Charles, his former friend implicitly moves onto a more peaceful afterlife as symbolized by the emergence of a blue light often accompanying ghosts who Death guides to a more tranquil afterlife.
After Charles saves Edwin from hell and Crystal takes back her stolen memories from David, the three realize thatthey can return to London. Edwin is free of the Cat King’s curse and Crystal regains memories of her life prior to meeting Edwin and Charles. However, their departure is delayed as Esther kidnaps the boys, so she can turn Edwin into a magical battery. Crystal and Niko get black salt and a lucky charm from Tragic Mick as well as information from the Cat King about how to defeat Esther. Charles is freed and kills the giant snake Esther used to be young, while Crystal uses her powers to contact Lilith (Rochelle Okoye) about the unjust ways Esther has utilized the immortality given to her to kill hundreds of girls. Esther is defeated, and the boys are saved at thecost of their close friend, Niko.
After Edwin and Charles return to their London office, the Night Nurse (Ruth Connell) appears with her superior to force them to go through proper supernatural channels into their respective afterlives. The Night Nurse’s superior is impressed by the work that the Dead Boy Detective Agency has conducted in regard to helping lost souls move on and decides to have their operationcontinue with the Night Nurse’s supervision going forward. The season concludes in an arctic landscape withNiko’s dandelion sprites in an igloowith a mysterious cloaked figure holding the same lucky charm Niko was holding as she was dying.
SandmanUniverse Treating Life and Death as Transitions
The season has left interesting plot threads to build upon, withEdwin finally telling Charleshis true feelings and Charles confronting the rage he has towards his father’s abuse; the duo’s friendship has become strengthened by this dialogue. Crystal’s journey in Townsend has granted her the opportunity to understand more about her psychic abilities and recall her memories of having rich neglectful parents. Niko’s death, unlike the others which transpired in the season,was not accompanied by Death herself. In most instances, as the boys avoided death, there was often a blue light alluding to a more tranquil afterlife or a red light followed by screaming showing a more discomforting fate. Niko’s death did not have either accompanying the event. Additionally, in the final episode, the phrase"the good you do may come back around"is repeated twice and addressed to Niko and the boys.
The show has demonstrated on multiple occasions how many supernatural creatures transform themselves andtransition between different planes of reality. In Townsend, Tragic Mick elaborates on his backstory of being a finger transformed into a walrus, who then was trapped in the form of a human. Esther’s crow familiar Monty (Joshua Colley), was briefly turned into a human, a ghost, and then a crow again. The Cat King manifests from one of the many cats in Townsend, and thenturns into a cat that claws from his deceased humanoid formafter being killed by Esther. The dandelion sprites are supernatural parasites whose true forms are miniature humanoids that seem to inhabit human hosts.Niko, unlike most of the sprites' hosts, survived with a new hair colorand avoided becoming a flora-covered skeleton.
Dead Boy Detectivespresents a less grandiose perspective of Netflix’sSandmanuniverse that builds into its own unique story. If the show continues along withSandman, there may be theopportunity for more crossovers. Additionally,Niko may be alive as a supernatural entity— likely a dandelion sprite, or has transitioned to another plane which Edwin, Charles, or Crystal are likely to encounter. The Dead Boy Detective Agency now works with the Lost and Found Department, which hints at the three having to grapple with more bureaucracy than they are familiar with. Hopefully, if the Netflix original is renewed, more bizarre adventures await the Dead Boy Detectives.
