'Dead Boy Detectives' drops Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' characters into a Netflix series
The title tells you pretty much all you need to know about “Dead Boy Detectives.”
The eight-episode Netflix series follows two boys who died at a British boarding school decades apart, who now hang around in the afterlife skirting Death — literally, hiding whenever she shows up to take someone — and solving supernatural mysteries. What the title doesn’t tell you, but something you may already have known, is that the characters are spun off of Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” comics.
Also in the live-and-learn department: According to Netflix, the detectives are part of The Sandman Universe. Who knew? Not that they were part of it. That it existed at all.
What is 'Dead Boy Detectives' about?
The quirky little series, developed by Steve Yockey from Gaiman’s characters — is a great premise that plays like a Young Adult show with extra curse words thrown in for, I don’t know, grittiness or something. Like most series, it’s about two episodes too long (some of the cases are, inevitably, more interesting than others.) But the characters are compelling, at least most of the ones that need to be — and some of the supporting cast are as well.
Edwin Paine (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri) are the detectives, the self-described brains and brawn. Edwin spent an unfortunate 70 years in hell after he died, the result of a technicality, and he is not eager to go back. Charles simply chose not to move on, because he wanted to hang around with Edwin. (The details of their demise and the beginnings of their partnership are revealed throughout the series.)
They help, and eventually team up with — over Edwin’s complaints — Crystal (Kassius Nelson), who is clairvoyant. But her bad relationship with David the Demon (David Iacono) resulted in his stealing her memories. He won’t give them back, and for an extra dose of jerkiness he haunts her brain.
They wind up in the U.S. where Crystal rents a room above a “bespoke butcher shop” — yes — owned by Jenny (Briana Cuoco), a disagreeable hipster. Across the hall is Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), who has an unusual malady but becomes part of what is a kind of an updated Scooby Gang (yes, “Scooby Doo” is referenced) with a vibe not unlike “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” though not as delightful as that show was.
Got all that? Wait, there’s more.
Lukas Gage is great as the Cat King
Edwin runs afoul of the Cat King (Lukas Gage, outstanding), who has a crush on him and curses him to count all the cats in town before he can leave. Meanwhile Monty (Joshua Colley) also likes Edwin, even though he’s a stick in the mud and has a dark secret. (Also Charles and Crystal have a lot of chemistry, which is OK because ghosts can kiss and whatnot. They just can’t feel it.)
Oh, and there’s Esther (Jenn Lyon) an evil witch who has nefarious plans for just about everyone.
I’ll leave out details about the sprites, but their foul-mouthed insults are some of the funniest things in the show.
As you can probably guess, it’s all too much, and not all of it is worth the effort to keep up with. Esther’s scheming gets old fairly quickly, which is too bad because it’s the tenuous through line for the series. Gage’s Cat King is far more enjoyable, as his lustful toying with Edwin brings out the latter’s long dormant feelings about his sexuality.
But, as the relationship between doctors Benton and Carter was the best thing about “E.R.,” even amid the medical chaos, the relationship between Edwin, who died in the early 1900s, and Charles, who died in the late 1980s, is what’s really at the heart of the show. (Also Charles’ timeline allows for the Church’s “Under the Milky Way” to play almost in its entirety during once scene, so kudos for that.)
I’m never going to be the one to complain about a showcase for supernatural mysteries. I do wish, however, that “Dead Boy Detectives” had more focus, and that some of those mysteries were more compelling. And someone just give the Cat King his own show.
Scary stuff: 50 years ago, Stephen King published 'Carrie.' It's still great
How to watch 'Dead Boy Detectives'
Streaming on Netflix Thursday, April 26.
Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.
Subscribe to azcentral.com today. What are you waiting for?
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Dead Boy Detectives' review: Best part of Netflix series is Cat King