Dead Boy Detectives

I wrote this review a few weeks back, when I finished the season - but now that the show has been cancelled I thought I'd rework it slightly and post it here.

I liked Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" and that was enough for me to overcome general distaste with the rather twee title and give this series a chance. I'm glad I did as, whilst not quite matching up to the main event, this was pretty good stuff.

Two ghosts, Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri) manage to successfully, though not entirely, exorcise a demon from Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson). Crystal has lost all her memories but has gained a psychic power to 'read' items and people. Together the three travel to Washington, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, which puts them at odds with a witch, Esther Finch (Jenn Lyon). Their investigation methods also lead to them popping up on the afterlife's radar and Night Nurse (Ruth Connell) begins an investigation.

Whilst the series name is not particularly promising, proposing a whimsy that doesn't really match the series often dark tone I did end up liking the series. It helps that the main cast quickly overcome the potential clichés of their roles and settle into being a likable team. Jenn Lyon makes Esther Finch a fun, but clearly vile, big bad for the season. The first episode is a bit of a muddle, with too much happening but it settles down after that into a plot that's similar to the sort of dark Y-A fiction that's popular on Netflix, like "Wednesday" for example. Unlike that show though, "Dead Boy Detectives" is a little harder, in terms of the violence sure but certainly with the swearing.

You never quite know which way Netflix is going to go with a renewal, but it does feel like there's other stories that could be told in this world and that's without crossing over into "The Sandman" any more than they have already. I'd certainly have liked more.

Please omg this show is so refreshing, like I don't usually write review for any show BUT damn whoever made this is a genius. It's so fresh and fast, there's no boring moment. I hope there will be a season 2 cause I am genuinely attached to the characters I wanna see more of it.

I not just need season 2, we need more than 2 seasons cause it has so much potential to be a proper detective series. I love the acting I love how every guy is handsome/cute in this show as well as women are gorgeous. I really hope they continue the series cause I'm hooked and already excited to see the characters again.

This is a solid show taking attributes from many other shows of a similar ilk, particularly supernatural with the loop episode etc and then Rowena turns up, despite this if you like this sort of thing it is relatively light hearted and good to watch and the female lead is excellent.

The idea seem a bit muddled in the sense that it is dark in parts but then lightened by comedy or goofiness they could have potentially made it more scary and lore based and I think it would have been a beer watch as at the moment the first season appears to be driven towards teens and as a 40 year old supernatural fan there is definitely a gap in the market so I hope they can build on the first season !

I stumbled on this show entirely by accident, having not seen any marketing for it at all. Which is a shame because it's a great show.

The acting is first-class - a rewatch had me noticing small nuances I missed the first time round. The plot doesn't drag, it has a slight element of 'monster of the week' keeping it fresh though there is an overarching plot. Even costume and set design are amazing.

Even though it's a Sandman spin-off, it's entirely it's own beast and I know nothing about the Sandman yet still followed everything in this show. Perhaps if you watched the other show you'll pick up on additional things but it's definitely nit a requirement.

A fun show, with great acting that deserved more promotion than it got.

This show is exactly as it sounds, fun and a bit corny. After being bombarded with far too many scifi/fantasy shows that are unnecessarily depressing and take themselves way too seriously, I am very thankful to have found this show.

First and foremost, this show is fun. It's relatively fast paced and never gets boring. The cast of characters is very well rounded, and each has their own dynamic personality. The writing is quite good I must say, everything flows naturally without being forced, while both taking care of the character development and storyline.

On the weaker points of this show... the acting is not going to win anyone an oscar to be honest, but they still do manage to create interesting captivating characters. The visual effects are okayish, but there are definitely other shows that do that part better. Then it can definitely be argued that the show is corny, but to me personally that is honestly a positive trait, because the show doesn't take itself too seriously, and embraces it own corniness in an endearing way. But if "corny" is your kryptonite, you should probably stay as far away from this show as possible.

But if you are just looking for some fun, and are not taking everything too seriously, I can strongly recommend this show. At the end of the day, it just works. The combination of story, atmosphere, setting and characters all complement each other to create a world that is entertaining for the viewers.

The characters are quite diverse, and all - including the female characters - are treated as whole people. Which is very refreshing to watch.

Most of all, this show has a lot of potential. For the younger actors to gain experience and grow into the characters, and for the worldbuilding to expand and become even richer. There is lots of room for more stories to be told.

My only real regret about this show is that there weren't more episodes, and I truly and sincerely hope that they will get a second season, since this is one of the most fun shows to come on Netflix in a while.