Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix follows the runaway success of the 2022 adaptation of The Sandman (which will be back at some point for The Sandman season 2). And now Neil Gaiman fans have another series set in the same universe to enjoy: Dead Boy Detectives.
The series revolves around ghostly super-sleuths, Charles and Edwin. They appeared in Season of Mists, the fourth book in The Sandman series, and now they're starring in this mind-bending Netflix fantasy show.
It stars British actors Jayden Revri and George Rexstrew as Charles and Edwin, two teens who became best friends after dying decades apart. Together, they've established a detective agency specifically designed to solve cases that the mortal realm simply can't handle, with the help of a medium friend Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson).
A mix of Sherlock, Buffy, and British kids show classic Rentaghost, here’s everything you need to know about Dead Boy Detectives….
Dead Boy Detectives release date
Dead Boy Detectives is now streaming on Netflix after releasing on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
Already streamed the whole lot? Flick through our guide to the best shows on Netflix to find your next fix.
Is there a trailer for Dead Boy Detectives?
Yes, there's a Dead Boy Detectives official trailer that shows glimpses of Edwin, Charles and Crystal at work trying to solve their supernatural cases; you can find it, and the previous teaser trailer, below:
Dead Boy Detectives plot
In Dead Boy Detectives, Charles (Jayden Revri) and Edwin (George Rexstrew) were born many decades apart but find one another after death and form a unique bond. Edwin is an old-fashioned teenager who died in 1916 while Charles passed away much more recently, in 1989.
The friends are avoiding passing into the afterlife, though, and have set up their detective agency to solve supernatural crimes such as hauntings, demonic possessions and missing persons. The first case we see sees them coming to the aid of their soon-to-be clairvoyant comrade, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) who joins them to take on more cases.
Dead Boy Detectives episode recaps
Below you can find Netflix's short episode summaries for Dead Boy Detectives, along with links out to our in-depth episode recaps.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 1: After coming to the aid of a teen medium with a demonic dilemma, Edwin and Charles head to America to find a missing girl with an unexpected ally.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 2: Trapped in a sleepy Washington town, the detectives take on a local case: helping Crystal's quirky housemate Niko get rid of her paranormal parasites.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 3: The group tries to free a family of spirits from a nightmarish loop inside a haunted house, but it triggers an extreme case of deja vu for one detective.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 4: The gang looks into a disturbing trend of deaths at a lighthouse. Crystal hears a distinct voice while piecing together clues about the seaside mystery.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 5: While Crystal, Edwin and Charles investigate the tragic murders of two popular jocks, Niko sets up Jenny and her secret admirer on a butcher shop date.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 6: A crisis forces Crystal to improvise on the job as Monty recruits the boys to locate his missing friend — but the eerie case isn't what it seems.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 7: When Edwin gets caught in a frightening situation, Charles relies on his best mate's meticulous notes to find him. A determined Crystal confronts her ex.
- Dead Boy Detectives episode 8: Crystal reckons with the past after memories come rushing back. With Esther's evil scheme underway, the group is forced to face their deadliest foe yet.
Dead Boy Detectives cast — Jayden Revri interview on playing Charles Rowland
Jayden Revri plays ghostly sleuth Charles Rowland. In The Sandman, Charles Rowland died in 1990 after being attacked by bullies at St. Hilarion’s. Charles became friends with Edwin Payne’s ghost, choosing to stay with him rather than following Death to the afterlife. Very friendly and enthusiastic, Charles prefers to confront problems head-on, armed with a magical cricket bat that he carries in a bag of tricks capable of holding almost anything. He's handy with his fists and good in a fight!
Jayden Revri says: "Within their ghosthood, Charles and Edwin find this common ground of wanting to solve mysteries with each other. ‘Throughout their journey in this series, they get more in touch with the human world.
"When Charles meets this girl Crystal Palace who’s alive, he’s instantly infatuated with her. She really helps him - she’s someone he can talk to about the things he’s been through. At the start, there’s a little bit of tension between Edwin and Crystal, but they become really good friends - she brings them both out of their shells.
"There’s a whole book of ghost rules, and even now I probably only know half of them. There were a lot of elements that we fought throughout the series: we filmed in Vancouver in peak winter, and if I’m a ghost, I can’t feel the cold, right? But I’m so bad in cold weather - I could feel my top lip numbing, and they kept saying ‘Jayden, you’re not talking properly!’”
"I read something online where Neil Gaiman said that Charles Rowland was his favourite character that he ever created - that put a bit of weight on my shoulders. But I know he’s seen the show and he’s super happy with how it’s turned out. It’s just been such an honour and a privilege to be part of it."
Jayden admits he's had supernatural expieriences himself: "I know a lot of people don’t believe in that stuff, and I’m not saying that I do or I don’t, but I’ve experienced a few things. When I was younger, we were in my nan’s living room and the kitchen was around the corner - and the bread bin came flying down the hallway, but there was nobody there. I wish I had the skills back then that I have now. I probably would have been able to crack The Case of the Bread Bin!"
* Jayden Revri previously appeared in the TV series Fate: The Winx Saga, Innocent and The Lodge.
George Rexstrew as Edwin Payne
George Rexstrew plays Charles’ best friend Edwin Payne. First introduced in The Sandman, Edwin Payne was a student at St. Hilarion’s boarding school for boys in 1916 when a group of bullies offered up his soul to Hell. He was dragged away by a demon and spent more than 70 years being tormented in Hell before escaping and meeting Charles Rowland. Edwin is very studious, maintaining an extensive library of occult tomes he uses for research and to cast spells that allow him to gather information and fight dangerous enemies.
* This is George Rexstrew's first major screen role but he appeared in a short film called Findhorn Case 31.08.18 in 2023.
Kassius Nelson as medium Crystal Palace
Hollyoaks star Kassius Nelson who plays a living clairvoyant Crystal Palace who can communicate with dead people. She teams up with Edwin and Charles on their investigations in Dead Boy Detectives. Loosely based on a character introduced in the Dead Boy Detectives comics, Crystal is a psychic medium who Edwin and Charles save from demonic possession. Left missing many of her memories, she decides to join the Dead Boy Detective Agency and use her powers to save lives while trying to figure out who she really is.
Who else is starring in Dead Boy Detectives — and more on their characters
Other cast of Dead Boy Detectives include Lukas Gage (The White Lotus, Euphoria, You season 4) as the mysterious Cat King (see pictured below). Cats in the world of Dead Boy Detectives can talk and are protected by the feline-like Cat King, a seductive shapeshifter with nine lives who has a thing for Edwin.
Yuyu Kitamura plays Niko Sasaki. She left Japan and ended up in Port Townsend after her father died, but she dropped out while afflicted by supernatural parasites. Her brush with death allows her to see ghosts, and she helps the Dead Boy Detectives using investigation skills she learned from watching Scooby-Doo and reading lots of manga.
Jenny Lyon plays the witch Esther Finch who made a deal for eternal life but has chilling methods to keep from looking her age. She’s out for vengeance against the Dead Boy Detectives after they deprive her and her giant pet snake of a victim.
Briana Cuoco (Claws, Harley Quinn) plays Jenny Green, who owns the Tongue & Tail butcher shop in Port Townsend, and is the landlord for both Crystal and Niko. She’s fairly patient about their antics but would like them to stay out of her professional and personal business.
Edwin and Charles are pursued by the Night Nurse played by Ruth Connell, who works for Death’s "lost & found" department, finding lost children and ensuring they go to their proper afterlives. While she’s overworked, she takes her job and the rules she enforces very seriously. The character first appeared in Doom Patrol, which served as the live-action debut of the Dead Boy Detectives.
Michael Beach plays Tragic Mick who runs a magic shop that stocks all sorts of useful items. He was once a walrus but has been transformed into a man and longs to return to the sea.
Singer/actor Joshua Colley, who starred in stage shows Newsies and Les Misérables), is playing Monty. Witch Esther turns her crow familiar Monty into a handsome boy and gives him the mission of keeping tabs on the Dead Boy Detectives. He has a passion for astronomy that he uses to get close to Edwin.
David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Flight Attendant) plays the demon David who has the ability to possess people and make them do terrible things. He took some of Crystal’s memories after being exorcized by the Dead Boy Detectives, and keeps haunting her in hopes that she’ll let him back into her head.
Other stars include Caitlin Reilly as Litty, Max Jenkins (Dead To Me) as Kingham, Lindsey Gort as Maxine and also look out for Killing Eve actor Kirby who plays Death.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. It's a TV series from Steve Yockey and Beth Schwartz, based on the comic books by Neil Gaiman who is a co-producer.
“Charles was more or less me as a boy,” explains executive producer and Sandman author Neil Gaiman. “I loved writing him and Edwin, and was proud to send them out into the world.”
After that initial Sandman debut, the duo took on a life (or death, as it were) of their own. “Who among us can honestly say that if we were hanging around the Earth as a ghost we wouldn’t want to start a detective agency?” asks Gaiman. “I think what fans responded to the most was their good-heartedness and dedication.”
Schwartz reveals they tried to “get as psychedelic as possible while still honoring the mystery-horror tone. The bittersweet nature of Edwin and Charles having only become friends because of their tragic deaths is what makes their friendship such a unique story to explore.”
