Dead Boy Detectives: A Fun, Ghostly Whodunit That Netflix Has Already Ghosted
Marisa and I crush a lot of television. It’s how we unwind after getting the kiddo to bed and squeezing in some “grown-up” time before she crashes. Luckily, we’re pretty aligned in taste—comic book adaptations and crime procedurals are our shared comfort food. Dead Boy Detectives nicely mixes both.
Developed by Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant, Supernatural) and Beth Schwartz (Arrow, Sweet Tooth), Dead Boy Detectives is a supernatural mystery series based on characters from Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner’s corner of The Sandman universe. It stars George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri as Edwin and Charles, two teen ghosts solving otherworldly mysteries—think The Hardy Boys, but deader. They’re joined by Kassius Nelson (Last Night in Soho) as Crystal Palace, a psychic who’s lost her memory; Jenn Lyon (Claws) as Esther, a witch who might have missed the Wiccan PR memo about not being evil; Briana Cuoco (Harley Quinn) as Jenny the Butcher; Ruth Connell returning as the Night Nurse from Doom Patrol; Yuyu Kitamura (The Expatriates) as Niko; and Lukas Gage (The White Lotus, You) as the delightfully smug Cat King.
The casting is excellent across the board. Everyone is given space to breathe, and even minor characters feel lived in. Take Jenny the Butcher—she’s technically a side character, but she’s not there for cheap laughs or goth aesthetics. She gets moments of genuine vulnerability, sarcasm, and chaotic fury, all packed into surprisingly little screen time. It’s the kind of character writing that makes you want to see more.
Unfortunately, this is Netflix, where good shows go to get half a chance before being unceremoniously yeeted into the algorithm void. Dead Boy Detectives is a one-and-done, which feels especially frustrating. It’s a bit geeky, a bit niche, and absolutely the kind of series that needs time to find its people. Remember how Locke & Key got 28 episodes? Or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina got 36? This show easily stands alongside those—and in some ways, above them. The silver lining? The single season is a complete story, so at least you won’t be left mid-arc holding a ghost-shaped cliffhanger.
The episodes are brisk and snappy, with self-contained mysteries that build toward a cohesive season arc. It’s clearly got comic book pacing—fast, punchy, and designed for bingeing. I wouldn’t have minded a little more atmospheric lingering in some of the cooler, spookier sets, but I get the choice to keep it tight. It’s spooky without being gory, which is honestly refreshing. Not everything needs to be The Walking Dead with teenagers.
If you liked The X-Files, Supernatural, or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, these eight episodes are absolutely worth your time. Just don’t get too attached—Netflix already ghosted them.
