I thought the current state of television couldn’t get any weirder or more interesting. Well, it’s safe to say I was very incorrect.
I stumbled upon the sci-fi, horror and slightly graphic television show “The Dead Boy Detectives” over fall break as I was recovering from the long week of midterms, and it was … interesting. I enjoy the dynamic of the two leads, who are from different times, the chosen clothing and how the show takes from older ideas of television and mashes them with newer ideas of television.
This show has many moving parts, making it hard to place in the television world definitively. It could be labeled as sci-fi and horror with additional elements of fantasy. But I would also not be opposed to saying that this show could be considered a teenage drama or comedy with its humorous dynamic between the two main characters, detectives Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri).
The two British teenage boys died at different times, which certainly adds to the comedic side of things since they have different perspectives on life and how specific terminology is used. Edwin, the more intelligent, serious and introverted detective, passed away in the early 1900s from a prank gone wrong. Charles, known in the show as the “brawn,” is the extroverted and energetic half of the duo who passed away in the 1980s from hypothermia. The two travel around England, solving cases and helping ghosts move on until traveling to America to meet the human psychic Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) and help get rid of the monster possessing her. While Edwin is not initially a fan of the idea, the trio works together as the season progresses to solve cases.
One thing in particular that I enjoyed was the way that the writers used only electro music in the show. I find that in many of the other shows I watch, most writers add pop at some point or some other musical element to change the soundtrack, but the writers for “Dead Boy Detectives” only use electro music. The way that the music is manipulated throughout the series emphasizes what is happening throughout the series. For example, when the boys and Crystal are in danger, the music is more intense; when we meet Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), it is more light, and in a sensitive scene between characters, it is a mixture of both. In this way, the music helps suggest that the show is more than just one genre but whatever tone or atmosphere the story calls for.
Another thing that stood out to me was the clothing choices. Since three different periods are depicted in the show (early 1900s, the 1980s and the 2000s), the clothing between the characters would not be uniform. Edwin is often seen wearing a suit while on cases, and Charles, being from the 80s and more laidback, usually had more vibrant colors. Crystal, the more modern figure in the show, dons many different colors, including pinks, purples, blues, blacks and sometimes all of the above, which certainly gives a unique spin to the show. I love this aspect of the show because it appeals to all generations in a fashion aspect.
Overall, the show appeals to multiple audiences as the show weaves together many disparate genres and periods that most writers would not consider putting together. While it is weird to see something like this on television, it is a great, innovative idea for a show executed strongly with its use of comedy and music choices.
