This article contains spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives episode 2, "The Case of the Dandelion Shrine". Dead Boy Detectives is a Netflix supernatural horror-comedy series (part of The Sandman universe) revolving around the titular detective agency set up by two ghostly best mates, Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri).
The pair are teenagers born decades apart and who only formed a friendship in death. As spirits, the pair have taken it upon themselves to solve mysteries with a more supernatural edge.
In episode 2, the trio becomes trapped in Port Townsend as Edwin is punished for using magic on a cat. However, they find a fresh mystery on their doorstep, and decide to help Crystal's new neighbor, Niko, who is suffering with a serious paranormal parasite infestation. Here's a full recap of Dead Boy Detectives episode 2.
The Cat King's court
Traipsing around Port Townsend, Edwin, Charles, and Crystal's path is blocked by a huge crowd of cats. Having committed a big faux pas in episode 1 (Edwin used a magic leash to force a cat to give up some info), he's to be brought before "The Cat King".
The trio are taken into a warehouse, wherein a cat sitting on a throne made out of pallets morphs into the feline ruler (played by Lukas Gage). The Cat King isn't interested in hearing Ed's explanations and explains he wishes to discuss the matter privately, and spirits Edwin away to his private chambers.
There he quizzes Edwin about his relationship with Charles, insinuating there could be a spark between the two detectives, before changing into more comfortable attire and getting very close to Ed. Drawing in close, the Cat King snaps a caging spell bracelet on Edwin, binding him to the town and his kingdom. The bracelet will come off as soon as Edwin makes him happy; seeing as Ed doesn't give into his charms, he's instructed to count all the cats in Townsend, and sent back to the now-empty warehouse.
Charles and Crystal rush over; even though he thinks it's been just a few moments, Edwin's been missing from the real world for hours. Edwin sets about trying (and failing) to remove the bracelet by force. Edwin, frustrated, reminds Charles he also screwed up, and when Crystal tells Edwin to stop vandalizing her new apartment by banging the bracelet against a pillar, Ed starts another argument with her. That fight's soon interrupted by the arrival of Jenny, who throws open the door and demands Crystal stop all the banging (she can't see the detectives, remember).
Jenny threatens to evict Crystal if she doesn't mellow; Edwin continues the fight when she leaves, telling Crystal she doesn't have to stick around if she doesn't want to. Before she says something she'll regret, the clairvoyant leaves... and then the ghost mailman arrives. Since the pair are keen to leave the town ASAP, they regard most of the deliveries as junk... though a flyer for "Tragic Mick's" magic emporium catches their eye. Perhaps this guy can help with Edwin's current predicament?
Meanwhile, we see Crystal lamenting her lost memories in the bathroom. As she leaves, she opens the door to Niko, her reclusive neighbor. After being briefly magically compelled to pay her attention, Niko collapses on the floor, and Crystal calls Jenny to get help.
Diagnosis: Sprite Infestation
The boys head to the magic store, where Tragic Mick (a cursed walrus who is trapped on land looking like a man) tells Edwin the bracelet's not coming off unless he finishes his mission; only the caster could alter it. Before leaving, Mick gives them an enchanted jar that makes ocean sounds. As the pair leave, Esther Smith emerges from the shadows. After confirming Edwin and Charles would be staying in town for a while, she purchases what she calls her "revenge starter kit" from the store.
Back at the flat, a doctor assesses Niko and says she's just dehydrated. Jenny has to attend to the store downstairs and leaves Crystal to keep an eye on her. The boys appear and watch as Crystal taps into Niko's mind, all she sees are visions of bright colors, and she's thrown across the room when she detaches herself. Edwin's enthralled, delighted they have a new mystery to solve whilst they're stuck in town.
He and Charles clumsily work together to retrieve the necessary reference book from the agency office ("Paranormal Parasitics); during their ordeal, Charles tries to get Ed to open up about what really happened with the Cat King, but Edwin's keen to keep them on task. After going through Niko's symptoms, Edwin reasons that Dandelion Sprites have taken hold of Niko. They're parasites who thrive on the power of attention. That'd explain the colorful visions people see when looking at her, and her weakened state. The big problem? They're apparently prone to exploding.
Whilst the duo are away, Crystal searches Niko's room, finding a series of unopened letters from her mother. Niko wakes up and is embarrassed by the whole experience, rushing into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. Crystal sits on the other side of the door and eventually gets Niko to elaborate on what's happening to her. She's been feeling so low since her father died and she moved to the US for boarding school (which she has dropped out of). Sensing some common ground with Crystal (who is worried she may never find her family again), Niko opens the door to try and comfort her... but she vomits up some colorful goop and passes out again.
The boys return to the flat and relay their findings to Crystal. During their conversation, Niko regains consciousness again and quizzes Crystal about who she's talking to. Crystal cagily explains she can talk to her "secret friends"; via Crystal, the boys get Niko to talk through when she first might have picked up the parasites. She'd gone looking in the woods for a dandelion when she left Japan for the US, as her father once told her they inspired courage. She found her way to a shrine, and the boys needed to find it. Whilst discussing the next steps, the parasites force Niko to go downstairs so they can feed off the attention energy from Jenny's customers. Crystal retrieves Niko and puts her back to bed. We then see how things are progressing in the afterlife; forces are being mobilized to track Ed and Charles down, especially since they have possessed a living witch.
The detectives follow a rudimentary map sketched by Niko to a clearing in the woods. Along the way, Ed's been keeping count of the local cats and almost admits something more about what happened between him and the Cat King, as he feels guilty that his predicament has trapped them in Port Townsend. The thought process is interrupted when a bone crunches underfoot. They've found the shrine, and see several skeletons lying around, all overgrown with dandelions. Edwin reasons the sprites operate by killing their host and then spreading to a 'new nest'. Gross.
Finding the shrine
In the apartment, Niko's body is animated by the sprites. Crystal tries to look away, but the sprites, through Niko, demand attention or threaten to kill their host and spread to someone new. Back at the shrine, Charles produces a device that Ed uses to read the carvings on it.
The shrine explains, rather ominously, 'these small gods require constant sacrifices'. At one point, the sprites were contained at this site within a specific enchanted vessel from the site. Charles immediately picks the vessel up... and the skeletons spring to life, moving to attack the duo. In a panic, Charles smashes the vessel on one of the undead whilst they flee back to the apartment.
Crystal does her best to keep Jenny away from Niko. Jenny proceeds to lay into Crystal for her weird behavior over the last few days... right as the boys float through the wall, distracting her. Crystal placates Jenny; with her gone, the trio gathers at Niko's side.
Crystal, sensing they're running out of time, explains everything to Niko, about her two dead detective friends, the parasites, and asks her to trust them to help. Niko is surprisingly very receptive to the news so the detectives lay out their plan and what happened at the shrine. Although Charles destroyed the original enchanted vessel, he empties out the jar Tragic Mick gave them and Edwin puts the sacred offerings from the original jar inside. This should be fit to trap them... if only they had a way to lure the sprites in.
Just then, Niko's body starts to thrash violently. Charles and Ed flick through the book, looking for more info. Crystal tells them there's no time, and proceeds to offer herself as the next host to the sprites. The two sprites climb out of Niko's mouth and jump towards Crystal; Charles manages to catch them inside the jar at the last second.
The pair congratulate Crystal on her bravery. Afterwards, Charles hits on Crystal, again, and then tells her they need to go back and torch the dandelions so they can't infect anyone else. Niko then walks into the room, sporting a new hairdo... and revealing she can see the dead detectives after her own near-death experience.
The gang discusses what to do with the irate sprites, and Niko's next steps, but are surprised by the appearance of the ghost mailman again. He drops off a load of agency mail and says ghosts are lining up to see them and their 'brand new medium', and we see them waiting outside Crystal's apartment to be seen. Seems like this might be their new HQ for the time being.
The episode then ends with Esther Smith carrying out some ritual on her crow, furious the boys will be sticking around as that means they'll get in the way of her whole "steal young girls and sap their vitality for eternal youth" deal and vowing to get one up on the trio. The end result of her ritual? She's turned Monty the crow familiar into a handsome young man. To what end?
Dead Boy Detectives is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. And if you're looking for more shows to enjoy, check out our round-up of the best shows on Netflix.
