#dbda rewatch

[littlepocketuniverse]

In 1.03 when Niko says 'So about those photos. Dead girls, axes, lots of blood' and Edwin let's her off the hook on further investigating the Devlin Murders, he specifically says 'I completely understand'. I've only just realised that he probably means this literally, that he is likely using his own experiences of Hell (the constant blood and gore and endless dying) to empathise with her.

It makes me wonder how many cases like the Devlin Case remind him of Hell - how much of the work is he desensitised to and how much is just him persevering through the memories?

The fact he wants to spare Niko that pain is something I find really heartwarming, it's a small reminder of how Edwin (despite all his hard edges) chooses to remain kind even after his own experiences in Hell.

[pisces-swirlix]

okay i’m gonna admit something… i’ve only seen dead boy detectives once. but i’m doing my first ever rewatch just now

so now i’m gonna update about it. let’s save dead boy detectives together :)

episode one

first, i’m way more sympathetic to edwin this time around. i think it’s something about knowing what he actually went through. my first watch i was like “wow, what a dick,” but now i honestly get his hesitance about helping crystal. “maybe he’s our fucking demon now” was probably a pretty jarring thing for him to hear, seeing as he was traded between demons and tortured for decades. so honestly i agree when he’s like “what she went through? i spent 70 years in hell!”

second, there’s something i didn’t see before. despite the boys knowing each other so well, they’re both so repressed emotionally. part of me is hurt of edwin’s behalf that charles shared the whole “watching his parents through the mirror” thing with crystal first, but part of me gets it. sharing with strangers is easier. still, they’re both holding back from each other more than i remember. i’m surprised by all of the walls that are still up between them after thirty years.

third. i think my cat is a fan :)

[distracted-and-diffused]

DBDA Rewatch Fridge Horror Moments: Opening the Ghost Post

(This moment brought to you by many rewatches, but primarily by rewatch round 12).

"Who would send us a box?" -- Charles Rowland

The Ghost Post is fascinating in and of itself — how does the Postman always know where they are? — but it's also fascinating… and a little troubling… how Edwin and Charles handle it.

In Episode 08, the boys are back in the office, and everything seems to be wrapping up. The post arrives, and they have a small package, presumably addressed to them, but with no sender. Immediately curious, they open it before even looking at the rest of the mail.

The scene works beautifully for slowly re-building the tension in the episode — Edwin reaches his hand out for a letter opener, opens the box, hands the letter opener back to Charles, and pulls out a much larger, longer box. He rips away the tape, and as he opens the box, they both lean in...

And the surprise they get is quite unwelcome, at the time, even if it all works out, in the end.

In retrospect, however, it's a bit unnerving that they don't seem to have any protocols for how to deal with packages from unknown senders. The package is clearly magical in nature, but they don't appear to take any special precautions as they open it.

We don't know if the boys have any known enemies — other than the immortal witch the team just defeated — who might, for example, use magical means to take them out of commission. But it doesn't seem unlikely that they might attract some, as they go around solving cases other people won't or can't.

And it's not that there aren't ways that even a non-magical package could hurt ghosts. We know that there exists, for example, a highly toxic ghost fungus whose luminescent spores cause blindness and pain if they get in the eyes. (Which Edwin and Charles know about, and of which they appear to have first-hand experience).

Given Charles's question, it seems likely that this is the first box they've ever received in the decades since they've opened the agency. But they appear to have become increasingly (internationally!) well known, and they are poised to branch out and take on regular cases on behalf of a larger and well-known client.

So hopefully the Agency will be a little more careful, when accepting packages in the future.

[guardianspirits13]

TELL ME WHY IT TOOK SEVEN FUCKING REWATCHES TO REALIZE THE MUSIC BOX IN THE CASE OF THE LIGHTOUSE LEAPERS IS PLAYING WELLERMAN. IM GOING INSANE

[samsayswhatever]

I'm finally getting to watch Dead Boy Detectives with someone who is happy to talk over the whole thing with me. It's such a unique experience to actually get to point out all the fun details as we go along, while hearing all their first-time reactions in real time.

[saint0psy]

Work is kicking my ass so heres!!! The hyperfixation!!

[gay-strawberry]

edwin: can you open it ? (with your lockpicking set and lock picking abilities we've seen several times thru the show)

charles: way ahead of you mate ! (smashes the box against the floor until it opens)

[pinklemonslices]

i hope everyone knows that the little boxing scene in episode one IS probably my favorite scene in the whole show. there is so much to love about it. this scene hooked me on the show single-handedly (and it made me think they were already in love/canon, until my brother told me they weren’t).

the banter is so much fun!!! i love all their interactions throughout the series, but this one is just So good. charles is such a silly goose!!!! i love him jumping around and messing with edwin physically. i love edwin being so comfortable, smiling with his teeth and looking exasperated but it’s completely overshadowed by his amusement and obvious care for charles.

i love how edwin says he shouldn’t have to learn to hit things because charles will always be there, i love how it sets up their dynamic. i love how edwin gives in anyway and absolutely SUCKS at it. i love how niceys charles is about it. i love how close they are the whole scene. i love these boys

[shaylogic]

Cat King: I know my kingdom better than you. I'm proud of my duties towards my citizens. I hold responsibilities that are very impressive.

Edwin: You've forgotten yourself in your own lack of self-awareness and self-worth -- exactly proving my point.

[downbaddetective]

"He's calling the spirits of darkness... I saw him do this once before when a girl dumped him."

Might I present a one Mr. Charles Rowland! Very pleased with how he came out. One more down, many more to go!

[fan-a-tink]

Hands down the coolest shot in the entire show!

[alltimefail]

I love his face actually, if you even care. Pookie to the highest degree. Season 2 now @netflix @warnerbrostv

[that-ineffable-devil]

The Night Nurse: Everyone has a place. Don't you want to know where yours is?

Charles: I know where my place is. Right here. Between you and him.

[distracted-and-diffused]

DBDA Rewatch Fridge Horror Moments: The Only Way Out

(This moment brought to you by rewatch round 10.)

"This was a mistake! A huge mistake!" -- the Night Nurse

Again, there is a lot of fridge horror fuel going on in Episode 07. (I had five different topics on my shortlist for this slot when I was planning out this post series.) But it's interesting to me to consider the ways in which the Night Nurse, in this quote, could be right.

The Night Nurse agrees to open a portal to Hell for Charles to go rescue Edwin. Niko agrees to keep an eye on the Night Nurse. Charles descends into Hell, armed with Edwin's notebook filled with notes and maps, and an infinite backpack stocked with lit cherry bombs and Molotov cocktails. (I'm assuming that must be what the Night Nurse meant by "provisions.")

But although Charles is very, very convincing in the moment, he has no previous experience with Hell — just a second-hand account of it. And Hell is not easy to escape (which under normal circumstances, is probably not a bad thing — it's Hell).

It took Edwin 70 years to get out the first time. How long does the Night Nurse expect that it will take Charles to retrieve him again?

How long is she willing to wait — in front of an open portal to Hell — for him to come back before giving up? (Would she give up and leave them in Hell if it took too long, as Charles seemed to suggest that she do?) How long is he actually down there?

(I was trying to figure this last question out, for fic purposes. This show does weird things with time sometimes, but I'm guessing it's anywhere from a few hours to maybe — at a stretch — overnight. It's not likely to be more than that, considering that the boys seem to be back not too long after Crystal and Jenny return. That is really, really impressive, and a credit to both Edwin and Charles!)

But in addition to the Night Nurse's potential doubts about the wisdom of letting Charles go, or about the time this may take, as she waits and paces in front of the door, there is another issue.

When the Night Nurse opens the portal to Hell, she uses the door and not the wall that Edwin was pulled through. (A portal used to make a different kind of portal — okay, that makes sense.)

But she doesn't use the door to the side of the room — the door that leads to Crystal's walk-in closet. Instead, she uses the door in the front of the room.

The door that is the only way out of that room, if not for the Night Nurse, then for the living human (Niko!) who is waiting with her, for who knows how long. The door that goes to the hallway.

The hallway that — since neither Crystal nor Niko's rooms have an en-suite toilet — has that floor's only bathroom.

(Hopefully the boys didn't take too long.)

[densewentz]

can you guys imagine how fucking funny it would have actually been if Edwin HAD just gotten frisky with the Cat King that first meeting like. Edwin pops up outta thin air several hours after being abducted by an unknown entity intent on punishing a serious transgression and Charles and Crystal are just like. What happened? What did he do? Do we have to run? What's going on????? And Edwin is just clearing his throat and hastily straightening his bowtie and if his voice cracks when he tells them "don't be ridiculous, I told you I had everything well in hand" then that's his business. Charles would chew through the walls at Edwin not telling them how he got out of being punished 💀

[theloverislost]

something something charles dad smashed his tape with a hammer something something smashing the tape in the devlin house would destroy charles