DISCLAIMER: This recap of Dead Boy Detectives Season 1 Episode 4, “The Case of the Lighthouse Leapers,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Episode four, “The Case of the Lighthouse Leapers,” is jam-packed with character development and narrative progression. The Night Nurse storyline feels deceptively resolved, but it’s probably not easy to dispose of an immortal being high up in the afterlife hierarchy. She’ll be back. (Plus, there’s still the Esther, Cat King and David the Demon of it all.) On another note, a lot happens on this episode, but it’s done well and entertaining to boot. The big emotional moments feel earned this time around (and heartbreaking).
RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Dead Boy Detectives episode, “The Case of the Devlin House”
A Secret Admirer
We open with Jenny (Briana Cuoco) reading a love letter from a secret admirer. Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and Niko (Yuyu Kitamura) ask Jenny about it, seemingly hellbent on helping her uncover the identity of said admirer. Jenny is her usual brusque self, denying anything remotely romantic. Crystal attempts to touch the letter and use her psychic abilities to determine who wrote it, but Jenny pulls it away.
Suddenly, a ghost dressed like an old-school lighthouse keeper bursts through the wall, demanding to meet the “Dead Boy Detectives.” Crystal and Niko scream. Of course, Jenny has no idea what the hell is happening.
Edwin + Monty
Meanwhile, Charles (Jayden Revri) rummages through his Mary Poppins backpack (the pocket universe) to find a tool he most likely left at the witch’s house. He asks Edwin (George Rexstrew) about it, but the latter is too absorbed in the astrology book Monty lent him. Charles mentions that Edwin’s been spending a lot of time with Monty. Is someone jealous?
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Next, Dagfinn (Gardiner Millar), the grizzled lighthouse keeper ghost, barges into Crystal’s room to chat with Edwin and Charles. He reveals that he haunts the Point No Point Lighthouse, but recently, it’s become overcrowded by other ghosts. Folks have been leaping to their death from the lighthouse into “the sound” below. Our ghosts with the most decide to take on Dagfinn’s case.
Then, the quartet arrives at the lighthouse, which even has a gift shop. It looks like a prime tourist spot. While there, they see a woman leap off the top of the lighthouse into the ocean. Niko and Crystal describe what they saw to Officer Parris (Sharon Taylor), who doesn’t believe them. Asha (BJ Harrison), the gift shop proprietor, tells the girls she believes they believe they saw a woman leap to her death. Asha offers them tea in her shop, which Niko accepts.
Questioning Ghosts and Chatting With Cats
After that, a cat wanders by Edwin, scratching him on the leg. Cat scratches are brutal for ghosts. Edwin counts that as the 142nd cat he’s seen in Port Townsend. However, he realizes he might know that feline. He follows it, but not before ordering Charles and Crystal to question the ghosts of the people who lept from the lighthouse.
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Charles and Crystal see the woman in question, along with a few other ghosts. They all claim they heard the voice of someone they loved, so they jumped toward it (and into the ocean). So, what was calling to them from the waters? Meanwhile, Edwin reunites with the Cat King (Lukas Gage). He tells CK that he counted 142 cats in town. CK laughs at this, informing him that he’s painfully wrong. Ergo, he won’t remove the bracelet and allow Edwin to leave.
Cat King claims he’s fascinated by Edwin and wants to keep him around as long as possible. Then, he pivots, asking Edwin why he’s so fixated on solving ghost cases. CK performs a quick truth spell on Edwin, forcing the latter to reveal why he’s a detective. Edwin confesses that he hopes to build a credible case for why he doesn’t deserve to return to Hell.
Night Nurse Is Here
Later, we see Night Nurse (Ruth Connell) on Earth, having circumvented the pesky notary. At the same time, Crystal and Charles stand on the lighthouse, peering over the edge at the waters below. Crystal addresses Edwin’s mood change and Charles’s sour demeanor. Charles brushes it off, refusing to discuss the Devlin house or his past. Crystal hears a voice calling to her from the ocean. Thankfully, she doesn’t follow it.
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Then, Niko chats with Asha inside the gift shop. Edwin reunites with her and listens. Asha tells Niko about the impending kite festival, which brings in thousands of people. So, whatever lurks in the ocean needs to be vanquished or subdued. They get on the subject of the goddess Lilith and the Washer Woman, or Bean Nighe, a spirit from Scottish folklore that haunts streams and washes the clothes of those about to die. Edwin and Niko brainstorm what the creature in the water might be. It could be a mermaid.
Next, Niko and Edwin reunite with Crystal and Charles. Crystal hears the voice calling to her again. This time, she moves toward the edge of a cliff and almost leaps. However, Niko pulls her back from the edge. Charles embraces Crystal as she tries to chase the voice, claiming it’s her mother even though she can’t recall the identity of her parents.
Starfish in Love
After this, Edwin finds Niko staring at two starfish—one red, the other blue. She claims they’re in love. Edwin notes that starfish don’t have brains. Luckily, love doesn’t require (or use) logic. Niko asks Edwin if it feels good to be in love, perhaps with someone like Monty. She takes her role as a matchmaker seriously. Niko changes the subject to the various sea glass she’s been amassing. She suggests Edwin give one to Monty.
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The pair also discuss kissing; both admit they’ve never been kissed. Edwin divulges that he doesn’t understand the appeal, but being around the Cat King emphasizes his inexperience. Niko asks him if he wants to kiss the Cat King, to which Edwin responds that he doesn’t.
Then, Edwin takes Niko’s red sea glass and uses it to contact the Washer Woman. Our quartet sees the Bean Nighe (Katie Keough) as she washes clothing on the shoreline. The Washer Woman talks in riddles and doesn’t quite make sense. She talks about feeling the pain of those who leap from the lighthouse and says she only appears to those whose “need is deep.”
Measure for Measure
The gang asks her what’s luring the lighthouse leapers to their deaths. Washer Woman claims a sea beast in the waters woke up because of a storm. “Measure for measure, it must play until it tires,” she adds. Suddenly, Charles, Niko and Edwin vanish, leaving Crystal with the Washer Woman. Crystal tells her that David the Demon stole her memories, and each time she “gets a little of them back,” things become more complex. Crystal needs to know who she is.
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“When the ground moves and the bird cries, stop looking without and look within.” Of course, it’s another freakin’ riddle. After a confused Crystal returns to the present plane, our crew decides to ask Mick (Michael Beach) for advice regarding their next move. I love the moment they grab something that “attracts evil seagulls,” which is a fun callback to the previous episode.
Meanwhile, Jenny hears a strange noise and decides to investigate with a meat cleaver in hand (this is a butcher shop, after all). She finds Night Nurse, who claims she’s a family friend, in Crystal’s room. NN asks where Crystal is but doesn’t do so nicely. She chokes the information out of Jenny, who mentions the beach. After the incident, Jenny doesn’t recall what transpired or why she’s upstairs.
Angie
Next, Mick shows our intrepid detectives a photo of the sea beast, whom he affectionately calls “Angie.” She emits a feeling of yearning with her light, and folks fill in the blanks with whoever they miss. She gets hungry, though, hence the murdered people. Mick changes the subject once he learns the gang has seen the Washer Woman. He’s been hoping to get an audience with her for years so she could change him back to a walrus.
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Then, Niko gives Mick a piece of green sea glass after telling him that that’s how they gained access to the Washer Woman. Niko’s so sweet — we must protect her at all costs. Charles finds a steampunk-looking music box, which spurs a new idea. Why not attract Angie with it and make her swallow the music box? Instead of killing her, why not simply put her to sleep with music?
Later, Charles, Edwin, Crystal and Niko return to the butcher shop to grab meat for Angie. Edwin runs into Monty (Joshua Colley). The two gush about the books they’ve borrowed from each other. However, Jenny sends the gang to the dumpster to search for scraps, but not before informing Crystal about the “family friend” who stopped by the shop.
Ghosts on Walks
While our heroes dig for scraps in the dumpster, Monty asks Edwin out on a coffee date, even though the latter can’t drink beverages. Edwin declines the ask but offers something more doable: a nice walk. Ghosts love walking.
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Next, the crew brings scraps and the music box back to the beach. Niko tries to stick the bloody scraps to the music box to no avail. Night Nurse appears, so naturally, Crystal asks how she’s a family friend. NN states point-blank that she’s not there for Crystal. She used Crystal as bait to lure in two errant teen ghosts. Edwin and Charles are bewildered why Death isn’t there for them. Night Nurse claims she’s taking them to the Afterlife Lost & Found Department so she can assign them to their respective destinations.
Of course, Edwin knows he’s heading back to Hell. Charles states he won’t go anywhere without Edwin. Night Nurse takes Charles back to the night he died in 1989. We see him freezing in water as his “friends” throw stones and debris at him. Charles attempts to emerge from the waters undetected, but the boys start chasing him. He died of hypothermia and internal bleeding.
Abuse
The scene shifts to another day when Charles tries to stop these boys from beating up another teen. Then, that scene morphs into one with Charles and his father. His dad whips him with a belt as his mother cries at the top of the stairs. Charles pleads with his father to stop, promising he’ll “be good.” That’s such a valid response as a child suffering abuse — we think we’re responsible for our parents’ moods and that we control their behavior. If they hurt us, we did something to warrant it. My heart breaks for Charles. He has so much trauma. His story profoundly resonates with me.
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After that unwanted trip down memory lane, Charles grabs the music box and lays the smackdown on Night Nurse. He declares that he’s found his purpose on Earth as a dead boy detective and has more to offer. After she catches the music box, Charles kicks her, sending her toppling over a stone ledge into Angie the Sea Beast’s mouth—still holding said music box. Angie swallows Night Nurse and vanishes into the ocean.
Charles has an understandable breakdown in the aftermath of sending Night Nurse plummeting into the mouth of a sea creature. Of course, she’s not alive, so she’ll most likely return. Jayden Revri delivers a touching, visceral performance here. Edwin comforts Charles.
Saltwater Taffy and a Magic 8 Ball
The following morning, Dagfinn thanks our crew for saving the day. Now, he’s the only ghost in the Point No Point Lighthouse. He makes good on his promise to give them saltwater taffy and a Magic 8 Ball that tells one when they’ll die. Niko notices Mick walking the shoreline below, scooping up sea glass wherever he finds it.
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The quartet returns to the butcher shop to decompress after a stressful case. Edwin watches Scooby-Doo with Niko in her room while Charles hangs out with Crystal. Niko finally opens the unread letters from her mother. I adore Niko and Edwin’s friendship.
Meanwhile, Crystal and Charles commiserate, leading to Charles kissing her. Crystal asks if he feels anything, to which Charles responds that he doesn’t, but it doesn’t matter. The two continue kissing as they fall onto Crystal’s bed. I love it when two characters blow off sexual steam in the wake of unimaginable pain.
RELATED: Read our Dead Boy Detectives recaps here!
Dead Boy Detectives Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
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