Comedy
Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
Eternia is everything. It is the planet at the heart of creation, and it’s the key to the rest of the universe’s future..
Inside, it holds a world of dualities where wizards and warlords, men and monsters are constantly at odds. Where these beings use sorcery and spells to wage war.
And so they have. For eons.
But now, the war has shifted. Magic no longer reigns supreme. At least, not for all.
In this age, it’s magic versus technology. Which is better?
Adam, the Prince of Eternia known as He-Man, and his crew are on the side of magic.
Skeletor, He-Man’s evil uncle Keldor-turned-skeleton, desires to use magic as a support to new technology–technology that he plans to use to destroy He-Man and rule over Eternia, once and for all.
It’s a battle of the ages. And no one knows how it will end.
Okay, so most people actually do know how it ends.
He-Man wins. Because he’s the protagonist. Obviously.
But let me give you a little backstory.
First, you’re probably familiar with He-Man. But if not, he’s that ripped, shirtless warrior that’s been around since the 1980s. And Skeletor is his long-time enemy bent on destroying him. These and the other characters from Masters of the Universe started out as primarily action figures, and the early animated shows were essentially half-hour commercials to sell the toys.
But you can’t keep a good He-Man down. The franchise has since added a hundred bajillion spin-offs, and even films, catering to its own universe of hardcore fans.
That includes the one I’m talking about now; Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
This iteration is a continuation of the 2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation. But by this point in the story, Eternia has changed quite a bit. The modern world has worked itself in as He-Man and his crew use magic to fight against Skeletor, and as Skeletor and his evil crew use advanced technology and magic to crush their enemies.
The entire storyline is driven by He-Man succeeding his father, The King, and teaming up with his love interest, Sorceress Teela, and a whole bunch of other magical friends.
Their goal?
To protect their home, Castle Grayskull, and crush Skeletor along with his new masters: the robotic Mistress Motherboard and an evil, mysterious overlord in charge of the Horde Army.
If you’re thinking this is for kids, I’d say think again to some degree, although it’s rated TV-PG.
The animation makes the villains look far more scary and intimidating than in the 1980s, and the evil, incantations, spells, references to the land of the dead, along with the overall love of terror that Skeletor’s crew shows, is palpable.
But the good guys have issues, too. They use all sorts of magic to fight evil. And some of them do so either shirtless or in some fairly revealing outfits.
So far, there’s not been any profanity, although a few people throw out some “shut ups.” LGBT themes have shown up in past series’, so there’s no stopping them from making an appearance again (although that’s not shown in the first episode).
This is, ultimately, a spiritual show that doesn’t shy away from talking about its versions of heaven and hell, the way people exist in either place and the magic they wield.
Personally, I’d stick to the action figures.
Adam, prince of Eternia, confronts Scare Glow in Subternia to ask that his friends’ souls be released. When Scare Glow refuses, Adam and his friends join together to defeat him; Adam is confronted by his father’s mortality.
In Subternia (a scary place known as hell and a realm of chaos), skeleton Scare Glow reigns supreme, surrounded by his host of Shadow Beasts (skeletonized dragon-like creatures).
Scare Glow warns Adam when he enters Subternia, saying “flee before your mind goes mad. Trust not what Subternia shows…Terror fuels the fires of hell.” He also tells him that he will burn he and his friends alive and then feast on their flesh while their souls marinate in despair.
Subternia is dark and is ruled by evil entities who enjoy fear, terror and the screams of those who have been trapped in their lair, the land of the dead.
Scare Glow (and all he morphs into) and Adam battle one another by sword and might; Adam stabs him, cuts off his arm and ultimately locks him into Subternia for good.
In another scene, evil Skeletor follows the lead of his overlord, Mistress Motherboard, a mechanical creature to whom he says “glory be to the Board Almighty.” She, in turn, worships and follows a creepy, ultimate overlord who is in power of an evil army known as The Horde.
Sorceress Teela and others cast spells, incite incantations and attempt to conjure powers.
One person says “shut up.” Adam and sorceress Teela flirt with one another.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
